Elijah Brown throws three touchdowns as Washington beats Purdue 38-26

Washington ended a three-game losing streak with a 38-26 victory over Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana, on October 16. Elijah Brown threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns as the Huskies won their first Big Ten game of the season, according to the Associated Press.

Brown started in place of Demond Williams Jr., who was sidelined by a rib injury, CBS Sports reported before the game. The win left Washington at 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play; Purdue fell to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference, according to the AP.

How Washington held off Purdue

Brown’s four-yard touchdown pass to Dezmen Roebuck extended Washington’s lead to 31-20 early in the fourth quarter. Ryan Browne answered with an eight-yard touchdown pass for Purdue, but the Boilermakers failed on a two-point conversion attempt, leaving the score at 31-26. Trey Cooley then broke a 53-yard touchdown run to make it 38-26 with 10:30 remaining, according to the AP.

Cooley finished with 113 yards on eight carries. Brown completed 21 of 27 passes but also threw three interceptions, including one on Washington’s first play from scrimmage. The Huskies outgained Purdue 488-371 in total yards, the AP reported.

Brown’s route to the starting role

Brown transferred from Stanford to Washington in the offseason, CBS Sports reported. He had played in relief against Iowa the previous week after Williams was injured, leading two touchdown drives. CBS reported that Brown had also seen limited action for Washington earlier in the season; the Purdue game gave him a start with Williams unavailable.

Both teams have a bye before their next scheduled games on October 31. Washington visits Nebraska, while Purdue travels to Penn State, according to the AP.