The 2024 NFL Draft will begin Thursday at 8 p.m., and the former Washington quarterback is among plenty of quarterback hopefuls who will hear their name called. Penix is coming off a season during which he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, led the Huskies to the Pac-12 Conference Championship after a perfect regular season and advanced all the way to the national championship in the program’s second College Football Playoff appearance.

READ: Michael Penix Jr. set out to ‘write my own narrative’ at Washington Pro Day

Penix wrote a letter to NFL general managers that published Monday in The Players’ Tribune. He addresses immediately the question about his four season-ending injuries in four seasons including two ACL tears, and later in the letter he states he’d “be more worried if I had never been injured.”

Penix emphasized an important lesson he’s learned in the pre-draft process in that “there’s more to it than the All-22” football film.

READ: Penix displays ‘the heart’ and ‘the guts’ during No. 7 Washington’s 36-33 win over No. 8 Oregon

The Dade City, Florida, native recalled playing tackle football on concrete in 95-degree heat growing up, stating, “You find out quick if you’re built for this game or not.”

Penix’s college career began at Indiana in 2018, somewhere he didn’t expect to go as he stated “Two weeks before signing day I was told by the team I was committed to for two years that I no longer had a scholarship.” After one torn ACL Penix helped the Hoosiers rise to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll in 2020, though he retore his ACL in the second-to-last game of the regular season that year.

Penix shouted out in his letter former Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, who was his head coach at Washington and later took the Alabama opening after Nick Saban’s retirement. Penix credited DeBoer for seeing “something in me that the rest of the college football world didn’t,” and he stated they “left our imprint” on Washington.

“Today I look at Coach Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb and Nick Sheridan,” Penix stated. “The ones that had to make the same decision that you’ll be faced with on draft day. They put their belief in me, and I did everything I could to pay it back to them. I look at the guys on the team that I talked into staying at Washington, who trusted that I was going to elevate them. Now seeing Troy Fautanu, Roger Rosengarten, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jack Westover, Rome Odunze, Devin Culp, Jalen McMillan, and Dillon Johnson all on the cusp of realizing their dream…. That is what brings me joy. As a QB, my job is to be an elevator. I need to uplift all those around me so that they too can be at their best. So just know if you put that same belief in me, history shows I hold up my end of the bargain.”

READ: Steve Sarkisian says Longhorns had to ‘recreate ourselves this spring’ after Orange-White Game

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class on NFL.com, Penix is ranked No. 35 among the class of players.

In 2023, Penix led college football with 4,903 passing yards, nearly 400 more than the next closest passer. He threw for a career-high 36 touchdowns and averaged almost 327 passing yards per game.

Penix collected the 2023 Maxwell Award and made many All-America second teams after last season. In his career, Penix passed for more than 13,500 yards and 95 touchdowns in over 45 games. He has three-plus seasons of starting experience under his belt.

In a quarterback class containing two Heisman winners and several conference champions, Penix will have competition for a top draft spot. But Penix’s story is unique, and he’s stood tall through it all.

One team will select Penix in the draft later this week, and the experienced, veteran quarterback will begin his professional career seeking to make a similar impact he’s made throughout his football career — beat adversity.

The post ‘Adversity teaches a man a lot about himself’: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. pens letter to NFL GMs in Players Tribune appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The NFL announced Tuesday that 321 players were invited to the Combine taking place Feb. 26-March 4.

READ: UCLA names DeShaun Foster next head coach

Seventy-nine teams will be represented at the Combine this year.

Michigan had a Combine-record 18 players invited this year. Among the Wolverines who were invited include quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and defensive lineman Kris Jenkins.

Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels will be among the gunslingers taking part in drills. Fellow Heisman finalists Marvin Harrison Jr., Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. will also be in attendance at the Combine, as well as 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

READ: Full List: Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers college football alumni in Super Bowl LVIII

Here is the full list of 321 college football players invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine sorted by position.

Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Devin Leary, Kentucky

Drake Maye, North Carolina

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Joe Milton III, Tennessee

Bo Nix, Oregon

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky

Kedon Slovis, BYU

Jordan Travis, Florida State

Caleb Williams, USC

Running backs

Rasheen Ali, Marshall

Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

Emani Bailey, TCU

Trey Benson, Florida State

Jonathon Brooks, Texas

Blake Corum, Michigan

Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State

Ray Davis, Kentucky

Daijun Edwards, Georgia

Audric Estimé, Notre Dame

Frank Gore Jr., Southern Mississippi

Isaac Guerendo, Louisville

George Holani, Boise State

Bucky Irving, Oregon

Dillon Johnson, Washington

Jawhar Jordan, Louisville

Dylan Laube, New Hampshire

MarShawn Lloyd, USC

Jase McClellan, Alabama

Kendall Milton, Georgia

Keilan Robinson, Texas

Cody Schrader, Missouri

Will Shipley, Clemson

Jaden Shirden, Monmouth

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue

Kimani Vidal, Troy

Michael Wiley, Arizona

Miyan Williams, Ohio State

Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

Wide receivers

Javon Baker, UCF

Jermaine Burton, Alabama

Jalen Coker, Holy Cross

Keon Coleman, Florida State

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

Jacob Cowing, Arizona

Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State

Troy Franklin, Oregon

Anthony Gould, Oregon State

Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Jha’Quan Jackson, Tulane

Cornelius Johnson, Michigan

Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Luke McCaffrey, Rice

Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Jalen McMillan, Washington

Bub Means, Pittsburgh

Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Malik Nabers, LSU

Rome Odunze, Washington

Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington

Brenden Rice, USC

Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia

Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

Jamari Thrash, Louisville

Devaughn Vele, Utah

Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Malik Washington, Virginia

Tahj Washington, USC

Xavier Weaver, Colorado

Jordan Whittington, Texas

Isaiah Williams, Illinois

Johnny Wilson, Florida State

Roman Wilson, Michigan

Xavier Worthy, Texas

Tight ends

Erick All, Iowa

AJ Barner, Michigan

Jaheim Bell, Florida State

Brock Bowers, Georgia

Devin Culp, Washington

Dallin Holker, Colorado State

Theo Johnson, Penn State

Trey Knox, South Carolina

Tanner McLachlan, Arizona

Tip Reiman, Illinois

Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas

Ben Sinnott, Kansas State

Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota

Cade Stover, Ohio State

Jack Westover, Washington

Jared Wiley, TCU

Offensive linemen

Isaiah Adams, Illinois

Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Kiran Amegadjie, Yale

Gottlieb Ayedze, Maryland

Karsen Barnhart, Michigan

Graham Barton, Duke

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

Keaton Bills, Utah

Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin

Javion Cohen, Miami

Andrew Coker, TCU

Brandon Coleman, TCU

Frank Crum, Wyoming

Anim Dankwah, Howard

Ethan Driskell, Marshall

Kingsley Eguakun, Florida

Josiah Ezirim, Eastern Kentucky

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

Troy Fautanu, Washington

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame

Jeremy Flax, Kentucky

Javon Foster, Missouri

Zach Frazier, West Virginia

Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

X’Zauvea Gadlin, Liberty

Nick Gargiulo, South Carolina

Delmar Glaze, Maryland

Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh

Tylan Grable, UCF

Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State

Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross

Christian Haynes, Connecticut

LaDarius Henderson, Michigan

Christian Jones, Texas

Matthew Jones, Ohio State

Trente Jones, Michigan

Trevor Keegan, Michigan

Jarrett Kingston, USC

Brady Latham, Arkansas

JC Latham, Alabama

Sataoa Laumea, Utah

Matt Lee, Miami

KT Leveston Jr., Kansas State

Beaux Limmer, Arkansas

Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Mason McCormick, South Dakota State

Dylan McMahon, N.C. State

Amarius Mims, Georgia

Jacob Monk, Duke

Jordan Morgan, Arizona

Hunter Nourzad, Penn State

Drake Nugent, Michigan

Patrick Paul, Houston

Julian Pearl, Illinois

Prince Pines, Tulane

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Dominick Puni, Kansas

Andrew Raym, Oklahoma

Layden Robinson, Texas A&M

Roger Rosengarten, Washington

Walter Rouse, Oklahoma

Nick Samac, Michigan State

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State

Nathan Thomas, Louisiana

Charles Turner III, LSU

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia

Caedan Wallace, Penn State

Zak Zinter, Michigan

Defensive linemen

Austin Booker, Kansas

Solomon Byrd, USC

DeWayne Carter, Duke

Nelson Ceaser, Houston

Myles Cole, Texas Tech

Jaden Crumedy, Mississippi State

Tyler Davis, Clemson

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon

Justin Eboigbe, Alabama

Jonah Elliss, Utah

Braden Fiske, Florida State

Gabe Hall, Baylor

Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State

Jaylen Harrell, Michigan

Marcus Harris, Auburn

Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Brennan Jackson, Washington State

McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M

Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame

Trajan Jeffcoat, Arkansas

Jordan Jefferson, LSU

Kris Jenkins, Michigan

Cedric Johnson, Mississippi

Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State

Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan

Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Logan Lee, Iowa

Zion Logue, Georgia

Fabien Lovett Sr., Florida State

Braiden McGregor, Michigan

Byron Murphy II, Texas

Myles Murphy, North Carolina

Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Charlotte

Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson

Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois

Chop Robinson, Penn State

Darius Robinson, Missouri

Justin Rogers, Auburn

Maason Smith, LSU

Javon Solomon, Troy

T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

Leonard Taylor III, Miami

Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Bralen Trice, Washington

David Ugwoegbu, Houston

Jared Verse, Florida State

Eric Watts, Connecticut

Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Linebackers

Michael Barrett, Michigan

JD Bertrand, Notre Dame

Tatum Bethune, Florida State

Chris Braswell, Alabama

Aaron Casey, Indiana

Steele Chambers, Ohio State

Junior Colson, Michigan

Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

Kalen DeLoach, Florida State

Khalid Duke, Kansas State

Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

Jaylan Ford, Texas

Easton Gibbs, Wyoming

Cedric Gray, North Carolina

Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri

Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State

Curtis Jacobs, Penn State

Tyrice Knight, UTEP

Marist Liufau, Notre Dame

Jordan Magee, Temple

Darius Muasau, UCLA

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA

Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

Dallas Turner, Alabama

Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington

Trevin Wallace, Kentucky

Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State

Payton Wilson, N.C. State

Defensive backs

Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

Daijahn Anthony, Mississippi

Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Cole Bishop, Utah

Beau Brade, Maryland

Millard Bradford, TCU

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville

Javon Bullard, Georgia

Calen Bullock, USC

Jaylon Carlies, Missouri

Caelen Carson, Wake Forest

Ryan Cooper Jr., Oregon State

Cooper DeJean, Iowa

M.J. Devonshire, Pittsburgh

Marcellas Dial, South Carolina

Johnny Dixon, Penn State

Willie Drew, Virginia State

Renardo Green, Florida State

Kamal Hadden, Tennessee

Dominique Hampton, Washington

Myles Harden, South Dakota

Daequan Hardy, Penn State

Cam Hart, Notre Dame

Jaden Hicks, Washington State

Khyree Jackson, Oregon

DJ James, Auburn

Carlton Johnson, Fresno State

Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse

Elijah Jones, Boston College

Jarrian Jones, Florida State

Jaylen Key, Alabama

Kamren Kinchens, Miami

Kalen King, Penn State

Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Patrick McMorris, Cal

Max Melton, Rutgers

Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest

Josh Newton, TCU

Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State

Tyler Owens, Texas Tech

Andru Phillips, Kentucky

Deantre Prince, Mississippi

Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn

Josh Proctor, Ohio State

Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri

Decamerion Richardson, Mississippi State

Demani Richardson, Texas A&M

Christian Roland-Wallace, USC

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Andre’ Sam, LSU

Jaylin Simpson, Auburn

Tykee Smith, Georgia

Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State

Tarheeb Still, Maryland

T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

Ro Torrence, Arizona State

Sione Vaki, Utah

Josh Wallace, Michigan

Ryan Watts, Texas

Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Evan Williams, Oregon

James Williams, Miami

Specialists

Joshua Karty, K, Stanford

Cam Little, K, Arkansas

Harrison Mevis, K, Missouri

Ryan Rehkow, P, BYU

Will Reichard, K, Alabama

Tory Taylor, P, Iowa

The post Full List: 321 players invited to 2024 NFL Scouting Combine appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Edwards sprung for a 41-yard touchdown on the game-opening drive, and Michigan (15-0, 9-0 Big Ten Conference) held the lead ever since.

VIEW: Watch: Michigan RB Blake Corum gives Wolverines insurance, scores 12-yard TD

Edwards struck again later in the first quarter, this time on a 46-yard rush to the right side of the line of scrimmage that gave Michigan a 14-3 lead with 2:23 left in the quarter. 

Washington’s (14-1, 10-0 Pac-12 Conference) response in the first half came in the form of a 3-yard touchdown reception caught by receiver Jalen McMillan. Michael Penix Jr. finished the game 27-of-51 for 255 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. 

The Huskies trailed by one score 17-10 at halftime. At that point in the game, Michigan had 209 rushing yards compared to 160 total yards produced by Washington’s offense. 

The beat played on in the second half for Michigan. It intercepted Penix on the first play of the third quarter and terrorized him for two turnovers. 

VIEW: Watch: No. 2 Washington answers back, Michael Penix Jr. finds Jalen McMillan for 3-yard TD

Neither team had much luck converting on late downs. Both teams combined to go 3-of-24 on third down and 2-of-6 on fourth down, and Washington had four of those conversions. 

