������Ƶ

Of course, talent matters. But when we interview the players and coaches afterward, we often hear the same descriptions: belief in each other … playing for one another … confidence.

Well, the University of Washington — playing in Monday’s college football championship game against Michigan, also 14-0 — has won each of its past 10 games by 10 points or fewer. Per Fox Sports research, Washington is the first team to do so in the Division I era of college football (since 1973).

And the point differentials in Washington’s past four games have been two, three, three and six.

“Probably the best thing about our guys, you can tell that they have a great love and passion for one another,” William Inge, Washington’s co-defensive coordinator and ������Ƶ native, said in a phone interview with the Post-Dispatch. “And they’re willing to sacrifice everything for each other. If you can do that, you’re going to be able to get great things that happen.”

Before we go any further, yes, yes, Washington is more talented on offense than defense. Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was a Heisman Trophy finalist (he’s thrown for 4,500 yards in each of the past two years — per ESPN, the last major college quarterback to do that was Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes). The Washington offensive line won the esteemed Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best line. And receiver Rome Odunze likely is an NFL first-round pick.

With the Washington defense, though, there is a community and culture. There aren’t a lot of blue-chippers, but many chips on shoulders. There is a former walk-on who became an all-conference and all-America linebacker (Edefuan Ulofoshio). Perhaps the biggest NFL prospect on the defense is a three-star recruit (Bralen Trice), as was the defensive back who made the game-clinching play against Texas in a playoff semifinal game (Elijah Jackson). Incidentally, the Washington defense led the Pac-12 in interceptions (16).

When coach Kalen DeBoer took over after the 2021 season, he didn’t chase off players. He believed in many guys returning from injuries, including Ulofoshio and pass-rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui, who is also a key Husky.

And it was the former Kirkwood football standout Inge, along with co-coordinator Chuck Morrell, who cultivated Washington’s defensive culture.

“It’s one of those things (at Washington) where — this is what community pride is all about,” said Inge, who played at Kirkwood in the early 1990s and turned 50 years old in December. “And I think that’s something that you learn from living in Kirkwood, going to Kirkwood.

“They call it the ‘Pioneer pride.’ And it’s something that has been a representation of myself, honestly, my whole life. Something that’s been instilled from my parents, my family, the community, our high school coaches, in all various sports that we played. It’s where we know — ‘Yes, I’m representing myself on the family, but also I’m representing my community and where I’m from.’”

Inge, who played college football at Iowa, cited so many Kirkwood-area coaches as indelible inspirations. There was Gerald Chambers, Chester Jackson and Tom Allen in little league football and basketball. For Kirkwood High, there was Dale Collier and Mike Wade.

“This is what community does,” Inge said. “Mike Wade got me my shoes for football and track. And in turn, I knew I was going to work for him. And work hard. He said, ‘You know you’re like family. I’m going to take care of you. Just make sure that you show up every day and you do everything you can in the classroom.’ And that’s what it takes when you have people like that in your community. And leading you. ...

“And one coach who really affected me the most was one of my track coaches, Alvin Williams. He was also our auto mechanics teacher as well. How strong he was in his faith as a teacher and as a coach, that changed my life at 17 years old.”

And Inge’s cousin is Alvin Miller, the local legend. He was a star at Kirkwood who went on to Notre Dame in the 1980s but suffered career-ending injuries.

Now Miller’s cousin is four quarters from the pinnacle of college football.

Asked at playoffs media day about Washington’s defense, Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said: “That’s a great team defense. … There are a lot of draft picks on the team I think that are underrated. They play extremely well together. Just a team that’s fierce, they tackle well, they’re physical, they’re fast. Just excited for the challenge.”

I think Washington is going to win this thing. Sure, Michigan is favored in the game. But Penix is playing at such a jaw-dropping high level right now. And Inge’s defense is rising up when it matters most. It isn’t always pretty. But the final score is always the same — Washington on top.