Michael Penix Jr. had his best game through the air since Sept. 16. A week after UW failed to score an offensive touchdown, Penix threw for four scores in a 42-33 win over Stanford. Penix was picked off for the third consecutive game, but Washington’s issues against the Cardinal weren’t Penix issues.

Consider that Penix did all he did while battling a nasty illness that continues to linger.

“I’ve been working through stuff all week,” Penix said after the game. “I’m good though. … I’m just sick. You hear it in my voice a little bit probably.”

Added coach Kalen DeBoer: “Yeah, he’s not feeling good. He’s definitely not feeling good. But he’s not going to make excuses and we’re not either. He was out there and threw the ball. There are a couple things, he’s battling through it.”

Penix practiced during the week, but it sounded in the postgame as if Washington’s personnel groupings were messed up all week. The Huskies have been dealing with injury issues on the offensive side of the ball, but if Penix was sick, perhaps there was a bug that made its way through the team as well.

“I think there were just a lot of moving parts, personnel groupings and things like that,” DeBoer said, “and some of those throughout the week changed, and they changed going into even the game. … There is just going to be a lot of things I think that will be settled going into next week.”