Here’s what Washington Huskies QB Elijah Brown leaned on against Purdue

Jedd Fisch has watched six quarters of Elijah Brown playing quarterback in his offense. The UW coach has been most impressed by the poise. 

Because showing composure during practice, where throws can be made with few consequences outside of some taunting from the defense and the same route can be run again until perfection is achieved, doesn’t always translate into a game. 

How does a quarterback react when things don’t go their way? When the protection doesn’t work out as planned? When a 250-pound edge rusher is bearing down on them with bad intentions? When a receiver fails to catch a good throw? When 50,000 fans are screaming on third down? 

“I think he’s done a really nice job of being able to — during the six quarters he’s played — really have good control and command of the offense,” Fisch said. “You never know if you’re going to get that or not when you have such minimal reps as a No. 2 quarterback outside of training camp. So you don’t really know. How much will they be able to handle when the game gets going?”

Brown overcame a difficult start to lead the Huskies (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) to their first Big Ten win of the season on Oct. 16. He passed for a career-high 302 yards on 21-for-27 passing with three touchdowns against three interceptions while replacing injured starter Demond Williams Jr. (rib).

Williams’ status remains uncertain for Saturday’s game against Nebraska — Fisch declined to name a starter during Monday’s news conference and stated Williams will likely be a game-time decision — meaning Brown may be in line for another chance to start. 

“Very steady,” Fisch said about Brown. “Doesn’t get really emotional one way or the other. You can coach him very hard and he’s able to handle that very well.” 

Brown’s performance against Purdue built on the traits he demonstrated during one half against Iowa a week earlier.

Once again, Brown played on schedule. He averaged just 2.43 seconds to throw against Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus, right in line with the 2.36-second time he posted against Iowa. Brown’s quick time to throw during both games limited the amount of snaps where he felt pressure. He faced only six dropbacks with pressure against the Boilermakers and seven against the Hawkeyes. 

“He’s a fast decision-maker,” Fisch said, “so the ball comes out very quick.” 

This season, Brown has only been pressured on 17.8% of his 73 dropbacks. He’s 7-for-10 passing for 79 yards and a touchdown during those situations, with no interceptions. Against Purdue, Brown was 3-for-5 passing when pressured for 53 yards and a sack. 

Williams, in comparison, has been pressured on 40.4% of his 225 dropbacks. The Chandler, Ariz., native is 23-for-51 passing for 339 yards and four touchdowns against three interceptions. He’s been sacked 18 times while holding the ball for an average of 3.09 seconds per throw. 

Brown also continued to attack the middle of the field well. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Southern Californian was 15-for-17 on pass attempts between the numbers against the Boilermakers, totaling 257 yards. 

Perhaps most notable, Brown improved on his throws beyond 10 yards. Against Iowa a week earlier, he predominantly thrived on short and intermediate passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. On passes between 10 and 20 yards, Brown went 4-for-11 for 69 yards against the Hawkeyes. 

But against the Boilermakers, he went 7-for-9 for 139 yards. That included completing five of his six pass attempts over the middle beyond 10 yards. Brown only converted three of his seven similar throws against the Hawkeyes a week earlier. 

Brown was also particularly impactful on play action. Playing with a revitalized run game — the Huskies tallied a season-high 186 yards rushing against the Boilermakers — Brown completed 13 of his 15 play-action passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. 

Of course, Brown still has significant opportunities for improvement. His three interceptions tied Williams’ career-high mark. He did not complete a deep pass against Purdue. His lone attempt was picked off during his first pass attempt of the game. Brown was 8-for-12 on passes without play action. 

Fisch noted that he, along with quarterbacks coach JP Losman and senior offensive assistant Matt Cavanaugh, spent time during the bye week working with Brown on getting through his progressions and evaluating a defense presnap. 

Brown’s teammates, however, made it clear how much they respected his performance. And particularly his resilience. 

“It’s amazing,” senior wide receiver Rashid Williams said, “how he can bounce back from that and lead us in helping win that game.” 

Extra points 

• Washington listed Williams questionable on its initial Big Ten availability report on Wednesday. Fisch, who announced Monday that Williams is dealing with a fractured rib, said the junior quarterback will likely be a game-time decision, but declined to name a starting quarterback citing competitive advantage. Fisch previously stated Brown and Williams were going to split first-team offensive snaps during the bye week. 

• Along with Williams, UW listed LB Xe’ree Alexander (ankle), RB Trey Cooley (shoulder) and RB Jayden Limar (elbow) as questionable. Alexander suffered a high-ankle sprain against Iowa on Oct. 9 and did not play against Purdue. Cooley sustained an acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain against the Boilermakers on Oct. 16. Limar hasn’t played since being injured during Washington’s final drive of the 118th Apple Cup against Washington State on Sept. 6. 

• Edge rusher Ramzak Fruean (knee) is out for Washington’s game against Nebraska. Fisch stated on Monday that the freshman was headed for a game-time decision but will certainly be available in a week to face Penn State on Nov. 7. Fruean will be joined by running back Jordan Washington (neck), running back Quaid Carr (hand), wide receiver Christian Moss (quad), safety CJ Christian (Achilles tendon) and center Landen Hatchett (neck) on UW’s sideline this week. 

• Additionally, running back Ansu Sanoe (foot) is doubtful against Nebraska. He previously missed UW’s trip to Purdue because of an illness. Offensive linemen Justin Hylkema and Jake Flores were also listed doubtful though their injuries remain undisclosed. Linebacker Jacob Manu is probable to face Nebraska.