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy did just enough on offense to lead the Wolverines offensively. He may not have produced as much as he would’ve liked in the passing game, but he had provided a running threat that kept the Huskies on their toes. 

McCarthy went 10-of-18 for 140 passing yards. He scrambled four times for 31 yards, and had a 22-yard conversion in the third quarter. 

It marks Michigan’s first national title since 1997. 

VIEW: Watch: Donovan Edwards scores 2nd touchdown on 46-yard run to keep No. 1 Michigan ahead in College Football Playoff National Championship

The Wolverines totaled 303 rushing yards. Blake Corum led the way with 134 yards on the ground and Edwards had 104, becoming the first duo to have over 100 rushing yards in the CFP National Championship. 

Dillon Johnson led Washington with 33 of its 46 rushing yards. Rome Odunze had 87 receiving yards on five receptions. 

The post No. 1 Michigan beats No. 2 Washington 34-13, wins College Football Playoff National Championship  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

DeBoer will lead No. 2 Washington into its first College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, and the Huskies will play for their first national title since 1991 when they line up to play No. 1 Michigan in Houston on Monday night. 

“I’ve tried to make sure our guys realize the moment they’re in,” DeBoer said. “I’ve tried to really make sure and be intentional that this moment is special. It’s really great when you’re in playoff football, when you know when your last game is going to be. And you can have a moment here, a moment there, where you can really appreciate how far we’ve come, whether it’s this year or over the last two years, and in the end, though, someone’s going to be a national champion and that’s the greatest piece of it all is making sure you’re putting in all the preparation.” 

READ: Kalen DeBoer, Jim Harbaugh talk College Football Playoff National Championship

DeBoer has led a turnaround within Washington’s program from the moment he took the reins prior to the 2022 season. 

Washington finished 4-8 under Jimmy Lake in 2021. It marked the program’s first under-.500 season in 12 years, and it was time for a change. 

DeBoer made the trek across the country from Indiana where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019, then he became the head coach at Fresno State from 2020-21. 

DeBoer brought quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with him to Washington after the two spent time together at Indiana, and Penix is soaking in the moment of a CFP National Championship. 

“It’s a dream come true to be honest. I’m still wrapping my head around it,” Penix said. “Just super blessed to be in this position. This is something that you dream of as kids coming to play for the national championship. For us to be here right now, all the hard work and dedication that it took to get here, it’s definitely showing that it’s paid off. But obviously, we got to make it happen.” 

READ: Reports: Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa enters transfer portal

Penix finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting. He led the Pac-12 Conference with 4,648 passing yards and has 35 passing touchdowns and a 66.7% completion to his name. 

Washington’s offense presents a high-powered passing approach, but it is complemented by dynamic running back Dillon Johnson. Johnson aggravated a foot injury and had a bruised left knee after the Sugar Bowl against No. 3 Texas, but he isn’t likely to miss time against the Wolverines. 

“We’re expecting him to play,” DeBoer said. “He’s been through this over the last couple of months and he hasn’t missed any time there. And so he’s having a good week getting back healthy.” 

Michigan’s defense will counter Washington with a stout front seven. 

The Wolverines hold opposing offenses to 150 passing yards per game, which is good for No. 2 in college football. 

Washington co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach William Inge said Michigan presents “a lot of challenges” from the defensive side of the ball. 

“They definitely define the elements of physicality, and as a coach, it makes you so happy because this is what really defines football from any other sport, the elements of contact that you have to have,” Inge said. “We have to be able to match that exact same physicality with us on defense.” 

READ: Former Oregon QB Ty Thompson to transfer to Tulane

Penix has some experience playing against a Michigan defense. 

In 2020, Penix led Indiana to a 38-21 win over the Wolverines, and in the game he threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. 

While there may be some flashbacks to competing against Michigan, Penix thinks the Huskies will be up for the challenge. 

“That whole defense, they’re good,” Penix said. “I feel like they do a lot of good things on that side of the ball. I feel like they’re very well coached. They have a lot of good players, and we do too, obviously. But for me, I’m always going to believe in my guys and believe that my guys are going to be able to get the job done no matter what and no matter who we’re facing, so I’m super excited for it. I know the guys are super excited for it, and come Monday I guess we’ll see who had the better side.” 

DeBoer’s play calling and the work he does alongside coordinators such as Ryan Grubb on offense and co-coordinators Inge and Chuck Morrell on defense has been among the best in college football, and Washington hinges itself on executing the right play. 

