Former Washington Huskies superstar quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is 1-1 against No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft, due to a 44-38 overtime loss to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers to close out his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons, and a 52-42 win over Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans in 2023.
With the widely held belief that former Washington State Cougars and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward will be taken by the Tennessee Titans with the first pick in Green Bay on Thursday night, that record will improve to 3-1 thanks to a pair of Apple Cup victories for Penix during his two years with the Huskies.
In 2022, the pair of transfers got into a shootout, with the Huskies reclaiming the coveted in-state rivalry trophy behind a stellar day from Penix in a 51-33 victory. The left-handed quarterback shredded the Washington State defense, throwing for 485 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding 2 carries for 34 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
One of those carries was oh-so-close to a major milestone, as Penix hauled in a screen what was ruled as a lateral on a double pass from wide receiver Jalen McMillan for a 30-yard touchdown. He outdueled Ward, who threw for 322 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and added a rushing score of his own, but was sacked 6 times and held to -5 rushing yards.
The 2023 edition of the rivalry game didn’t feature quite the same amount of offense, as the Huskies clinched their first 12-0 regular season in school history in a 24-21 win on a last-second field goal from kicker Grady Gross.
Although Penix came away with the win, Ward finished the day with better numbers. The Cougars’ signal caller threw for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns with a pair of interceptions while Washington’s star, who was voted as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy two weeks later, was held to 204 yards and 2 scores with an interception as he was under constant duress throughout the night.