Washington-Michigan wasn't a rematch, but it sure felt like revenge

The Huskies beat the No. 10 Wolverines, 27-17, and celebrated accordingly.

SEATTLE — The fellow in the purple bucket hat jogged toward the party, both arms raised, both hands clutching a white poster above his head as hundreds of kindred spirits scurried along with him.

The sign bore one word, all capital letters, written in black ink and underlined by purple and gold, an appropriate summation of this 27-17 Washington victory on a signature night for Husky Stadium:

“REVENGE.”

The Huskies were favored here on Saturday night, but there’s something about that winged helmet, isn’t there? It was Michigan, after all, that ranked No. 10 nationally, despite revealing enough flaws this season for oddsmakers to side against them. And it was Washington, indeed, which already had bumbled its way to a pair of losses against opponents less revered than the defending national champions.

These programs met not quite nine months ago to settle that score. Michael Penix Jr. limped off the field in Houston in his final college game. Ja’Lynn Polk sat down right on the turf and watched as the Wolverines danced in the confetti. “That’s one of them moments that you don’t really get back,” Polk, now with the New England Patriots, said later that night, a towel draped over his head in a somber locker room. “You’ve got to remember times like that, let it sink in.”

Let it sink in. Then, after time comforts the sting and your ex-teammates get Michigan in their own building, remind them in the group chat during the week: the coaches have changed, the rosters have changed, but, as senior edge rusher Voi Tunuufi paraphrased Polk’s message on Saturday: “This one’s ‘one of those,’ you know? I’m just happy me and my teammates were able to do that for him, and all those boys last year.

“I was there personally. So I definitely took this week, in preparation, very personally.”