Husky Rushing Game Was At Its Best After Its Worst Outing

Entering the Purdue game, the University of Washington football team had five running backs ruled out of action with assorted injuries or illness.

In the second half against the Boilermakers, they helped two other rushers off the field, though freshman starter Brian Bonner Jr. would return while his back-up Trey Cooley would not.

The Huskies still ended up using walk-on Ryken Moon, Warren's son, to close out the 38-26 victory over the team from West Lafayette, Indiana.

They now know what it's like to drive down the freeway with the gas gauge pointing to empty and a service station maybe miles away.

In spite of all of these run-game obstacles, the Huskies (3-3 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) enjoyed their most productive rushing performance through seven outings with 186 yards after coming off their worst, a -3 showing against Iowa.

"We are going to run the football here," UW coach Jedd Fisch said in the postgame media exchange. "This is not going to be just throw it. That's not what it's going to be. There's going to be balance the best we can."

Cooley gave the Huskies their first 100-yard rusher this season with a career-best 113 on eight carries against the Boilermakers, which included a 53-yard touchdown run to wrap things up in the fourth quarter.

In his sixth consecutive start, Bonner turned in his third-best rushing effort with 13 carries for 64 yards. Previously, he had 81 yards against Eastern Washington and 89 against USC.

He scored for the first time in his career, chalking up touchdows on a 25-yard pass play and a 1-yard run against Purdue, both in the second quarter.

"It was good to see both of those guys just get some [opportunites]," Fisch said.

Huskies quarterback Elijah Brown (7) fakes a handoff to running back Brian Bonner at Purdue. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bonner from Valencia, California, took a second-quarter pitch and went around the left side for a 30-yard gain to the Purdue 11.

After a sack and a holding penalty backed up the UW and had everyone thinking field goal, Bonner showed his elusiveness by taking a swing pass and using his blockers to go 25 yards up the right side for six points.

"I thought Brian ran the ball really well, too," Fisch said.

Cooley, finally getting comfortable again after missing nearly two full seasons elsewhere, ran for 43 yards on the first play of the second quarter and got loose for the 53-yarder and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

However, Cooley didn't touch the ball again after running for 3 yards, having the ball stripped from him and coming off the field.

The roll call for UW running backs for this game was as follows:

Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar, Ansu Sanoe and Julian McMahan were out, with Sanoe the most recent scratch after coming down with the flu.

Converted cornerback D'Aryhian Clemons was in deep reserve.

Trey Cooley (22) gets pushed out of bounds by Purdue linebacker Jojo Hayden (0) . | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Moon remained at the ready to pull emergency snaps, playing for the second time in three games and drawing a carry against Purdue.

Bonner and Cooley, of course, carried the rushing load and were at their best.

At least Fisch's team now has a bye week off and a chance to fill up the tank and get some of those other ball carriers healthy once more.

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