Michael Penix Jr. quotes Geno Smith after winning Pac-12

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 27 of his 39 pass attempts for 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 34-31 upset of Oregon to secure the Pac-12 Championship on Friday night.

That one touchdown, which went to tight end Quentin Moore, ultimately sealed the game for the Huskies. It capped off a 12-play, 82-yard drive that put Washington up 34-24 with just over 2:00 remaining. It also earned Penix Jr. the Pac-12 Championship Game MVP Award.

After being announced as the game’s MVP, Penix Jr. gave an impassioned speech that channeled Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.

"They tried to write us off, but we ain't write back"

Talk to em Michael Penix
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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 2, 2023

“Man, they tried to write us off but we ain’t write back,” Penix Jr. said. “We ain’t write back.”

Smith famously uttered the words, “They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though” after leading the Seahawks to a 17-16 season-opening win over the Denver Broncos in 2022. It was Smith’s first game as the team’s full-time starter after, almost poetically, being written off by many around the league.

Despite having beaten Oregon earlier in the regular season, the undefeated Huskies were 9.5-point underdogs at the time of kickoff. Now they’re headed to the College Football Playoffs with Penix Jr. leading the way.