DeBoer said the Huskies talk about game planning and schematics “all offseason” and even into spring and fall practices. He said the emphasis lies in “game situations,” such as being ready for an opportunity on fourth down offensively. 

“I think there’s a lot of people that are much more aggressive than I am, but I think it’s just picking and choosing the right times,” DeBoer said. “A lot of it, you understand that percentages and the chances and, of course, there’s a million different ways to look at the analytics of everything and what you should do. But for me, there’s a piece of that, but it’s also just where we’re at in the game and your gut instinct. And obviously, you’re trusting in the game plan and you’re trusting in the calls that your coach is going to make and of course, most importantly, you’re trusting the execution of your guys.” 

READ: Former Kansas State QB Will Howard to transfer to Ohio State

Washington’s turnaround over the past two seasons has been drastic, and it all starts with Penix and DeBoer at the top. 

Penix said his relationship with DeBoer “definitely helped” and was among the reasons he chose to transfer to Washington from Indiana after the 2021 season. 

And now the two have a chance to win a CFP National Championship together as part of an unbeaten, conference-champion Huskies team. 

“He’s somebody that I trusted in whenever he was coaching me at Indiana,” Penix said. “It was good, the whole transfer thing. I felt like I was doing what I felt was best for me and my future at that time, and I definitely don’t regret it. I feel like it was the best decision of my life and I’m super blessed that I was able to do that. And to be able to be on this stage today is a big blessing, but I’ve always loved and believed in coach DeBoer and everything that he stands for and he preaches, and I’m still doing it. I’m still believing.” 

The post No. 2 Washington ‘putting in all the preparation’ ahead of College Football Playoff National Championship  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Penix and the Huskies (13-0, 10-0 Pac-12 Conference) avoided a collapse in the fourth quarter when Texas (12-2, 9-1 Big 12 Conference) took over with 45 seconds left in the game.

READ: Blake Corum’s TD in OT lifts No. 1 Michigan over No. 4 Alabama in Rose Bowl CFP semifinal

Washington was penalized for kick catch interference, allowing the Longhorns to have possession at their 31-yard line.

Quinn Ewers found Jordan Whittington for 41 yards on 3rd and 10, and Texas was on the doorstep of the red zone with almost 20 seconds remaining.

Ewers connected with Jaydon Blue for 16 more yards near the boundary, and officials confirmed the catch.

But Texas’ magic ran out. Ewers was tackled for a loss and went 0-of-3 on his final three passes as Washington locked up the game.

Penix had 76% completion and went 29-of-38. Johnson had two scoring runs in the first half as the Huskies outgained Texas 532 yards to 498 in the game.

READ: No. 8 Oregon hands No. 23 Liberty first loss 45-6 in Fiesta Bowl

Both teams entered the locker rooms at halftime tied at 21 points apiece. Texas’ CJ Baxter ran in a 3-yard touchdown with 54 seconds remaining in the second quarter to tie the game.

Texas was outgained 213 yards to 305 in the first half. The Longhorns took advantage of a muffed punt and scored on a 1-yard touchdown by Byron Murphy II on the following drive to knot the game at 14 points apiece.

Penix powered Washington in the first half. He had 79% completion after the first two quarters and had 255 passing yards as well as a touchdown.

Johnson had two touchdowns on 13 carries for 30 yards in the first half. He finished with 49 rushing yards.

READ: Reports: DJ Uiagalelei to transfer to Florida State

Washington kicker Grady Gross made a 27-yard field goal with 2:40 left to ice the game for the moment 37-28.

Penix went 12-of-13 for 117 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. It was an exclamation point on a performance that sealed Washington’s first trip to the CFP National Championship.

Ewers went 24-for-43 with 318 passing yards and a touchdown. Baxter had 64 rushing yards and Blue had a rushing touchdown.

Washington will go on to face No. 1 Michigan in the CFP National Championship next Monday in Houston.

The post No. 2 Washington holds off No. 3 Texas 37-31 in Sugar Bowl CFP semifinal appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 1 Michigan owns the top spot and will travel to the Rose Bowl to play No. 4 Alabama in a Citrus Bowl rematch from 2019. 

READ: Michigan-Alabama, Washington-Texas headline CFP field

On the flip side, No. 2 Washington won the Pac-12 Conference Championship and will travel to the Sugar Bowl to play No. 3 Texas, which made the CFP for the first time in program history. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from conference championship weekend. 

Dillon Johnson, Washington 

The Huskies are Pac-12 champions for the first time since 2018, doing so by beating Oregon 34-31 for the second time this season. 

