Husky Playing Time Has Become Lot More Precious In Year's Time

After leading the Huskies in rushing the previous week, Cam Davis sat out the Stanford game.

If it's still not obvious to all who are watching everything unfold in Montlake, the competition level inside this University of Washington football team is at an extremely high level.

Against Stanford, Husky edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui made his first start of the season after coming off the bench for three outings, replacing Bralen Trice. This is the same ZTF who was selected first-team All-Pac-12 and third-team All-America in 2020 and turned up in the Top 10 of some NFL mock drafts at some point. 

Inside linebacker Carson Bruener continues to play in a reserve role for the Huskies, the same Bruener who started the final five games last season and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week following the Stanford game played in Palo Alto.

On Saturday night, quarterback Dylan Morris and offensive tackle Vic Curne, both two-year starters entering this season but no longer first-unit players, got in at the end and drew mop-up duty in the 40-22 victory over the Cardinal at Husky Stadium.

Then there was Cam Davis. The sophomore running back didn't play against Stanford. Nothing real unusual there, except seven days earlier he led the Huskies with 17 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown in a 39-28 win over Michigan State. The week before that, he piled up 70 yards and ran for a pair of scores in a 52-6 decision over Portland State. Against the Cardinal, Davis watched.

"He was available," DeBoer said. "For the most part, he could have played. There was a rotation."

In this order against Stanford, the Huskies turned to running backs Wayne Taulapapa, Will Nixon, Richard Newton and even Sam Adams, the latter making his college debut by carrying the ball twice for 4 yards.

1. WAYNE TAULAPAPA

The Virginia transfer has started all four games at running back for the Huskies and he tops the UW in rushing with 310 yards on 48 carries. He shares the team lead in touchdowns with 4, 3 coming as a runner.

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2. WILL NIXON / Skylar Lin Visuals

A Nebraska transfer, the coaching staff likes him because he can run and catch the ball, and he's a physical back. Nixon has 16 rushes for 68 yards and 2 scores, including a TD this past weekend against Stanford.

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3. RICHARD NEWTON :: Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports

He's been back for two games after recovering from a knee injury suffered against UCLA in 2021. The junior has picked up 72 yards on 15 carries. The Huskies used him in the Wildcat formation against Stanford and he gained 13 yards on 5 carries. 

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4. CAM DAVIS / Skylar Lin Visuals

Davis sat out the Stanford game even though he shares the team lead in touchdowns scored with 4. The sophomore is a versatile back who's rushed 35 times for 159 yards and caught 5 passes for 45 yards. 

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5. SAM ADAMS II / Skylar Lin Visuals

In his third season with the UW, Adams made his college debut last weekend against Stanford. The Huskies ran him twice for a pair of 2-yard gains. He's been held back by multiple injuries, but should contribute in the future if he can stay patient. 

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6. AARON DUMAS / Skylar Lin Visuals

Dumas transferred in after spending his freshman season at New Mexico and leading the Lobos in rushing with 658 yards on 136 carries and scoring twice. He hasn't got on the field for the Huskies. He's not even in the mix for playing time. He may redshirt.

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7. JAY'VEON SUNDAY / Dan Raley

Eighteen months ago, Sunday was a spring practice talking point. He received a lot of scrimmage carries and enraged Husky defenders by being a showboat with high-stepping and finger-pointing antics. He hasn't suited up for the UW games this season. He may no longer be a good fit for Montlake.

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Hot hand also plays heavily into this coaching staff's playing-time decisions.

The week before, Taulapapa, the Virginia transfer, took a backseat to Davis and carried the ball a dozen times to Davis' 17 carries, which were a season high for all UW runners.

Yet Davis stood idle as the UW beat Stanford and Taulapapa enjoyed the finest outing for a Husky ball carrier in two seasons, finishing with 13 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. The newcomer drew plaudits from his coach for his efforts.

"He's such a solid person," DeBoer said of Taulapapa. "So consistent. He's hard-nosed. He comes every day to work. There's nothing flashy about him. Obviously, he was voted captain for a reason because our guys respect him so much."

A sequence of plays shows why. Taulapapa, a sixth-year senior from Hawaii, broke free on a 34-yard touchdown jaunt to give the Huskies a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, he was part of the Husky coverage team and, together with teammate Davon Banks, brought down Stanford kick returner Jonathan McGill at the Cardinal 25. That's blue collar. 

"I would have expected nothing less of him to grind it out, gut it out and get on the special teams the very next play," DeBoer said.

"TURNS ON THE AFTER BURNERS!" @WayneTaulapapa blazing into the endzone for @UW_Football 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UmU6dtLDBw

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 25, 2022

To be fair to Davis, he might have been a little banged up, though not enough to prevent him from dressing for the Stanford game. The UW also wanted to get Newton into the game now that he's healthy after coming back from knee surgery, plus Nixon returned after sitting out the Michigan State game for unspecified health reasons.

"It was probably the healthiest guys," DeBoer said. "Everyone's got their little dings, not just at running back but with other positions. But that's football. Go with the healthiest guys, especially when you have a room that full of talent."

Like he said, that's Husky football.

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