Huskies Find More Than Enough Replacement Parts to Pound Purdue

Adam Mohammed, a sophomore running back making his first career start in place of senior Jonah Coleman, got the UW (7-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) moving in the right direction with three short touchdown scoring runs in the opening half.

Behind Mohammed was redshirt freshman Jordan Washington, who preferred something a little quicker and longer in reaching the end zone. He snapped off a 68-yard scoring run -- his first career Husky TD and his team's longest rush of the season -- midway though the second quarter.

The 5-foot-11, 18-5 Washington led all rushers with 108 yards on just five carries. His previous best was 33 yards against UC Davis early in the season.

The Huskies actually used four running backs in all, giving freshman Quaid Carr his first varsity action and a run for 8 yards, and freshman walk-on Ryken Moon, Warren's son, 4 rushes for 22 yards.

By the third series of the game, Mohammed and Washington were alternately running behind a line that was barely recognizable and consisted of, from left to right, senior Carver Willis, redshirt freshman Paki Finau, sophomore Zach Henning, freshman Champ Taulealea and freshman John Mills.

Only Willis was in his usual spot at left tackle on game day, with Mills moving from his usual spot at left guard to right tackle.

That doesn't mean there weren't a little confusion by all of the personnel shifting all at once. Henning, replacing junior Landen Hatchett and his clubbed hand, fired a pair of snaps over quarterback Demond Williams Jr.'s head.

One resulted in a lost fumble to the Boilermakers (2-9, 0-8), the other in a nice recovery by Williams, who retrieved the ball on the bounce and a lofted 6-yard pass to tight end Decker DeGraaf for a first down.

Williams had more than enough protection to complete 16 of 19 passes for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 23 yards rushing on 7 carries.

Not all of this injury stuff was casual either, with just replacing one guy with another. It got a little scary, too.

Early in the second quarter, freshman receiver Raiden Vines-Bright caught a 9-yard pass and didn't get up after taking a hit. He was placed on a stretcher and loaded into a red Medic One vehicle that drove onto the field.

Ten minutes after Vines-Bright had been transported away, a school official said the young pass-catcher was responsive and moving all of his extremities.

The Huskies played without Coleman, leading receiver Denzel Boston, offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi and the younger Hatchett.

With Vines-Bright and Boston out, the team turned to Penn State transfer Omari Evans and sophomore Audric Harris to fill in, with Evans making his first start for the UW and Harris scoring his first touchdown.

The Huskies scored on their third series of the game, with Mohammed going over the right side and diving in from 1 yard out behind a block by Mills to cap a 6-play, 62-yard drive.

After holding Purdue on downs to end the opening quarter, the UW moved 61 yards in 14 snaps for another Mohammed 1-yard score, this one with him going in over the left side standing up.

Freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale next intercepted a pass at his 47, and following the mark off of a taunting penalty called on UW cornerback Ephesians Prysock, the Huskies took over on their 32.

They weren't there very long.

The speedy Washington burst through a huge hole over the right side, faked a Purdue defender off his feet and zipped up the right sideline for an instant touchdown. It was Washington's Washington with a quick six. He also was called for taunting, after dropping to his knees and crawling with teammates all around him.

After forcing a punt by former teammate Jack McCallister, the UW took over at its own 10 with three-plus minutes left in the half.

It was enough time for the Huskies to move those 90 yards in 8 plays, with Williams finding DeGraaf with a 28-yard pass and taking a backward lob from Mohammed and finding Harris for a 27-yard gainer to get close.

Mohammed capped that drive once more, with a 4-yard scoring run over the right side, bouncing off a Boilermakers defender and into the end zone for a 28-0 lead at the break.

Nothing changed following the break. None of the injured got healthy. Purdue didn't make it a game.

After forcing the visitors into a 3-and-out to open the second half, the Huskies went for the jugular. Williams found Harris running wide open behind the secondary and put a 61-yard scoring pass in his hands and it was 35-0 with barely three minutes played.

Following a 42-yard field goal by Purdue's Spencer Porath, the UW responded with an 8-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 2-yard TD pass from Williams to freshman Dezmen Roebuck, the only receiving starter still standing from the three usual guys. With 3:22 left in the third quarter, the Huskies led 42-3.

In the final period, Porath added a 53-yard field that showed Purdue could indeed kick, and EJ Horton hauled in a 9-yard TD pass that showed it could catch, but tackling and blocking largely remained a problem.

The visitors might have needed some replacement parts. The Huskies knew where to get them.