Many expected a quarterback duel between Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix, and while the pair matched up head to head and pound for pound, the ground game arguably dictated the conference title game. 

Huskies running back Dillon Johnson rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. 

It was an efficient outing for Johnson, whose 152 rushing yards are the second-most in his career. 

Neither Washington nor Oregon had more than 60 rushing yards in the first half. 

Johnson converted five first downs in the first half and four in the second, scoring a touchdown in each. 

Johnson is third in the Pac-12 with 1,063 rushing yards this season. He and the Huskies will take on No. 3 Texas on New Year’s Day for a spot in the CFP National Championship. 

Jalen Milroe, Alabama 

The Crimson Tide are back in the CFP for the first time since 2021 after clinching the Southeastern Conference Championship over Georgia. 

READ: No. 8 Alabama hangs on, beats No. 1 Georgia in SEC Championship

Alabama rode to a 27-24 victory thanks to another fine performance turned in by quarterback Jalen Milroe. 

Last week, it was converting on 4^th and 31. 

This week, it was about converting and capitalizing. 

Milroe threw for 192 yards on 56.5% completion. It wasn’t his best game, but it was one where he made the plays that mattered most. 

The first-year starting quarterback tossed two touchdown passes in the game, doing so for a fourth-straight contest, and Milroe eclipsed more than 200 scrimmage yards for a 12^th-straight game. 

Milroe had a big second quarter to separate Alabama from the Bulldogs. He found receivers Jamarion Miller and Jermaine Burton from 28 and 15 yards out, respectively, to put the Crimson Tide ahead 17-7. 

Alabama now has 11-consecutive wins, and Milroe received the game’s Most Valuable Player recognition for his efforts. Now, Milroe and the Crimson Tide will face No. 1 Michigan for a chance to get back to the national championship. 

Will Reichard, Alabama 

Alabama kicker Will Reichard appeared in the Stat Pack once this season already, and this time he’s back making more history. 

Reichard became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with his first field goal of the SEC Championship. He notched point No. 530 to move past Keenan Reynolds on his 43-yard field goal to begin the scoring for the Crimson Tide in the conference title game. 

Reichard now has 539 points in his five-year career. He was originally a three-star recruit from the class of 2019, according to Rivals. 

READ: Michigan lands atop AP Poll

Reichard went on to drill three extra points and two field goals to tally nine points in the SEC Championship game. His career-best is 14 points, coming after Reichard made eight extra points and two field goals against New Mexico State in September 2019. 

Kaidon Salter, Liberty 

No. 23 Liberty earned a New Year’s Six bowl game berth with a 49-35 shootout victory over New Mexico State. 

The Flames are one of four remaining unbeaten teams in college football, along with the Wolverines, Huskies and No. 5 Florida State. 

Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter had a career game on one of the biggest stages on which his team needed him the most. 

Salter tied Penix for the second-most yards this week, going for 319 yards on 80% completion, a career-high. 

Both Liberty and New Mexico State matched on another through the first three quarters 35-35. Something had to give — Liberty ran for two touchdowns in the final quarter — and Salter positioned his team to have a chance going into the final 15 minutes. 

Salter had at least 132 passing yards in both halves. His most productive quarter came in the second when he threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. 

Salter’s touchdown in the second quarter was his first of three in the game. He connected with receiver Noah Frith on a 26-yard scoring throw to give the Flames a brief 21-14 lead with 27 seconds left in the second quarter. 

Salter found CJ Daniels for a 20-yard passing touchdown in the third quarter. 

The third-year quarterback ran in a 35-yard score for insurance points midway through the fourth quarter, and Salter finished the game helping Liberty go on to face No. 8 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. 

Kimani Vidal, Troy 

Among other Group of 5 conference championships determined last weekend included the Sun Belt Championship, which Troy claimed 49-23 over Appalachian State. 

Troy running back Kimani Vidal exploded for 233 rushing yards and five touchdowns. It seemed there was no stopping the fourth-year running back. 

READ: No. 7 Texas routs No. 18 Oklahoma State to win Big 12 Championship

Vidal only had 15 yards after the first quarter. 

In the second, he was hard to stop. Vidal had four rushes of more than 10 yards, all coming on his final four carries of the first half. 

Two of those carries went for touchdowns. Vidal had scoring runs of 49, 36, 7, 6 and 2 yards. 

Vidal’s five rushing touchdowns are a Troy program record as he became the first player to ever rush for five scores in a Football Bowl Subdivision conference championship game. 

