Dawgman Radio: A Washington Huskies athletics podcast

It was the last one ever played, and it was everything every UW fan could have asked for. The Washington Huskies made more history Friday night with their 34-31 win over Oregon to seal their third conference championship in the Pac-12 era, the final one ever to be played.

On top of it, they picked up their 13th-straight win of the season and 20th in a row. In just his second season as head coach, Kalen DeBoer became the first head coach in school history to lead his team to a 13-0 season.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and Chris Fetters and Scott Eklund in Seattle - got together post-game through the magic of technology and hashed out the main storylines of the game and what it all means.

To start with, Kim set the scene, including the pregame thoughts about the turf and whether or not it might cause some issues during the game. Fortunately it really didn't become something that either team or its fans will talk about, but what UW fans will bring up for a long time to come is the redemption arc for both Michael Penix Jr. and Jalen McMillan.

Penix, who out-dueled Oregon's Bo Nix in the desert, showed why he should be considered seriously for the Heisman Trophy, coming up with some key passes and runs to keep the Huskies on schedule even when the Ducks scored 21-straight unanswered in the middle of the game and took the lead in the third quarter.

The senior quarterback for the Huskies was named the Pac-12 Championship Player of the Game after going 27-39 for 319 yards and one touchdown. And Jalen McMillan, who showed signs of life in the Apple Cup absolutely exploded on the scene Friday night, leading UW in catches with 9 catches for 131 yards.

And if they could have given two POG awards, running back Dillon Johnson certainly earned his stripes, going for 152 yards and two scores on 28 carries, and doing it all while less than 100 percent.

Kim went through the statistical breakdown and the guys also talked about UW's physicality all night long and how they stayed true to their identity even when adversity hit.

After a quick break the guys get back at it and Kim relays some of the things Penix said post-game, including his thoughts on the fourth down touchdown pass to tight end Quentin Moore in the fourth quarter to give Washington a 10-point lead.

They also talked about some of the repercussions of the win. Will Washington definitely go to the Rose Bowl now as part of the College Football Playoff? Kim relayed his own thoughts of being on the field post-game, including who he talked to and just the general sense of what it was like to be there.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds in Las Vegas and Chris Fetters and Scott Eklund back in Seattle - got together early Friday morning to put together a nearly hour-long Pac-12 Championship pregame show that outlines what they expect to see in this highly anticipated matchup of two top-5 teams.

To start, the guys go back and talk a little bit about what the Huskies and Ducks have done since UW's 36-33 win over Oregon back in mid-October. The Ducks have been flying, while the Dawgs have also found ways to win but in much different ways.

They look at the matchup of Oregon's offense, led by Bo Nix against Washington's defense. How much will a player like Tuli Letuligasenoa help to neutralize Oregon's vaunted run offense? And with Washington's rotating cast at safety, how much will a player like Kamren Fabiculanan play? And with the emergence of Tez Johnson, would UW put Jabbar Muhammad on him like Muhammad played slot corner against USC? And how big will the play of Carson Bruener be?

After a quick break the line is flipped and the guys talk about Washington's offense against Oregon's defense. What is going on with Michael Penix Jr.? And is it just him or are other factors at play when looking at how the Huskies' offensive numbers have declined the second half of 2023? And where will be the places Washington can attack the Ducks?

There's also some coaching carousel talk, especially when it comes to the UW assistants like Ryan Grubb, JaMarcus Shephard, Nick Sheridan, Julius Brown, and Inoke Breckterfield. And is an extension close between Washington and Kalen DeBoer?

Scott also provides a recruiting/portal update and talks about the news that Courtney Morgan has been promoted to General Manager? Who will take over as Director of Player Personnel?

And don't forget, the Washington Men's Basketball team is playing Colorado State in Las Vegas tomorrow night at 4 pm PT on the CBS Sports Network.

Luke Mounger and Jack McCauley offer their insight into what they see happening Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as Washington looks to beat Oregon again to get to the College Football Playoff. Also included is their takes on the other Power 5 Conference Championship games, Bets to Bark, and their confidence intervals for the Oregon-Washington game.

Washington Offensive Line Coach Scott Huff, Receivers Coach JaMarcus Shephard, and Co-Defensive Coordinator Chuck Morrell talk to the media this week ahead of Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game versus Oregon in Las Vegas

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr, running back Dillon Johnson, receiver Rome Odunze, tight end Jack Westover, and EDGE Bralen Trice talk to the media ahead of Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game versus Oregon in Las Vegas.

