It’s Apple Cup week between in-state rivals Washington and Washington State, but that doesn’t preclude the two head coaches from handing out compliments.

And Washington State coach Jake Dickert had glowing praise for Husky quarterback Michael Penix Jr. earlier this week when he met with reporters.

“Penix has given them just a shot of life,” Dickert said. “This guy is one of the most accurate passers I believe that I’ve seen in a long time, and he’s cutting it loose. They’ve thrown the ball over 500 times and he’s been sacked seven times. It’s incredible. Their offensive efficiency is top five in the country and it’s an extreme challenge, one that we’re excited for. I know we feel confident in what we can do.”

UW has roared to a 9-2 record in coach Kalen DeBoer’s first year at the helm in part because of the magic created by the reunion of DeBoer and Penix.

The two were together at Indiana when DeBoer coordinated the Hoosier offense in 2019 and Penix was at the controls on the field, but they’ve taken it to another level on Montlake. When the oft-injured Penix announced his transfer to Washington in the offseason, it was a move that was met with some trepidation.

Of course there was excitement from some given what the duo accomplished together in Bloomington, but this certainly wasn’t like a Caleb Williams-to-USC kind of move.

And, yet, Penix has been one of the most impactful transfers into any program in all of college football this season.

He leads the country in passing, with 3,869 yards. He’s eighth nationally in expected points added this season and ranks top-15 in QBR. He’s also the second-highest-graded passer in the Pac-12, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Arizona was the best passing offense we’ve faced up to this point,” Dickert said. “Now, the team we’re going to face this week is the top in the country.”

Kickoff on Saturday is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.