Worlds are colliding as college football’s two “runningbackers” face off Saturday in Seattle.
We could be in for a series of events where Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson tackles UCLA running back Myles Jack, and then UCLA linebacker Myles Jack turns around and tackles Washington running back Shaq Thompson.
After playing exclusively on offense the last two weeks, Huskies head coach Chris Petersen told the Associated Press he expects Thompson to play both ways this week.
On his original side of the ball, Thompson ranks fifth on the club with 54 tackles (34 solo), three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception, one sack, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups and four passes defended. Every one of his four defensive touches have gone for touchdowns. On offense, Thompson is Washington’s second-leading rusher with 45 carries for 356 yards and two touchdowns. After totaling only nine carries over the Huskies’ first seven games, Thompson rushes 21 times for 98 yards in a 24-10 loss to Arizona State, and carried 15 times for 174 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 38-23 win at Colorado.
“I think Shaq’s a defensive guy at heart, but I’m not really sure of that. I think he’s played over there a long time, so that’s where he feels his home is. He’s played with a lot of those guys for a lot of years so he likes to be out there,” Petersen said. “I know he likes carrying the ball and doing that as well. He’s a good player, so however we can get him on the field as much as we can we want to do.”
On the other sideline, Jack has stayed more committed to defense. Used as a situational runner, he’s rushed just 22 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. His six carries in last week’s defeat of Arizona were a season high. The sophomore is UCLA’s second-leading tackler with 63 stops (42 solo) with five tackles for loss, six pass breakups, six passes defended and three quarterback hits.
Jack told the Orange County Register he’d consider moving to running back full-time, but admits his - like Thompson - his heart lies with defense.
“If enough people say it, you’re going to think about it,” Jack said. “But in the long run, I feel defense, that’s where my heart is. I wouldn’t be in it for the right reasons if I was a running back. It’d be for the glamour and glitz and being in the newspaper and stuff. That’s not where I’m at.”
