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Look Who's Leading the Pac-12 in Scoring and Ranked Among Nation's Best

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated 10/20/22

When he took over as this new, offensive-minded coach, Kalen DeBoer promised the University of Washington football team would be high scoring and that points would come in a creative manner.

He just didn't exactly spell it out who or how this would all happen.

People automatically might have assumed most UW touchdowns would come from a prolific passing combination formed between Indiana transfer quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and any one of three highly capable Husky wide receivers.

Try this on for size: With 9 TDs in six outings, backup running back Cameron Davis currently leads the Pac-12 in scoring and is tied for 23rd in the nation.

The 6-foot, 208-pound sophomore from Rancho Cucamonga, California, has become the Huskies' designated point-producer, finding the end zone five times over the past two Saturdays. He figures he's not close to being done either.

"It's definitely a great achievement, but at the end of the day we're still at midseason so I've got my mind on getting more touchdowns," Davis said. "I don't want to get content or complacent."

Just nine players nationwide have scored more touchdowns than the ambitious reserve Husky running back: Pittsburgh's Israel Abanikanda (13), Michigan's Blake Corum (13), Air Force's Brad Roberts (12), UAB's DeWayne McBride (11). Quinshon Judkins of Ole Miss (11), Bijan Robinson of Texas (11), Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt (10), Marshall's Khalan Laborn (10) and Hawaii's Dedrick Parson (10).

All except Judkins, a 5-foot-11, 210 freshman tailback from Pike Road, Alabama, are starters, with Rebels coach Lane Kiffin preferring to use his precocious first-year runner coming off the bench, too.

Most of these big scorers from coast to coast have played in seven games, one more than Davis.

Abanikanda, a shifty 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior from Brooklyn, New York, teamed at Pitt last season with current UW linebacker Cam Bright. He's generated a good portion of his personal stats this fall in one explosive outing — he rushed for 320 yards and 6 touchdowns on 36 carries in a 45-29 victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 8.

Davis' touchdowns this season have come frequently yet modestly, largely on short, battering runs, covering 1, 8, 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 1 and 19 yards, all on the ground.

He entered the season with just two career scores for the Huskies, but he's always been capable of so much more. He piled up 42 touchdowns, 20 each as a junior and senior, at Upland High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

In Pac-12 play this season, Davis' 9 touchdowns are one better than Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Valladay, a starter, scored two of his six-pointers in the Sun Devils' 45-38 victory over the Huskies, coming in a game in which Davis, the reserve rusher, reached the end zone three times.

The UW actually has two of the top three scorers in the Pac-12 with senior place-kicker Peyton Henry ranking behind Davis and UCLA kicker Nicholas Barr-Mira. Henry has converted 9 of 10 field goals and all 34 of his conversion kicks.

What the Huskies haven't had going on three seasons now is a really long touchdown run. Last year, Sean McGrew broke a 39-yarder to score at Oregon State for a UW season best and in 2020 Richard Newton went 54 yards to the end zone against Arizona to top all Montlake runners.

It's been 27 games since Salvon Ahmed zipped 89 yards to score against Oregon State and he stands as the last UW runner to cover most of the field in one electric burst.

Davis is highly capable of this, too. Possessing 4.49-second speed over 40 yards, he's the fastest of the Husky running backs. He holds the longest UW run from scrimmage this season, at 42 yards against ASU, though he didn't score on that play in the desert.

"That's my job description — is to make people miss," Davis said. "I talked about it earlier, about making people miss at the second and the third level. That's something we're working on getting better at."

As for simply crossing the goal line, he's got that down pat.

Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.

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

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