Apple Cup Brought More Husky RB Questions

The biggest question mark surrounding the University of Washington football team entering Sunday's Apple Cup against Washington State proved to be an bigger quandary coming out of the rivalry match-up.

In terms of available bodies, the Husky running back position group is a potential mess.

Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley went into the game as the UW's top three rushers and the first two left the action with injuries and didn't return, with no immediate prognosis offered on either of their conditions.

"I don't right now," UW coach Jedd Fisch said following the game. "I'm waiting to hear from the doctors on both of those guys."

The lack of a consistent running game was a glaring issue in the Huskies' season-opening 24-10 victory as they ran their trio of backs a combined 22 times for a meager 85 yards.

Drawing his first career start, the second-year Carr didn't finish the first half, leaving immediately after bouncing off several WSU defenders for a 13-yard gain, his longest of the day.

Jayden Limar leaped twice over tacklers on his way to an 11-yard TD run. | Dave Sizer photo

He finished with 5 carries for 28 yards, which were more rushes and real estate than he had all of his freshman season.

Limar topped the Husky backs with 12 carries for 47 yards, which included a game-clinching 11-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left to play.

However, the Oregon transfer got banged up on his next carry, a 5-yarder with 1:47 left in the game, and was replaced by Cooley, the Troy transfer.

While the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Limar showed plenty of quickness and toughness with the ball in his hands, twice leaping over Cougars on his scoring jaunt, Cooley had to shake off some longstanding cobwebs.

With the Huskies at the WSU 5 in the second quarter, Cooley dropped a pitch from Demond Williams Jr. and fell on it for a 6-yard loss, eventually forcing the UW to try a 29-yard field goal that was missed by Tyler Robles.

Cooley, the only one left of the top three backs when the game ended, finished with four carries for just a yard.

Trey Cooley is in the UW running-back mix after missing last season because of a knee injury. | Dave Sizer phot

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Cooley hadn't played in 21 months since he was with Georgia Tech going up against Miami. He appeared in just three games in that 2024 season after suffering a concussion on special teams that led to light sensitivity and balance issues.

A year ago, Cooley tore a knee ACL while in fall camp with Troy and never played in a game for the Sun Belt team.

After those top three runners, the Huskies start digging into their freshmen class that consists of Brian Bonner Jr. and Ansu Sanoe for help, plus second-year back Julian McMahan, with the latter making his UW debut on Sunday on special teams.

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