Usually when a team commits five turnovers in a game, the results look ugly for said team. Except when that team is Washington (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) against Purdue (3-4, 2-2 Big Ten) on Friday night.
Despite three interceptions and two fumbles, the Huskies kept the turnovers from nipping their tails and had their best offensive performance of the season, beating the Boilermakers, 38-26.
“We’ve been on a bad run, but it felt like this was a good win to get things started, get everything back rolling,” wide receiver Chris Lawson said. “We’ve got the bye-week to clean everything up, all the little details, so I feel good about it.”
Lawson finished the day with six catches for 103 yards, leading the Huskies.
The Elijah Brown roller coaster
The junior QB had about as Jekyll and Hyde of a performance one could have. The very first play of the game resulted in an interception for Brown. The next Washington drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, and ending with a touchdown from tight end Decker DeGraff.
Brown continued the back-and-forth play the whole night, but with each ensuing turnover, Brown settled in and delivered on the next drive. Brown’s second interception came later in the first quarter, on again the first pass of the drive. Next drive: eight plays, 68 yards and three more points.
The final Brown interception played out just like the rest. Brown’s first pass of the drive was the culprit once again. Next offensive possession. Take a guess. If you guessed a nine play, 75 yard drive ending in a four-yard backs-shoulder fade touchdown to Dezmen Roebuck, then you’d be correct.
Brown started the night about as poorly as possible, but never waivered. Brown finished 21-27 passing for 302 yards and three touchdowns.
“It felt great, I felt like we played as a team, obviously I had those three interceptions, but everyone stayed positive and kept on encouraging me and we got it done,” Brown said.
The run game showed up
After finishing with -3 yards against Iowa, Washington looked like a completely different team on the ground Friday night. UW collected three explosive runs of over 30 yards with two coming from sixth year running back Trey Cooley.
Cooley had by far and away his best performance in a UW uniform on Friday. Cooley carried the ball just eight times but finished with 113 yards and a 53-yard touchdown run. True freshman Brian Bonner Jr. had a solid performance as well: 13 carries for 64 yards including a 25-yard touchdown reception.
Another week with center Landen Hatchett? The running backs getting more comfortable? Play-calling adjustments? No matter the case, the UW run game was the best its been this season.
“They did they’re job, we had a great running game and obviously that helps with passing,” Brown said. “Our running backs hit those holes and got the yards when we needed them.”
Defense back to form
Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters admitted on Tuesday’s press conference that this was not just a regular game for the former Purdue head coach…and it showed.
UW allowed 26 points, but it could’ve been much more. On all five of Washington’s turnovers, the defense allowed just six points on two field goals from Purdue kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano.
Washington held Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne to under 50% completions (21-41) and picked him off twice: the first from true freshman corner Jeron Jones, the first of his career, and the second from safety Rylan Dillard-Allen that clinched the game late in the fourth quarter.
However, the most overwhelming difference in the defense came in the run game. UW allowed 263 yards on the ground to Iowa. Friday against Purdue it allowed just 98 yards on 3.6 yards per-attempt. Purdue running back Fame Ijeboi totaled just 19 yards on 13 carries after scampering for a career-high 195 yards against Minnesota.
“To hold that runner to [19] yards after the way he ran last week was a tremendous job,” head coach Jedd Fisch said of the defense.
Walters entered Friday night with intensity and the energy carried over on the field, resulting a much-needed bounce-back performance for the Washington defense.
Up Next
After a bye-week, Washington stays on the road to take on Nebraska on Halloween (October 31).
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