It doesn't take a football guru to predict that when a team loses its top four running backs, the rushing game is likely going to suffer in some way, shape, or form. That's the hand that Jedd Fisch has been dealt this season, as the Huskies have had to rely on true freshman Brian Bonner Jr. and sixth-year transfer Trey Cooley in the backfield for most of the season.
While Fisch has stood by his inexperienced backfield, many outsiders have adopted a "believe it when I see it" mentality about the run game improving.
In a 38-26 win over the Purdue Boilermakers, it finally showed.
With true freshman running back Ansu Sanoe ruled out for the game with the flu, the Huskies were left with just three ball carriers: Bonner, Cooley, and second-year player
Ryken Moon. Not to mention, the Boilermakers' defense allowed just 27 yards on the ground the week prior against Minnesota. Despite all of that, Washington's running game had its best performance of the season, posting a season-high 184 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
"It's hard to have confidence without evidence," Fisch said regarding his team's impressive performance. "And as much as you want to try and provide that forum, there's times that guys have to see it happen and believe it, especially the younger guys, guys that haven't done it a lot or been asked to do it a lot at this level. So, Brian Bonner had to feel the confidence of breaking tackles or that, 'Hey, if I get out into space, there's actually space.' And I think our offensive line needed to believe that, 'Hey, when we make some space, we can find it or we can hit it.'"
Not only were the Huskies effective on the ground, but they were explosive. Despite having just eight carries, Cooley erupted for 113 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. As for Bonner, he had a long run of his own in the second quarter, taking a toss for 30 yards inside the Purdue 15-yard line, before the former four-star capped off the drive with a 26-yard touchdown catch.
While the battered backfield has certainly been a hurdle for the Huskies' offense, it has provided a silver lining in terms of the experience gained by Bonner. After being one of the most highly touted recruits in UW's 2026 class, the California native was not expected to see the field much before the injuries piled up. Now that he and Cooley have had a taste of success, they'll take their talents back on the road on Halloween to face one of the nation's premier run defenses, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football Run Game Gains Confidence After Purdue Performance
