The Heartland Line
Washington wins at Purdue for first Big Ten victory, but QB and running back questions remain
Elijah Brown threw for 302 yards in his first start and the run game finally showed up as Washington beat Purdue 38-26 for its first Big Ten win.
Washington finally has a Big Ten win. It also has a quarterback decision to make. The Huskies beat Purdue 38-26 on a rainy Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium, ending a three-game losing streak in Elijah Brown's first start for the program. Washington is now 4-3 and 1-3 in the conference. Purdue drops to 3-4, and its two-game winning streak is over.
Brown, a Stanford transfer, started because Demond Williams Jr. hurt his ribs against Iowa. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions, the first on Washington's opening snap, Roundtable Sports reported. Andy Yamashita of The Seattle Times, in a game story carried by The Spokesman-Review, counted five Washington turnovers in all. Besides the three picks, a punt bounced off a Husky gunner and Purdue recovered it, and Trey Cooley fumbled late while Washington was trying to run out the clock. Even so, Washington had 302 yards of offense by halftime, more than it gained in the entire Minnesota game. Chris Lawson caught six passes for 103 yards.
The biggest change was on the ground. Washington ran for 186 yards, its best total of the season. Its previous high was 148 against FCS Eastern Washington. Cooley had 113 yards on eight carries, including a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. According to Roundtable Sports, it was his first 100-yard game since October 2021, when he played for Louisville. Freshman Brian Bonner Jr. added 89 yards from scrimmage and scored twice, once rushing and once receiving. That depth matters. Washington has already had five running backs miss games this season. Cooley left with a shoulder injury and was waiting on X-rays.
The defense recovered after giving up 41 points to Iowa. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne completed 21 of 41 passes for 271 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Safety Rylon Dillard-Allen made one pick and cornerback Jeron Jones made the other. Jones's interception came with 7:07 left. Purdue managed just 98 rushing yards, and a 59-yard run by Antonio Harris accounted for most of them. Head coach Jedd Fisch would not say after the game whether Williams or Brown will start once Williams is healthy.
What it means for Halloween weekend
Washington has a bye week before visiting Nebraska on October 31. That gives Williams's ribs and Cooley's shoulder time to heal, and it gives Fisch two weeks to settle the quarterback question. The Huskies lost their first three Big Ten games: 27-24 to Minnesota, 25-21 at USC and 41-24 to Iowa. The first two were decided by a combined seven points. That record suggests a team that has lacked a working offense, not one that is badly outmatched. At 4-3, Washington needs two more wins to reach six. If the Purdue performance carries into Lincoln, that goal looks realistic.
Purdue's next game is also October 31, at Penn State. The Boilermakers are 2-2 in the Big Ten after wins over Illinois and Minnesota. But their defense remains the concern. Purdue has now allowed at least 38 points in four of its seven games: 38 to Wake Forest, 52 at UCLA, 49 to Notre Dame and 38 to Washington. Purdue forced five turnovers and still lost by 12. That will make the trip to Happy Valley hard to approach with much confidence.
