UW backfield open to field

SEATTLE – During the final few minutes of the University of Washington’s first football practice earlier this week, freshman running back Demitrius Bronson absolutely refused to quit.

The Kentwood High School product burst through the line in an 11-on-11 drill, got swarmed by several defenders, and kept his legs churning. Since tackling wasn’t allowed, the play was technically over. But Bronson surged ahead, met another pair of defenders, and pushed against them until he found daylight again.

“You have to set your tone,” Bronson said. “Being a back, you have to prove something and show that you’re not soft. You really have to take charge and go after them.”

Of all the position battles at the Huskies’ fall training camp, the one involving the running backs appears to be the most open. There is no clear front-runner, and so every snap counts.

“It’s just compete, compete, compete. That’s all we can do,” said sophomore Willie Griffin, who entered the fall camp atop the depth chart.

While all four of the Huskies’ top tailbacks in terms of rushing yards were slated to return this fall, three of them have left the team since the spring. Terrance Dailey, whose 338 yards led the team, was dismissed after spring practices commenced. Junior Brandon Johnson (194 rushing yards) and sophomore David Freeman (152) left the program shortly thereafter.

Sophomore Brandon Yakaboski, who played in two games last season, is out with a knee injury.

That leaves Griffin and a group of unproven runners to battle for the starting spot. Griffin was the team’s second-leading rusher last season, but that’s not saying much on a team that averaged less than 100 rushing yards per game and 2.8 per carry.

The only other tailbacks with game experience are freshman Chris Polk, who played in two games last season before earning a medical redshirt; sophomore Curtis Shaw, who had 12 rushing yards in 2007 but sat out last season for personal reasons; and sophomore Johri Fogerson, whose only game action has come as a safety.

“They’re just like any other position,” new UW coach Steve Sarkisian said, shrugging off the inexperience of his running backs. “Their production is whatever happens out here (on the practice field). I’m not worried about whatever happened before I got here.”