Washington Football: 3 takeaways from big win over USC in Week 5

2. Salvon Ahmed saved a flat ground game

It was a day when the Washington backfield struggled to move the ball much against USC. Salvon Ahmed was able to bust off an 89-yard touchdown run that helped bolster the stat line for the entire team. That single carry accounted for more than 40 percent of the total yardage posted on the ground by the Huskies on Saturday against the Trojans defense.

Ahmed had a huge day, finishing with 153 yards and the long touchdown run on 17 carries. Averaging nine yards per carry, Ahmed was the critical cog for a rushing attack that was other wise incredibly anemic. Subtract Ahmed’s long touchdown run, and you have a Washington team that averaged just 3.1 yards per carry as they finished with 104 yards on 34 carries. Even Ahmed himself would have only 64 yards on 16 carries without that burst to daylight.

Receiver Chico McClatcher finished second behind Ahmed in rushing — churning out 21 yards on a pair of carries. Richard Newton had a touchdown run, but he also managed only 20 yards on his nine touches.

Ahmed has to continue developing into a more consistent back, one who beats teams over four quarters instead of just on one long run. He could also stand to get more assistance from his backfield mates if Washington is going to make a serious push to defend its Pac-12 crown.