Washington’s First Taste of Defeat Doesn’t Go Down Smoothly

HOUSTON — Victory looks familiar. It looks like Michigan on one end of the field in NRG Stadium hoisting the College Football Playoff trophy to commemorate its first national championship since 1997. It’s triumphant in its jubilation and it crystalizes glory. We think less about what defeat looks like. It’s painful and equally raw. On this night, defeat looks like Ja'Lynn Polk sitting alone, despondent on the opposite end of the field with a towel draped over his head in that same sea of maize and blue confetti, so close yet so far from college football’s ultimate prize after Washington’s 34–13 defeat to Michigan on Monday night.

“That’s one of them moments that you don’t really get back, you know?” Polk said. “You gotta remember times like that and let it sink in. Everything that happened in that moment, you just want to lean on each other and be there for your brothers.”

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In the locker room, defeat sounds like back pats and sniffles as teammates dap up and say, “I love you” to each other through tears. Some have blank stares while others have heads in hands. Receiver Rome Odunze winds his way through the narrow visiting team’s locker room making sure he gives each of his brothers a hug on the last night they’ll ever all be together in competition.

“I was just spreading love, man. Appreciate the support and all the hard work every young man in that room has poured into this program,” Odunze told Sports Illustrated. “That’s about it. We all fought our tails off. Just telling ‘em I appreciate them.”

The overriding question about this national championship game was who would be able to dictate terms. Michigan opened the game doing just that, racing out to a 17–3 lead and racking up 174 rushing yards in the first quarter. It then devolved into the game script you’d think would favor the Wolverines. 

Sixteen straight possessions produced 10 Washington points and 3 Michigan points. The Huskies had four possessions with a chance to tie the game that came up empty. There were nine punts between the two teams and five three-and-outs as the proceedings ground to a slog befitting of the Big Ten conference both will inhabit in a matter of months. It was a period in which the game was eminently winnable, but Washington failed to do it while scoring a season-low 13 points.

“We couldn't make the plays to tie the score, and sooner or later, when you're playing a good football team like we played tonight, they find a way to get to you in the fourth quarter like they did,” said Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. “I just feel bad for the guys because they've given so much to each other. They've given me everything, everything they possibly can. And that's why I feel the way I do, because I'm going to miss them. But I'm proud of them. Proud of what they've done for our program. I'm proud of what they have brought to our university, our community. And they've restored UW football, given us expectations that are what this program stands for and wants to have each and every year.”

Losing looks like missed opportunities, and Washington had them in spades. Michael Penix Jr. missed a throw early in the red zone due to pressure, a wide-open deep shot to Odunze that the veteran signal caller admitted he had to have. He finished 27-for-51 for 255 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. By the end, he too was hurt after aggravating a rib injury.

“I'm just happy that I was able to finish it with the guys,” Penix said. “I knew that I didn't want them to take me out of that game because I've been through it too much. And I knew that no matter what, I was going to make sure I finished for the guys. And just give it my all. I'm not healthy, but I'll be there.”

Washington’s vaunted aerial attack made 50/50 balls look more like 80/20 for most of the season. The Huskies barely hit any Monday night, when only one deep ball truly connected and another was called back due to a holding penalty. There was also a wide-open wheel route dropped by backup running back Will Nixon, who was only in the game to spell running back Dillon Johnson, who entered with a leg injury and admitted he probably wasn’t supposed to have played. On the first play of the game he sustained a high ankle sprain. He played through it as best he could but rushed 11 times for only 33 yards with a long rush of seven yards. 

Washington’s offense was routinely behind the chains with an average third down distance of 9.7 yards. Some of that was due to an inability to run the ball—a weakness partially due to Michigan's defense as well as Johnson’s injury.

“We just weren't clicking,” said Johnson, who left the game wearing a protective boot. “We just weren't on the same page on some things but a lot of it I feel was due to me not being able to get those hard yards and putting us in long situations. I wasn’t really able to move and it kinda hurt us.”

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Sometimes winning and losing look strikingly similar. They both have camaraderie. Washington won 14 games as a team this season in addition to losing this most important one. It is of course unfair to boil the result down to Johnson playing through an injury in a team game.

“The dude's a warrior, and for him to even have the balls to even come out there and play today, it shows what type of individual he is—and he did it for his son,” Jalen McMillan told SI. “His son is the most important person in his life and he wasn't just gonna let his son watch the game and not see him play. So, you know, he's a warrior and based on his performance, you know, he's the GOAT.”

The agony of defeat is all they can see, hear and feel for now, but with time, the elation of their victories will reemerge. Washington looked like winners so many times this season—just not against Michigan.