WATCH: Cowboys' Cooper Rush Throws First Career NFL Touchdown

Five-year backup Cooper Rush threw his first career NFL touchdown pass tonight in Minnesota

Quarterback Dak Prescott missed the Cowboys Sunday Night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings due to a right calf strain suffered two weeks ago at New England.

Earlier Sunday, former Cowboys draft pick Mike White from Western Kentucky led the New York Jets to a win in his first career NFL start.

Sunday night, Cowboys back up Cooper Rush attempts to do the same thing.

Entering tonight, Rush has attempted three passes, completing only one, all in 2017 in a brief relief appearance.

But tonight, he got his chance under the lights, and kept his team in striking distance, trailing Minnesota by just a touchdown at the half.

On Dallas' first possession of the second half, on a third-and-eight play, Rush found receiver Cedrick Wilson deep for 73 yards and a touchdown, tying the game at 10.

Rush's pass to Wilson was the longest pass by a quarterback making his first start for the Cowboys since Roger Staubach had a 75-yard touchdown pass against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.

Keep pushin' 😤 #DALvsMIN | 📺 : @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/kVGzNNMKAS

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 1, 2021

.@Dak loved that. #DallasCowboys

📺: #DALvsMIN on NBC
📱: https://t.co/vo1pze9aC5 pic.twitter.com/rOfIZGfvS1

— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2021

Rush, 27, who is in his second stint with the Cowboys, originally signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent from Central Michigan in 2017, has attempted just three passes in his five-year NFL career, none of them in the last three seasons.

In his four seasons as the starter of the Chippewas, Rush was one of the program’s most prolific passers, ranking second in touchdown passes with 67, third in yards with 9,354, and third in completions with 744.

In a strange turn of events, Rush shared a quarterback room with current Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore back in 2017, before Moore hit the waiver wire while Rush stuck around as Dak’s backup ahead of Moore’s retirement in 2018.

Rush would lose his position as a backup to free-agent signee Andy Dalton and signed with the Giants, reuniting with former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett before being waived and rejoining Dallas.