Washington notes: What it took for Michael Penix Jr. not to miss a snap
Washington notes: What it took for Michael Penix Jr. not to miss a snap
It involved an IV and a quick exit from the medical tent.
SEATTLE — There was “no way,” Kalen DeBoer said, that he could take Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington’s 36-33 victory over Oregon, even as severe cramping caused the quarterback to grimace and clutch his midsection several times during the fourth quarter.
But there was at least some chance, apparently, that Penix might have to watch Dylan Morris start a series while he finished receiving treatment on the sideline.
That didn’t ultimately happen, as Penix played through the pain and eventually threw the winning touchdown pass to Rome Odunze. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Penix was battling just to get back on the field. Trainers administered an IV in the medical tent during a TV timeout, just before UW was about to begin its next offensive series (DeBoer couldn’t pinpoint precisely which possession it was, but guessed early fourth quarter). DeBoer said he popped his head into the tent and discovered “they were going to push it till the very end.”
“Dylan was ready to go,” DeBoer said. “He was ready to go out there and do it.” Sitting upstairs, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb believed it would be Morris, too, at least to start. But then, DeBoer said, “Mike came running out, got the play and ran straight to the huddle.”
Said Grubb: “They were pulling IVs out, right before he’s going on the field — literally seconds before.”