Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer opened his Monday press conference by acknowledging and offering his condolences to the University of Virginia after a shooting took place Sunday night that claimed the lives of three football players and wounded two other UVA students.

“We’re thinking about them and praying for strength that they can get through this,” DeBoer said. “We have Wayne Taulapapa on our football team who is very close to that team. He’s working through an emotional time too right now. I wanted to make sure I started with that because it’s a hard time they’re going through.”

DeBoer also talked about the Huskies’ win over Oregon on Saturday and looked ahead to this week’s contest with Colorado. Here’s most of what he said (with slight edits for brevity). The video of the full press conference is below.

Opening statement

“I first want to start off and just make sure the University of Virginia football program knows our thoughts and prayers are with them. We’re always about the competition and the battles that happen on Saturdays, but there’s a brotherhood I know exists across college football. We’re thinking about them and praying for strength that they can get through this. We have Wayne Taulapapa on our football team who is very close to that team. He’s working through an emotional time too right now. I wanted to make sure I started with that because it’s a hard time they’re going through.

“In regards to where we’re at, what an awesome moment for our guys. I just really feel so strong that they deserve, we deserve, and our guys deserve this experience. They’ve been through a lot, not just this year but in years past. There’s all these little storylines — whether it’s Peyton kicking the game-winner, which is now two weeks in a row for him. With how much this game means to everyone, including Husky Nation, and the rivalry that exists there… what an awesome night. It’s something that, the memories… no one can take that away from our guys. There comes a point where we gotta move on. We talked about that a lot yesterday, but we certainly celebrated and went through some of the big moments and the highlights. They’re all learning moments as well because that game was back and forth, like many we’ve been in. I think that’s why we were ready for the moment because we’ve been through a lot. We’ve taken each of those situations — whether it be the adversity we faced and how we responded, or the ways we’ve found a way to win, whether we had a lead and things were closing or we came from behind and won — we’ve used all those great moments. So it’s a culmination of a lot of things, but an awesome experience for our guys. I’m super proud of them.

On Ryan Grubb saying Michael Penix Jr.’s touchdown to Taj Davis was the best throw he’s has seen Penix make

“Well, I think you take the timing of the moment, and you add that to the throw itself, the read, and just the culmination of everything, and I would have to agree (with O.C. Ryan Grubb). I would have to say that’s the biggest and best throw I’ve seen him make. He’s made a lot of them, but that was a perfect moment and a perfect time to deliver, that’s for sure.”

On if the staff has spoken with Penix and Rome Odunze about draft decisions

“There’s certainly conversations that position coaches or myself are just having as the season’s gone on. We’re trying to help them out. We’re just trying to educate them, and we’re doing some things this week as well with not just some of those guys but our program in general. We try to do that continually on a year-round basis, have different moments throughout the year where we’re educating the masses, and then narrowing it down to help them with the scope of what’s going on. It’s too late I think if you wait until after the season’s completely over because people are going to be all over these guys to try to figure out what they’re doing. So we’re certainly having low-level conversations with them and trying to help them find answers if they have questions.”

On Oregon WR Kris Hutson appearing to fall down with a fake injury on the second-to-last play

“That’s what we see, too. It’s just one of those things. What can you do? The officials have to acknowledge (the injury). I don’t want to be insensitive. If there’s an injury, that’s part of the game. Those things happen. I know those things are always looked at from a league level and it’s a part of college football that we get into in our discussions in the offseason. But the officials have to acknowledge and honor that it’s an injury. As a coach, I guess that’s the way I have to (approach it), too. Just the timing of it is hard because you know the clock would have started. It is what it is. You know, fortunately we were on the right end of it. We’re talking here today with a victory. So I do hope he’s OK.”

On if he contacted the league office about it

“I think they’re certainly well aware. Those are things that, from an official standpoint and everything, those discussions certainly happen in reviewing each and every game.”

On DB Davon Banks suffering a season-ending injury

“It happened in a game a few weeks ago. He’ll have surgery this week. It’s not something that just happened. It’s been reoccurring throughout the year. I just go back to we’ve had many guys that when we talk probably when the season’s over, some of the crazy things that’ve happened in games or the injuries guys have played through, just put themselves out there for this football team each and every week and Davon would be one of those guys. Julius Irvin would be another who I know last week we discussed is out for the year. There’s been sometimes when we just needed those guys on the football field. Not that it was a risk, but they were in a spot where they want to do whatever they could to help. There just comes a point where they can’t help anymore.”

On losing three defensive backs for the season

“It’s a position group that obviously early in the year was short to begin with. I’m proud of those guys and the way they fight. I’m proud of the way they all stick together. There’s been times when … it’s gut-check every practice and every game. Davon certainly will recover and be stronger because of it.”

On if the injury stoppage did not include a runoff because Oregon got the first down

“Correct. Yep.”

On DB Jordan Perryman

“I would say he’s day-to-day. I don’t anticipate him practicing early in the week but as the week goes on my hope’s he would be out there playing on Saturday.”

