Johnson Has Been At His Best On The Biggest Stage

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Roman Tomashoff | Last updated 11/16/23

When Dillon Johnson transferred to Washington, most expected he would share snaps with holdover junior running back Cameron Davis. However, Davis suffered a season-ending injury before the Huskies kicked off their campaign against Boise State and this thrust Johnson into the starting role.

Johnson was limited by a knee injury early in the year, but thanks to acupuncture, has been at his best against Washington's toughest opponents.

He has rushed for 100 yards in three of the Huskies' 10 games and has an opportunity to add No. 10 Oregon State to his list of triple-digit performances, considering Johnson's best games have all come in Washington's matchups with ranked teams.

Johnson ran for exactly 100 yards against No. 8 Oregon, 256 on the road at No. 20 USC and 104 against No. 18 Utah. With the Huskies preparing for their final ranked opponent of the regular season, the junior is certainly going to be a big part of the game plan in Corvallis.

Johnson is averaging 23 carries per game in Washington's three ranked battles, compared to just 11 rushing attempts on the average over the six contests he's played against unranked teams.

After facing a tough Utah defense that allows an average of 85 yards per game, Oregon State will show him another strong front seven. The Beavers allow 102 yards per contest, the fifth-best mark in the Pac-12 and will be a great challenge for Johnson and Washington's offensive line, which has vastly improved as a run-blocking unit this season.

"I have a lot more confidence in the run game now," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said during his Monday press conference. "I think our guys are playing tougher, they're playing more physical. There's a demeanor that Dillon brings to the game as well."

The Mississippi State transfer has added a lot of that physicality, consistently finishing runs by laying a big hit on incoming tacklers. While the Beavers have had a stellar season to this point, they have struggled defensively at times and could be susceptible to Washington's balanced attack.

Behind Johnson, the 10-0 Huskies have found new life on the ground and could give Oregon State's defense a lot of trouble.

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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