Playing on Grit, Bruener Limited in Snaps But Presses On Against UCLA

The Huskies handled their senior linebacker with care because of his shoulder injury.

UW linebacker Carson Bruener gets into it with Penn State quarterback Drew Allar while an official tries to intervene. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Carson Bruener went through Senior Night ceremonies, was in the starting lineup at linebacker when Friday night's Washington-UCLA football game began at Husky Stadium and even came up with 8 tackles.

Yet throughout the UW's 31-19 victory, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound team captain and defensive mainstay wasn't anywhere near his normal self.

Listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report before kickoff, Bruener was limited to playing every other series -- and sometimes every third series -- as his body continues to wear down since he suffered a shoulder joint sprain in the Apple Cup against Washington State and has repeatedly re-injured the hinge, including late in the recent game at Penn State. Pro Football Focus counted him drawing a season-low 32 snaps.

"We were weren't able to practice him at all this week, other than non-contact stuff," UW coach Jedd Fisch "We were concerned about how much physical contact he could take during the game."

This approach seemed to work just fine as Bruener was around the ball most of the time whenever he was in the game and he still expected himself to perform at a high level even with his physical ailments.

In the third quarter, he failed to make a stop, though his teammate Voi Tunuufi came up behind him and dropped UCLA running back T.J. Harden for a 1-yard loss, and the linebacker kneeled on the field and clapped his hands for the longest time as if to reinvigorate himself.

Carson Bruener warmed up Penn State shirtless, with his shoulder brace visible. / Skylar Lin Visuals

While playing injured for eight games now, Bruener still leads the Huskies in tackles by a wide margin with 86 -- fellow linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala is next at 69 -- and in interceptions with 3. Somebody practically is going to have to rip off that injured limb to keep him out of a game, and that likely wouldn't do it either.

"Bruener certainly fought through it and played a lot of snaps," Fisch said. "Carson was not going to not play this game."

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington