Michael Penix Jr. passed for 374 yards and two touchdowns to lead Washington to a 28-21 victory over host Cal in Pac-12 play on Saturday night at Berkeley, Calif.
Cameron Davis rushed for a touchdown, and Jalen McMillan (eight receptions, 81 yards) and Richard Newton caught touchdown passes for the Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12). Peyton Henry kicked two field goals for Washington, which has beaten Cal in 11 of the past 15 meetings.
Jack Plummer completed 21 of 34 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns for the Golden Bears (3-4, 1-3), who lost their third straight game. J.Michael Sturdivant caught eight passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, and Mavin Anderson had a scoring reception for Cal.
Penix, who entered the day as the nation’s leader in passing yardage, completed 36 of 51 passes while increasing his season total to 2,934 yards. He has topped 300 yards in all eight games this season.
The Huskies outgained the Golden Bears 476 to 306.
Washington took a 21-14 lead with 13:49 left in the contest when Penix threw a 13-yard scoring pass to McMillan to culminate a 10-play, 75-yard drive.
Just 3 1/2 minutes later, Penix connected with Newton, who caught the ball at the 20-yard line and shed two tacklers for a 36-yard score to give the Huskies a 28-14 advantage. Washington moved 67 yards in six plays.
Cal moved back within seven when Plummer tossed an 8-yard scoring pass to Anderson with 6:11 left to end a 12-play, 80-yard excursion.
The Golden Bears came up empty on their final two drives. Washington’s Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui each had sacks of Plummer to force Cal to punt on the first possession, and Plummer threw an incomplete pass on fourth down with 28 seconds left on the other.
After going scoreless in the first half, Cal traveled 75 yards on 13 plays to open the second half to take a 7-6 lead. Plummer capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sturdivant.
Washington answered with an 11-play, 70-yard drive. Davis scored on a 6-yard run and Penix tossed a two-point conversion pass to Ja’Lynn Polk to give the Huskies a 14-7 lead with 4:48 left in the third quarter.
The Golden Bears tied the game when Plummer hit Sturdivant at the Washington 30-yard line and the receiver turned it into a 48-yard scoring play with 2:10 left in the stanza.
Washington led just 6-0 at halftime despite outgaining the Golden Bears 245 to 83 in the first half. The Huskies ran 47 plays to Cal’s 24.
Henry kicked first-quarter field goals of 40 and 35 yards.
–Field Level Media
