Washington takes over at Mizzou and in Big 12
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA | The question comes up nearly every time someone sticks a recorder or a camera in Derrick Washington’s face.
You ever had any fear about trying to replace Tony Temple? You ever have any doubts?
“I get asked that question a lot,” said Washington, Missouri’s starting tailback as a sophomore out of Raymore-Peculiar High School. “And I always tell them that the Tony Temple Era is over.”
No fear. No doubt. No question.
Gone as surely as beard stubble after a morning shave is the deceptively quiet exterior Washington showed to most people a year ago.
“Getting experience last year helped me to know what was going on, and learn the atmosphere and the speed of the game,” Washington said. “I talked to Tony anytime I needed help to understand what was going on, and he helped me.”
Washington understood he lived in Temple’s shadow. As a senior, Temple ran the ball 186 times and became the first MU back to bookend 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Washington ran it 36 times.
Temple netted 1,039 yards. Washington gained 184.
Temple scored 13 touchdowns. Washington scored two.
But in his first collegiate start — in No. 6 Missouri’s 52-42 victory over then-No. 20 Illinois on Saturday night — Washington made a claim on part of the spotlight.
He ran 19 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns against what may be the best defensive line Missouri will face during the regular season.
He is, at least for now, the leading rusher in the Big 12 Conference, ahead of Texas A&M’s Mike Goodson and Oklahoma’s DeMarco Murray.
Further, Washington declares one of his goals is to rush for 100 yards in every regular-season game. Not average 100 yards.
Do that in the next 11 games and Washington would head into the postseason still 348 yards short of Devin West’s single-season MU record of 1,578 yards set in 1998.
But do that and Washington’s 1,230 yards rushing would surpass the 1,029 yards gained rushing by Brad Smith in 2002, Smith’s redshirt freshman year as the Tigers’ run-first starting quarterback.
Washington, with one 100-yard rushing game, is a long, long, long way from Smith’s MU career record of 18. Zack Abron did it 11 times, as did Joe Moore and West.
Against that background, Washington sees no more shadows.
“I’m out now,” Washington declared, laughing at his own bravado. “I’m all the way out.”
Teammates have noticed.
“He’s come out of his shell,” quarterback Chase Daniel said. “As a true freshman … he was just doing his job like any other freshman would, not saying a whole bunch.
“Now he’s gotten a lot more comfortable … He’s joking around with the players, with the coaching staff even.”
On Monday, someone asked Washington if he felt a little twinge of guilt playing ahead of senior tailback Jimmy Jackson.
Jackson was first in line to fill Temple’s shoes. Washington cut in front in spring football.
“It was a competition,” Washington said.
Washington won it. And the best — Washington’s ability to catch passes downfield as well as just coming out of the backfield — is still to be put on better display than against Illinois (one catch, four yards).
“He’s got hands like a wide receiver,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “He’s got great hands. The other running backs have good hands.
“So it allows us to do a lot of different things with him. He’s a complete running back as far as all his skills and capabilities. The good news is, he’s going to get a lot better.”
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Mike DeArmond’s MU vlog | Derrick Washington? He went thataway
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