Before this year's College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl even hit halftime, the history books had already been altered. With a catch early in the contest between his Washington Huskies and the Texas Longhorns, superstar wideout Rome Odunze broke the program record for receiving yards in a single season.
Rome Odunze has just broken the UW single-season receiving yards record. He now has 1,455 receiving yards this year, one more than Reggie Williams' record, set in 2002 (1,454).
— Husky Football News (@HuskyFBNews) January 2, 2024
The catch that made Washington history for Odunze only cracked the previous record by a yard, but he's sure to tack on as the game goes on. The highly touted NFL Draft prospect passed the mark set by Reggie Williams when he racked up 1,454 yards back in 2002. Williams accumulated all of his statistics in just 13 games, while Odunze is making his 14th appearance of the season, but it's still quite the accomplishment in what has been another fantastic season for the redshirt junior.
Washington's big-play pass offense has been electric all season, and is undoubtedly the central factor toward the team's success this year, as they became the first and only team to go 13-0 in the Pac-12. While quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has deservedly received plenty of praise, the team's loaded wideout group has helped him out a ton; Odunze has been at the heart of that unit. He's put together a remarkable Washington career, and now he'll be surely remembered as one of the program's greats.
In a matchup with no shortage of narratives, such as the battle between Big Ten transfer quarterbacks Penix and Quinn Ewers or the "revenge game" opportunity for Texas coach and former Washington skipper Steve Sarkisian, Odunze has added just a bit more intrigue by making school history. There should be no shortage of points in this contest, and perhaps beyond if Washington keeps winning, so keep an eye on Odunze as he keeps marching through the record books.