Vidal was the only ball-carrier to top 200 yards during conference championship week. With the focus now toward bowl season, Vidal and Troy will find themselves in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23 against Duke. 

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Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and running back Dillon Johnson led the Huskies to their first conference championship since 2018, and they’ll very likely advance to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2016.

PODCAST: Will Championship Week create chaos or clarity?

Johnson scored the go-ahead rush from 1 yard out with 12:23 left in the fourth quarter, and Penix connected on his first and only touchdown of the game with receiver Quentin Moore from 2 yards. 

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix put together a valiant effort of his own to wield off the Huskies after the Ducks entered the final quarter ahead 24-20 for the first time in the game. 

Washington wins the likely final Pac-12 game as the conference will shrink down to Oregon State and Washington State after the latest round of conference realignment. 

Johnson had 152 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, and he also ran some trickery and threw a 4-yard touchdown to Germie Bernard midway through the second quarter. 

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 14

Penix completed 69% of his passes for 319 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He’s likely a Heisman Trophy finalist, which will be unveiled Dec. 9. 

Nix went 62% on his passes for 239 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. 

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Despite being shut out in the second half, the Huskies kept the Beavers at bay. Washington had a lead as large as 22-10 before Oregon State made its comeback bid.

READ: Drinkwitz says there’s ‘new respectability’ to Missouri after highest CFP ranking in program history 

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez ran in a five-yard touchdown to bring the game to 22-17 with 1:29 left in the third quarter. The Beavers then forced a three-and-out to regain possession.

After a 10-play, 50-yard drive, Oregon State kicker Atticus Sappington drilled a 35-yard field goal to bring the score within another field goal.

Washington running back Dillon Johnson ran for 12 yards on two carries to convert a first down before Penix tossed a 19-yard pass to Jack Westover.

The Huskies drive ended in a punt, and Oregon State went back to the drawing board, this time within striking distance and with almost 8 minutes left on the clock.

Oregon State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei couldn’t convert on 4th and 5 with 2:08 left in the game, and the Beavers turned the ball back over to the Huskies.

On 3rd and 3, Penix converted another 19-yard pass into a first down, and he knelt the rest of the way to seal the win.

The Huskies have now beaten four Associated Press Top 25 teams this season and third consecutive. They advance to the conference championship game for the first time since 2018.

Penix finished with 162 yards and two touchdowns on 46% completion. Receiver Rome Odunze had 106 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Uiagalelei totaled 166 passing yards and two interceptions. Martinez had 123 rushing yards and two scores.

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Last Saturday provided a jam-packed slate of football games, and perhaps the two biggest games involved offensive shootouts in Southern California and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

PODCAST: Lance Leipold is the Exact Opposite of Deion Sanders

No. 5 Washington prevailed 52-42 over then-No. 20 USC in a high-powered game that featured five passing touchdowns between Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams. 

On the other side of the country, No. 8 Alabama and No. 14 LSU engaged in a shootout of their own, and the Crimson Tide took the victory 42-28. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had four rushing touchdowns in the win. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 7. 

Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State 

Alan Bowman didn’t have to throw for 605 yards on Saturday like he did while at Texas Tech during the 2018 season. 

What he did have to do, though, was take on an Oklahoma team ranked inside the top-10 in what will be known as the final “Bedlam” game before the Sooners depart for the Southeastern Conference next season. 

Bowman did more than enough, as the Cowboys thwarted Oklahoma’s comeback efforts and dealt the Sooners a 27-24 defeat, their second loss of the season. 

Bowman had 334 passing yards and completed 67% of his passes. While he didn’t have a touchdown through the air, he did have a 13-yard rushing score early in the second quarter. 

Oklahoma State ran for three touchdowns and 146 yards, and Stat Pack frequent running back Ollie Gordon II topped 100 rushing yards for a sixth-straight game by recording 137 yards and two touchdowns including the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter. 

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State 

Top-ranked Ohio State found itself trailing at Rutgers during halftime on Saturday, and the Scarlet Knights had already gotten a boost from their running back Kyle Monangai. 

TreVeyon Henderson had opportunity to put the game on his back garnering the Buckeyes carries, and he made the most of it in as many ways as he could. 

READ: Reports: USC fires DC Grinch

Henderson rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown across 22 carries. It marks back-to-back weeks of at least 125 rushing yards as Henderson also had 162 yards at Wisconsin last week. 

Henderson began to really heat up in the second half. As the Buckeyes saw a 9-7 deficit entering the third quarter, Henderson provided an insurance boost on a 9-yard touchdown run with 2:39 left in the third quarter. 

