- This could be the last Pac-12 title game ever due to conference realignment
- Oregon's Penix Jr. and Bo Nix are among the Heisman Trophy contenders
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
The No. 3 Washington Huskies won the Pac-12 championship in a 34-31 thriller against the No. 5 Oregon Ducks as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. put on a statement performance in this year's race for the Heisman Trophy.
Penix Jr was named the game's MVP in what could prove to be the last Pac-12 title game ever. He finished the night with 319 passing yards and a touchdown.
During the trophy celebration, Penix Jr. stole a line from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith when he said, “They tried to write us off, but we don't write back!”
Penix Jr.'s teammates then serenaded their quarterback with chants of “Heisman!” Heisman!'
One of Penix's most crucial throws of the game came on a 25-yard completion to talented wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, who made an acrobatic one-handed grab to his defender's face.
The Washington Huskies won the Pac-12 title after a thrilling 34-31 victory over the Oregon Ducks
Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was named MVP after throwing for over 300 yards
Polk wasn't the only member of the Huskies WR room to stand out on the night, as Jalen McMillan had nine receptions for 131 yards and Biletnikoff Award finalist Rome Odunze had eight catches for 102.
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix came into the game as the Heisman Trophy favorite and he had a strong performance in the loss, passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 69 yards.
The Huskies, who entered the game as underdogs, scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a 34-24 lead.
Oregon (11-2) scored a late touchdown for the final score but failed to recover the onside kick, ending the Ducks' six-game winning streak.
If this was indeed the final conference title game, it was still a long way to go as Oregon and Washington played another high-scoring game with big plays all around. The Huskies won their regular season meeting 36-33 in Seattle.
Washington took a 20–3 lead before the Ducks scored a touchdown with nine seconds left to get within 10 points.
Oregon QB Bo Nix also had a strong performance with 239 yards passing and three touchdowns
Penix Jr and Nix are considered among the top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy this year
That score got Oregon going. The Ducks converted two fourth downs on the opening drive of the second, including a 2-yard touchdown from Nix to Terrance Ferguson to get within three points.
Oregon took the lead at 24-20 with 1:51 left in the third quarter on Jordan James' 6-yard touchdown run. The lead did not last long as Washington scored on the next drive to take the lead for good.
This is the second time both teams have been ranked in the top 10 when playing against each other. The other time was the first meeting this season.
Washington improved to 3-0 in the Pac-12 Championship; Oregon is 4-2.