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Pete Thamel, ESPN
HOUSTON – Star Washington tailback Dillon Johnson has been limited in practice this week after suffering multiple injuries at the end of the Sugar Bowl, but he said he’s “ready to rock and roll” for Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game against Michigan.
Johnson acknowledged he will not be 100-percent for the game – “doubt it” – and said he’s been dealing with multiple injuries. In the final minute of he Sugar Bowl, Texas defensive lineman Alfred Collins dragged him to the ground and Johnson both bruised his left knee and aggravated a lingering right foot injury.
“But it’s all good,” he said. “I’ll be ready to rock and roll and give whatever my team needs. I’ll be ready to do it.”
When asked if he’s been a full participant in practice, Johnson said: “Something like that, but I was doing as much as I could.”
Johnson has been one of the country’s most productive tailbacks in the latter part of the season, as he has the second most yards of any running back since Week 9. He enters the match-up with Michigan on Monday with 1,162 yards, 16 touchdowns and an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
Washington offense coordinator Ryan Grubb said he expects Johnson to be fully available on Monday night. “I don’t think he’s going to be limited, honestly,” Grubb said.
Grubb added: “He’s done a great job the last couple days where really we were more worried about his foot initially, and now he’s really feeling good. Yesterday he was able get out there and move around. And so I think today he’ll take another step of practice.”
Johnson initially injured his right foot in the Oregon State game on Nov. 18 and has been managing that through the later part of the season. (He declined to specify the injury.)
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer said he expects Washington to use Johnson in full capacity and he’ll be monitored as the game goes on.
“As of right now, yes,” DeBoer said about his expectations of fully using Johnson. “Obviously as you go through the game you just adjust, but that’s how it’s been with him.”
Johnson’s injury played a crucial strategic role in the Texas game. He was hurt so badly – both his knee and foot – that he couldn’t get up and the clock had to stop. That saved more than 30 seconds for Texas, which pushed into the red zone but couldn’t cash in the winning score in Washington’s 37-31 win. He was later taken from the field in a cart.
“I’ve never been on the field and not been able to get up,” Johnson said. “So it was definitely a scary situation, one that I’ve never been in and it sucked because I knew…. (I wasn’t) meaning to hurt the team, but there definitely would’ve took a lot of time off the clock… so we gave them another drive and I hate that happening, but we came out with the win some way, somehow.”
Running backs coach Lee Marks called Johnson “one of the most violent and old school running backs we’ve seen it a long time.” Marks said he expects to see that power on Monday.
“Dillon expects to be full go, and that’s what I expect out him,” Marks said. “Obviously he’s feeling as good as you can be for any running back. After each game, it feels like a car crash…So hopefully, God willing, Dillon continue to hit on all cylinders, so that’s what we expect.”