Henderson’s second half saw runs of 27, 20, 9 and 8 yards. He also caught a team-high five receptions for 80 yards, a new career-high, as Ohio State came back to beat Rutgers 35-16. 

Will Howard, Kansas State 

In one of this week’s closest showdowns, No. 23 Kansas State took No. 7 Texas all the way to overtime 

Wildcats quarterback Will Howard keyed together big drive after big drive to will Kansas State back into the game. The Wildcats scored 20 unanswered points to tie the game at 27 points with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter. 

Howard finished 26-of-42 for 327 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Three of his touchdown passes came in the second half. 

Howard went 11-21 from the fourth quarter thereafter including a stretch of six-straight completions. He went 4-of-9 on the final drive of regulation that led to Kansas State kicker Chris Tennant making the game-tying field goal from 45 yards out. 

Howard’s 327 passing yards are a career-best and his four passing touchdowns tied the school record. 

Dillon Johnson, Washington 

It was a shootout in Southern California, and the undefeated Huskies prevailed over the Trojans 52-42. 

Johnson played a major part in the victory for Washington, rushing for a career-high 256 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson’s 256 rushing yards led all running backs this week. 

It was the first 200-yard game or four-touchdown performance by a Washington player since the 2017 season. 

Johnson took 26 of Washington’s 42 handoffs, and he averaged 9.8 yards per carry. His longest went 53 yards, and his longest touchdown run came from 52 yards midway through the second quarter. 

All four of Johnson’s final carries either went for a first down or a touchdown. His final score came from the 1-yard line and gave Washington its final bit of insurance to put USC away. 

Joe Milton, Tennessee 

No. 17 Tennessee had homecoming last weekend, and the Volunteers did everything they could to make sure they spent the weekend on a positive note. 

Tennessee defeated UConn 59-3 to win their 14^th-straight home game. The Volunteers scored three defensive touchdowns, a school record. 

READ: ‘Never lost the fight’: Swinney becomes Clemson’s all-time winningest coach

Quarterbacking the Volunteers was Joe Milton III, who went 11-of-14 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Milton’s 78.6% completion is his highest in a win this season and third-best in a game this year overall. 

Among Milton’s passing touchdowns came on a 60-yard heave to wide receiver Ramel Keyton. Milton now has a passing touchdown in his past 13 games, and Tennessee has won five of its past six games. 

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With 2:11 left, Bo Nix and the No. 8 Ducks faced 4^th and 3 at Washington’s 46-yard line. Nix dropped back to pass and maneuvered a few steps before throwing an incomplete pass to the left side. 

Washington football. 

Penix took advantage of the field position and fired a 35-yard heave to receiver Ja’Lynn Polk setting the No. 7 Huskies up at Oregon’s 18-yard line. 

On the next play, Penix found receiver Rome Odunze on an 18-yard pass to give Washington the lead 36-33.

PODCAST: Top games, bounce backs and more in a busy week seven – Saturday Glory

It was enough to hold off Oregon’s final effort, as the Ducks advanced to Washington’s 25-yard line before Oregon kicker Camden Lewis missed a field goal try from 43 yards out. 

With 9:15 left, Penix converted a key 4^th and 6 on an 8-yard pass to receiver Giles Jackson to move the chains to the Oregon 8-yard line. 

But then, Oregon’s defense came up big. 

Washington running back Dillon Johnson ran seven yards to the 1-yard line setting up 2^nd and goal. The Ducks stuffed Johnson for a loss of one yard on the next play. 

On 3^rd and goal, Washington again turned to Johnson who again was stopped near the line of scrimmage, and the Huskies had a fourth-down situation on their hands. 

Washington’s Tybo Rogers took the football on fourth and goal, and Oregon’s defense led by Steve Stephens IV and Taki Taimani brought Rogers down for a loss and effectively held the lead 33-29 with 6:33 remaining. 

Oregon faced a 3^rd a 4 situation with less than four minutes remaining, and Nix lofted a 25-yard pass that was originally ruled incomplete to receiver Troy Franklin. It was the second third down that the Ducks converted on their 10-play, 51-yard drive that led to Washington taking over near midfield. 

READ: Nix, No. 8 Oregon find it ‘rewarding to play in games like this’ in top-10 showdown at No. 7 Washington

Oregon outgained Washington 541 yards to 415. The Huskies scored in three of their four red zone trips while the Ducks went three for five. 

Penix finished with 302 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Odunze and Polk each totaled over 100 receiving yards and had 128 and 118, respectively. 

Nix completed 75% of his passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns. 

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