By Ryan S. Clark
The News Tribune
Let the discussion begin.
Where does junior running back Myles Gaskin fit among Washington’s all-time greatest running backs?
Much was made of this year’s Apple Cup. Washington State’s defense — ranked No. 11 in the nation — was one of the better units at stopping the run. The Cougars came in allowing less than 130 yards per game.
Gaskin ripped them apart.
He ran 25 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns to power UW to an imposing 41-14 win over WSU on Saturday night at Husky Stadium.
“I think that starts when you’re watching film,” Gaskin said about one of the best games of his career. “You kinda see things like, ‘Hey, I can apply this’ or ‘I can do this to open up a hole for whoever.’
“I think to myself, ‘That’s how they’re going to play and I think I can do this off of it.”
UW already was going to use Gaskin to move the ball and power the offense. But those plans changed somewhat when the Huskies lost senior wide receiver Dante Pettis and senior running back Lavon Coleman, one of Gaskin’s best friends on the team, to injuries.
It’s not the first time this season offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith has been forced to change the script. Smith opted to shy away from balance and use the run to batter the Cougars.
UW ran 45 times for 328 yards and five touchdowns. They threw the ball just 17 times for 93 yards.
“Yeah, I think it started with the O-Line,” Huskies quarterback Jake Browning said. “You see (Gaskin) making most of his moves on DB’s and safeties and corners and so, any time those guys have to come up with tackles, you know the O-Line is doing a good job.
“I thought they dominated up front and that’s why he was able to do what he did.”
Every time Gaskin touched the ball, it generated excitement.
He averaged 7.7 yards per carry and continually found space either by following his blockers or making one of his trademark quick cuts.
Gaskin’s first two touchdowns were 2-yarders but his third was his masterpiece. UW was already up 27-0 when Browning handed the ball off.
The 5-foot-10 and 191-pound Gaskin made a cornerback miss with a quick move and had about 10 yards of space. He had one man left to beat and slowed his run to create just enough hesitation to get the edge. Then, from about 3 yards out, he dove and stretched into the end zone for the score.
His 26-yard run gave UW a 34-0 lead and pretty much put the game out of reach.
“Man, that dude is a baller,” Huskies safety Jojo McIntosh said of Gaskin. “He’s a freak. He’s crazy … one of the best running backs I’ve played with.”
He might also be one of the best running backs to ever come through UW.
Gaskin’s career has been one of consistency. He ran for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman. A year later, he rushed for 1,373 yars and 10 touchdowns.
Through 12 games this season, he’s at 1,282 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Gaskin already was the program’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 39. That figure moved to 43 and could increase in UW’s bowl game.
He’s just the third Husky to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three seasons, joining Napoleon Kaufman and Chris Polk.
After Saturday, Gaskin sits with 3,957 career rushing yards. If he can rush for 150 more yards, he moves beyond Kaufman and becomes the school’s all-time leading rusher.
“He’s a heck of a running back. He’s underrated …,” Huskies coach Chris Petersen said of Gaskin. “We know if he’s covered up, he has that unique, patient style where he can find creases and he’s strong and fast. He has a great combination of all of those things.”
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