On the connection between Grubb and Penix being showcased on the 62-yard score

“It’s those two working together. They’ve seen that coverage on maybe one clip. I know the clip they refer to when they talk about that read. Mike recognized it. Earlier in the game, we had thrown the ball to Rome (Odunze) on the same play — it got a different coverage. On that call they went to the look where Taj has to be ready and Mike delivered. As Coach Grubb said, Mike’s preparedness for that moment and just not even thinking twice. Just trusting what he sees and using his preparation, his experience. And then just Taj running hard, even when that ball probably isn’t going to go to him. Him running a good, hard, crisp and clean route.”

On if Grubb or Penix lobbied to take the ball to start the game

“I wouldn’t say Mike lobbied. I think it was more the coaching side of it. Earlier in the week, it was brought up to think about. We’ve done that a few times throughout the years. Especially when you’re on the road, you think about taking the ball. I’m so big on having that momentum going into halftime and how you come out — especially when you have an experienced team. But we were also facing a team that plays so well and just jumps on top of people. So, it just felt right for us to take the ball. We’ve had a lot of success with our first drives of the game. I felt like we were pretty locked in. Between Coach Grubb, Coach (William) Inge and Coach (Chuck) Morrell, we all agreed that was a great way to start off.”

On Senior Day

“We’ll have 13 guys that we’ll be recognizing on Saturday. Eleven scholarship guys. For the most part, the scholarship guys are all the guys that have zero eligibility left. There will be a couple of walk-ons that have been here five years or have no eligibility.

“Man, what they’ve given to this program is so much. They’ve all got their individual stories. You’ve got Jaxson (Kirkland)’s story, and AC (Alex Cook). They’ve done so much, they’ve accomplished a lot. And then they’ve also gotten through COVID, a 4-8 season, and here we are 8-2. It starts with these guys. It starts with their resiliency, their attitude, and just how passionate they are about Husky football. I’ve leaned on them so much over the last 12 months now to give me guidance when I have questions about how things have been done in the past or how we’re doing with our attitude and the little things and areas I can clean up for the team that maybe are not where we want them in sync. They’ve been open, honest. They’ve been great. The whole team being open to our staff coming in starts with these seniors in particular.”

On the walk-ons taking part in Senior Day

“Brennan Holmes is done with his eligibility, he has zero. And then Gage Harty.”

On the importance of experience on the offensive line

“Mike’s been protected, and he does a great job of making the checks. Saturday night was exactly that, the clock’s ticking down and there were many times with six and seven seconds left, Mike’s making one more step toward the line the scrimmage and it’s loud. You know he’s just making sure and solidifying. It’s hard to hear. Maybe one false start the entire game? The first drive. That connection and belief and trust that we have in Mike starts with those guys up front because they’re protecting him, and they’ve paved the way. They’ve all got their own stories and how they’ve come together. It’s beyond just those five and those seniors. Corey (Luciano), though. His energy and his passion, he was voted to the Unity Council right away. Not being here the entire time in his career, but he’s a Husky. He’s a Husky through and through. And Henry (Bainivalu) coming back caught me by surprise a little bit there in the early months — I think it was January. And of course Jaxson, that one has been well-documented. Man, super happy for him getting that win this weekend closer to home.”

On if the seniors who aren’t starters will get in the game

“That’s always the goal on Senior Day, trying to find those moments. We do a lot of personnel and maybe there’s a way to work guys in. First and foremost, these guys would care most about making sure on their Senior Day that they win the football game. So, whatever role they’ve played in the program up to this point is where they understand it would be going in. We’re certainly aware of any opportunity that we could have to get those guys in there to make an impact.”

On turning attention to a struggling Colorado team

“That’s always the concern, right? No matter who you are, big game and then everything that Colorado’s been through. I think you don’t have to look any further than what we’ve done this season. At the beginning of the year, we said we could beat everyone on our schedule, and honestly there’s not such a gap. We’re becoming a pretty complete team and each and every week we’re closing the gap on what our potential is. We said all along that everyone can beat us, too. A few weeks back we went on a two-game losing streak and we’re going to learn from those games just like we have the wins as well. We’ve got to be ready. We’ve got a lot riding on the season as far as the opportunities that could present themselves. Before we think about the last week of the season, we’ve got to make sure we’re focused on Colorado.”

On the biggest lessons learned from the UCLA and Arizona State losses

“The lessons as far as who we were as a team is that we will keep coming at you. We will keep playing. And that belief, whether it’s offense, defense, and in each other. That’s the part that has helped us in these games, especially Oregon State, Oregon, a little bit in Arizona. It’s so crazy. I keep thinking back to, like, how did this happen in those two games? We quickly forget, and we know internally what we were going through. We’re the only ones that know what we were going through more so with injuries at that time and just how thin we were and how hard it was just to put some guys on the football field to practice at times. One of those things you focus on for next year is just making sure we never are that vulnerable to where some of those things happen that happened earlier in the year. But those are the lessons that we’ve learned and that we have applied in the last four games that we have won and that we will continue to apply to this weekend.”