Fisch Encouraged By UW Run Game, But Stresses Patience

A sight for sore eyes at Husky Stadium was freshman running back Brian Bonner Jr. taking a handoff, charging through a hole over the right side and breaking free on a 55-yard scamper up the sideline against Eastern Washington.

At last, signs of rushing attack for the University of Washington and with one of the new guys supplying yardage in a big chunk all at once.

Bonner got loose after he began the afternoon with a 4-yard run, this coming after the Huskies got imaginative on their opening series with tight end turned sometimes fullback Kade Eldridge supplying his own 4-yard run and quarterback Demond Williams Jr. snapping off a 20-yard dash.

Playing in just his second UW game and starting, Bonner looked like a much different runner as he gets more comfortable on the college level, according to his coach Jedd Fisch.

"There was a huge difference on the first run of the day," Fisch said. "He lowered his shoulder. He ran through contact. He made a nice cut. He got confidence a few plays later on the long run. "

As the Huskies enter their Big Ten opener against Minnesota this weekend, they seemingly find themselves heavily dependent on a pair of freshmen in Ansu Sanoe and Bonner, plus Troy transfer Trey Cooley, who's been inactive for much of the two previous seasons because of injuries, to come up with big numbers.

Except that Fisch doesn't feel any outward pressure to put the onus on these guys to move the ball in an unrealistic manner right off the bat.

"There's no rule that says you have to have a top 10 running team," Fisch said.

He'll let it happen in a natural progression largely because he has one of the top running quarterbacks anywhere in Williams, who currently ranks third in the nation in total offense at 346.7 yards per outing.

Fisch feels no pressure to try and squeeze more out of his other runners than is humanely possible at this point considering their youthfulness or rustiness.

"We'll figure out what we need to do to run the ball," the coach said. "If our quarterback gives us 65 or 75 of it, that's great. We have a quarterback who's a great runner."

Brian Bonner Jr. gets loose on a 55-yard run for the Huskies. | Dave Sizer photo

Still, the fact that Bonner, in just his second college outing, traveled more than half the distance of the field in Husky Stadium and looked good while doing it was encouraging. He finished with 81 yards rushing on just six carries.

Showing caution, Fisch pointed out that the departed Jonah Coleman didn't run the ball a tremendous amount as a freshmen, with Arizona records showing he averaged six carries an outing during the 2022 season, though he had a season-high 14 rushes for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies that year in Seattle.

Trey Cooley looks for room to run against Utah State. | Dave Sizer photo

As the offensive coordinator, the Husky head coach said he's not going to try and reinvent the wheel with his running backs, rather he's going to be patient and let them evolve through a gradually increasing workload.

"There's not going to be a new running game," Fisch said. "The more reps they all get, the better they'll be."

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