Last week I wrote that if Washington couldn't win this one, it would be hard to find any more wins on the schedule. They won, 38-26, and it wasn't as close as the score suggests . With Demond Williams out injured, Elijah Brown made his first start as a Husky. They turned it over five times — which will definitely lose them most games — yet it still wasn't in doubt late. That says a lot about how badly they beat Purdue at the line of scrimmage, and also about how many points they left on the field. To the grades (ratings).
Quarterback: 6.5/10
Offensive Line: 8.5/10
Receivers: 8/10
Elijah Brown's first real start is a tough one to grade. On one hand, he went 21-of-27 for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He looked comfortable working through progressions and kept finding his playmakers in space. Most importantly, as compared to Demond Williams, he got the ball out on time. However, when he wasn't throwing it to Husky receivers, it was usually going to Purdue defenders, with half of 6 incompletions ending as picks. What stood out most was how he responded. Every interception was followed by a scoring drive or a stop from the defense, and he never looked rattled. His 91-yard drive right before halftime, after Purdue had tied the game, might have been the most important series of the night.
This was the best the line has looked all season. Purdue got one sack and barely touched Brown, so he had clean pockets for most of the night. Having Landen Hatchett back at center for every snap made a clear difference, and the rotation, with Kodi Greene coming in at left tackle, held up. Easing in Kodie Greene seems to be working better than asking him to play every snap. Purdue's defense is one of the worst in FBS, but this is exactly the kind of game the line needed after getting manhandled by Iowa.
Chris Lawson (6 catches, 103 yards) and Dezmen Roebuck (5 catches, 97 yards, TD) are now clearly the top two weapons on this offense. Each turned short throws into big gains after the catch. Roebuck also took handoffs out of the backfield and caught the 4-yard end zone fade that gave UW a two score lead. Rashid Williams also made an awesome highlight reel grab on the sideline. Justice Williams converted a critical, late third and long. It was a cool headed play by both quarterback and receiver in a big moment. Brian Bonner chipped in with a 25-yard touchdown catch on second and very long. The only issue with their performance is the two interceptions on slants, where the receivers seemed to stop their routes early.
Running Backs: 7/10
Offensive Line: 8/10
The Huskies somehow came into this game with even more uncertainty at running back than usual this season, with a flu addled Trey Cooley unsure if he was going to play until the night before. He ended up with a career high 113 yards on just eight carries, including the 53-yard touchdown that put the game away. He had a 40+ yard gain on another run. On both plays he showed hesitation and patience to set up his blocks, nifty moves to beat defenders, and a nice burst to pull away. He also lost a fumble, which has been an issue all year. In some ways he proved to the best (currently available) running back on the team. But, consistent fumbling simply can't tolerated in a running back. Bonner was steady with 64 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and he keeps getting better every week. As a team, UW ran 34 times for 186 yards against a defense that had zero answers. Coming into this game, Washington was 132nd in FBS in yards per carry. A balanced offense made Brown's job a lot easier.
Pass Rush: 6/10
Secondary: 7.5/10
Purdue scored 26, but that number is misleading. The defense was constantly defending short fields after turnovers, and one touchdown came straight off a botched punt. But, the Husky defense made sure Ryan Browne never got comfortable all game. And once Purdue got desperate and starting forcing things, the defense responded with two interceptions, by cornerback Jeron Jones (who is having a spectacular freshman season) and Rylon Dillard-Allen. In between they forced a turnover on downs with four straight incompletions. Dillard-Allen and Alex McLaughlin bounced back after a rough Iowa game, hitting hard and tackling well in space. The pass rush had three sacks, but still feels like it needs to rev up more. Isaiah Ward was disruptive off the edge all night even without a tackle, and he batted down a third down pass. The Huskies finished with seven passes defended and ensured (along with the Notre Dame game) that Browne had his worst performance of the season.
Purdue had just run for 305 yards against Minnesota. Running back Fame Ijeboi came into the game leading the nation in forced missed tackles. On Friday, Ijeboi managed just 19 yards on 13 carries. The defense was stifling against the run and didn't allow one of the Big Ten's top running backs any breathing room. Alex McLaughlin not only contributed in pass defense, but had a tackle for loss in the run game as well. The team finished with eight TFLs total. The one big mistake was a long Antonio Harris run in the second quarter, which came right after the defense allowed a third and 6 conversion with Purdue backed up. If they stop either play, UW gets the ball back up 10-3. Instead, Purdue scored and tied it. Outside of that drive, the tackling was much better than it's been the last two weeks. Unfortunately, Ramzak Fruean and DeSean Watts both left the game injured.
For weeks I've been counting how many punts opponents have muffed against Washington. This week it was Washington's turn. A Purdue punt bounced off Dylan Robinson while his back was turned blocking, Purdue recovered, and they scored on the next possession. It feels more unlucky than bad play from Robinson, but special teams turnovers have to count against you. Before halftime, Rahshawn Clark muffed a fair catch, and the offense started that drive at its own 9. Hunter Green had seven kickoffs and seven touchbacks and remains quite possibly the most reliable player on the roster. Tyler Robles made his one field goal attempt.
The big question is: how much of that performance was on Washington, and how much is it that Purdue is still a relatively bad team despite improvement from last year? Their offense is solid, but their defense is terrible, which seems like a perfect matchup for a Washington team with a good defense and struggling-but-talented offense.
At the end of the day, with a backup quarterback, depleted running back rotation, half the roster getting over the flu, and on the road as an underdog, Washington was the more physical team. Some of that is just Purdue, but credit is due. Lining up Roebuck in the backfield was the kind of creativity I've been asking for. The run game in general showed a lot of different looks. The defense also played with an edge in Ryan Walters' return. Most importantly, this team stayed composed and didn't spiral after each turnover.
No doubt that Nebraska will pose a stiffer test, on Halloween night, in Lincoln. But it was encouraging to see the team hasn't just given up on the season. We'll have to wait to see just how much they've actually improved, and just who this team's quarterback is. Fisch said today Williams and Brown are splitting reps in practice. With the Huskies off next week, Fisch has two weeks to make a decision at quarterback. Unless Williams shows he can play at least as well as he did last season, the choice should be obvious: start Brown.
This feels like a turning point in the season. Get it right, and the Huskies can still win a few more games. Get it wrong, with the offense falling apart in a bad loss at Nebraska, and a bowl game could be off the table yet again.
