After Saturday’s 26-21 win over USC, Carson Bruener was asked if the game was the best he’s ever played.
“Sh–, it might be,” Bruener said with a smile.
The Big Ten office agreed, awarding the senior linebacker with the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week award on Monday. It’s Bruener’s second time winning a weekly conference honor – he was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week as a redshirt freshman after racking up 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble against Stanford in 2021.
Bruener didn’t quite hit those highs on Saturday, but his impact was much larger in coverage than as a rusher this time around. The senior had 12 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, including a crucial fourth quarter play to halt USC’s momentum up 21-20.
Washington scored on the ensuing drive to sew up the 26-21 win, but not before Bruener and the defense had to make one final stop to end the game. On that drive, the Huskies were forced to use a timeout to get Bruener to the sideline after USC wide receiver Makai Lemon hit him in the lower leg. But Bruener returned after the break, holding down the middle of the field while sophomore edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw chased down Trojans quarterback Miller Moss to end the game.
Bruener’s performance also garnered him Defensive Breakout Player of the Week honors from the East-West Shrine Bowl.
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