HOUSTON -- It looked bad last Monday when Washington running back Dillon Johnson went down in obvious pain on the Huskies' final possession of their CFP semifinal win over Texas, needing to be helped off the field by a pair of staffers while grimacing the whole way off the field.
Certainly, it cast plenty of doubt on whether Johnson would be ready just seven days later for the Huskies' national championship clash vs. Michigan this Monday night in Houston.
But Washington coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb both expressed their confidence Johnson will play despite the latest foot injury.
"We're expecting him to play," DeBoer said Saturday during media day. "So we're expecting him to play. He's been through this over the last couple of months, and he hasn't missed any time there. He's had a good week getting back healthy. ... I'm sure Michigan has the same thing. A lot of guys that aren't 100 percent. But he's headed in a good direction here this week as we get ready for kickoff."
Johnson, who played the last three seasons for Mississippi State, has emerged as yet another offensive star for the Huskies over the second half of the season. He's more than doubled his previous career-best of 448 yards in a season while adding another dimension to an offense that ranks No. 1 nationally in passing yards.
After a solid-if-not-spectacular first six games this season -- including one 100-yard rushing game -- Johnson became a bigger presence in the offense down the stretch, reeling off games of 256 rushing yards and 4 TDs vs. USC, 104 yards and a TD vs. Utah and 152 yards and 2 TDs vs. Oregon while averaging 127.8 rushing yards per game over a six-game stretch entering the Sugar Bowl/CFP semis last Monday.
Johnson was limited to just 49 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 21 carries (plus 18 receiving yards) vs. Texas, while Penix led the way with a masterful passing performance.
DeBoer recalled his thoughts when he saw Johnson go down with the injury.
"I mean, if there's one thing about our guys, we probably error to a fault on guys trying to get off the field and not laying there. And so when I know that someone's on the field, they're hurt. And so the feeling naturally is for these guys you love so much. And Dillon would be someone who has put so much into this program," DeBoer said. "He's going to do anything he can to get off that football field. And obviously he couldn't at that time. So your heart goes out to him. And obviously there's a piece like, this is our starting tailback and stuff like that and feeling like we got a chance to win a football game and what lies ahead. But first and foremost, it's all about him as a person and his health. That's what I was feeling at that time. "
He reiterated again, though, that Johnson is ready for Monday.
"As he is right now, yes. As you go through the game you adjust. But that's how it's been with him really the last couple of months of the season here. So as of right now, yes," DeBoer said.
What that means in terms of how limited he might be physically or how much Washington will ask of him remains less clear.
"He's done a great job the last couple of days where really we were more worried about his foot initially. Now he's really feeling good," Grubb said. "Yesterday he was able to get out there and move around. So I think today he'll take another step at practice. I feel like -- I don't think he's going to be limited, honestly. I think he is going to be just fine. ...
"I think that he's had a great week of rehab. He's able to start repping with us. I think that he's feeling a lot better. I know he's a really determined young man, so I would be shocked if he wasn't able to come out there and make an impact in the game."
