Polk Could Be Washington's X-Factor Against Texas

Originally posted on FanNation Husky Maven
By Roman Tomashoff | Last updated 12/12/23

The Washington Huskies finished the season with the nation's best passing attack, averaging 343.8 yards per game, and a lot of that was because of wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, who pulled in 60 catches for 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns this year.

With fellow receiver Jalen McMillan missing nearly two months with a knee injury, Polk stepped into a larger role and improved on his 2022 stat line of 41 receptions for 694 yards and 6 touchdowns.

While CBS Sports HQ's Brady Quinn insists Polk is having a less impactful season than in 2022, the numbers show otherwise and the sophomore from Lufkin, Texas, and originally Texas Tech before transferring could be a difference-maker against the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.

"Polk hasn't had quite as big of a year as he did last year in my opinion," Quinn said. "I'll be curious to see if they can find any matchups against the safeties with Texas."

UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will certainly do his best to isolate Texas' defensive backs in man coverage against his talented trio of receivers, where all three pass catchers have been at their best this season.

If Rome Odunze, named to several All-America teams in recent days, and McMillan and command the majority of the defensive attention on the outside, Polk should see a favorable matchup in the slot against a somewhat average Longhorns secondary. Texas has allowed 240.8 yards per game this season and could be susceptible to Washington's high-flying passing game.

Penix's full complement of receivers could prove to be the toughest challenge yet for defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's group and Polk, who has made several acrobatic catches this season, should be heavily involved after struggling with drops late in the season.

With a national championship berth on the line, the Huskies will need a few big plays and 50-50 balls to go their way. Polk has done an admirable job showing up in the clutch and winning those contested battles this season, and no doubt will be asked to come up with big plays in crunch time on the biggest stage of his career.

This article first appeared on FanNation Husky Maven and was syndicated with permission.

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