UW Reinforcements Showed Up in Force in Pac-12 Title Game

One by one, it seemed as if veteran University of Washington football players simply walked out of the infirmary and directly onto the football field for Friday's Pac-12 championship game in Las Vegas.

Asa Turner started at free safety against Oregon at Allegiant Stadium and wore a huge club on his right hand after missing five consecutive games, having surgery and going through Senior Day at the Apple Cup in street clothes. He played aggressively, notably dropping an Oregon ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. 

Fellow safety Kamren Fabiculanan, forced to sit out games because on injuries on three separate occasions during the season, looked as physical as ever during the second quarter against the Ducks. He first knocked Oregon receiver Tez Johnson off his feet for a 2-yard loss on a pass route and a short time later notably flipped tight end Terrance Ferguson head over heels with a crunching hit on a short gainer.

Defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa, restricted to a single Apple Cup series at the end of that game after earlier missing two previous outings with leg issues, was a problem up front for the Ducks. He helped limit them to 114 yards rushing and in one particular instance he stood his ground on the while Oregon running back Bucky Irving ran into him and crumpled to the ground as if he had just hit a brick wall.

Finally, wide receiver Jalen McMillan finally resembled his old playmaking self after suffering a knee injury at Michigan State that had limited him over much of his junior season. After missing three games and going four more without a reception in abbreviated appearances, McMillan shed his knee brace and has become a needed playmaker again with 14 catches over the past two games, including a team-best 9 for 131 yards against the Ducks.

Three games ago, the Huskies found themselves without six defensive starters all at once at Oregon State, at least temporarily, for a number of plays as the wear and tear of a long season caught up with them. Everyone is available now on defense.

Fabiculanan, in particular, looked like a new man after his prolonged absences, playing as well as he's ever shown in a UW uniform. The player known as Kam Fab finished with 3 tackles, while Turner and Letuligasenoa had 2 each against the Ducks. 

With a month between postseason games now, Kalen DeBoer's team has a chance to be as healthy as it's been all season, with the aforementioned veterans having successfully worked their way through their personal setbacks.

With a College Football Playoff in the offing, the Huskies, after admittedly being shorthanded in a few positions at midseason, survived without them and now are being rewarded as the season moves to its most demanding stage.

It's all hands on deck with fewer and fewer UW players out of uniform and watching the games these days, which is the only way these guys are going to beat a Michigan or Alabama. 

Against Oregon in Vegas, the Huskies still had injured running back Cam Davis, dressed in his letterman's jacket, and former starting center Matteo Mele and offensive guard Gaard Memmelaar, in shorts and a jersey, all hanging out together before the game as UW players with season-missing ailments, but no team gets can totally avoid one of the game's unfortunate drawbacks, which is total good health.