Washington Co-DC William Inge, OC Ryan Grubb, and Head Coach Kalen DeBoer met with the press and answered their questions about Saturday's Apple Cup win, what it took to go 12-0 in the regular season, and Friday's anticipated showdown with Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game in Las Vegas.

Head Coach Kalen DeBoer, Quarterback Michael Penix, Receiver Rome Odunze, Safety Makell Esteen, Cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, and Placekicker Grady Gross all spoke to the media after UW's 24-21 win over Washington State Saturday in Husky Stadium.

I'm sure many Washington fans will simply chalk up Washington's 24-21 Apple Cup win over Washington State and move on to the much anticipated rematch with Oregon next Friday in Las Vegas, but the guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - had to sort out Saturday's particulars anyway.

So high above Husky Stadium in the visiting coaches booth, the guys broke down what they saw from the Huskies last-second win, starting with setting the pregame atmosphere, the 15 players celebrating their Senior Day, and the recruits, celebrities, and former players that were spotted on the sidelines.

Then the game talk began, starting with the first quarter. Michael Penix Jr. just never seemed to get on track and we have a thought or two on why - even though the Huskies, as it was in their 22-20 win over Oregon State a week ago, never trailed in this game.

While the offense was trying to get in a flow and find some rhythm, the defense was holding up its end of the bargain with some timely plays to keep things reasonable.

At half it felt like the typical adjustments made by Washington all season long would kick in and that would be that, but after Penix threw an interception that was a 50/50 ball with WR Ja'Lynn Polk (and we also discuss Polk's recent struggles), it felt like all the momentum was heading the visitor's way.

And as always, the officials loomed large. There were critical calls made on both sides that impacted the game, especially in the second half. There was a grounding call in the third quarter after a WSU false start that had Kalen DeBoer hopping mad, and then a leaping penalty that turned three points into seven for the Cougars.

But not everything broke WSU's way. A critical personal foul pushed Washington's last drive of the game into field goal territory after one of the gutsiest calls made so far by DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb - a fourth and 1 call from the Washington 29 that ended up being a reverse to Rome Odunze for 23 yards.

And then there was the kick, by newly scholarshipped PK Grady Gross, who actually made two of them in a row to make double-sure the Huskies completed their run into the history books.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got up bright and early this morning to offer their thoughts on the highly-anticipated matchup today between No. 4 Washington and Washington State in the 115th Apple Cup, and the last one played as members of the Pac-12 Conference. And there is so much at stake, especially for the Huskies. They have a chance to be the first Pac-12 team to ever go unbeaten through a full conference season. 

But to start, the guys talked about the extension this week agreed to by both schools to extend the rivalry through 2028, starting with the 2024 game at Lumen Field on Sept 14, 2024.

After that, it's on to the game preview. The first part was dissecting the Washington State offense versus the Washington defense. How will UW contain Cameron Ward? And without much in the run game for the Cougars, can the Huskies load up on stopping Ward? Who will be available at safety for the Huskies? And what will the battle in the trenches look like?

They take a quick break to handle some business, and then the talk moves to the Washington offense and what the WSU defense can do to stop the Huskies on that side of the ball. How involved will Jalen McMillan be today in the game plan? Will Dillon Johnson be available at all? And after being able to neutralize Utah and Oregon State in terms of pass rush, will the Huskies be able to do the same versus Washington State's edge players? And how big a game do the guys think Michael Penix Jr will have considering he's in the thick of the Heisman race? 

When it comes to the beginning of the game, what will the Huskies do if they win the coin toss? There are differing viewpoints on this one; should they take the ball with the thought of scoring and immediately putting the visitors behind, or should they defer and get the Husky Stadium crowd behind the UW defense to try and get an early stop to create momentum that way?

Scott then provides a recruiting update, as there will be a number of top recruits on campus, including a couple of committed players as well as a couple of players for the 2024 recruiting class that are committed to other Power 5 schools. And then there's always a ton of 2025 and 2026 recruits that will be on the sideline too.

And with the transfer portal opening up, what is the balance of high school signees to transfers for Washington's 2024 recruiting class?

The guys finish with some final thoughts on today's game, as well as Washington's tough overtime loss to San Diego State in men's hoops and what they have to look forward to with the rest of their non-conference schedule.

Luke Mounger and Jack McCauley offer their insight into what they see happening Saturday afternoon at Husky Stadium as Washington looks to be the first team in Pac-12 history to go unbeaten through a full regular season. Also included is Bets to Bark, Pick the Pac, and finally their confidence intervals for the Washington State-Washington game.