UW Football Notebook | Rankin will play against Ohio State

The sprained left ankle that bothered Washington running back Louis Rankin last weekend against Boise State hasn't fully healed, but coach Tyrone Willingham said Thursday the Huskies expect Rankin to start Saturday against 10th-ranked Ohio State.

"He's well enough for us not to worry about adjusting or changing what we have planned," Willingham said.

It appears Rankin's struggles against Boise State, with 45 yards on 17 carries, had little to do with the injury. Rankin said Monday that after he made a few early mistakes in decision-making, he couldn't get going against the Broncos.

"I wasn't able to get all my cuts off like I wanted to, [but] it really didn't stop me too much," Rankin said. "It's getting better, and I'm ready to go."

Willingham pointed to Rankin's approach, not his ankle, as the difference between his opening performance of 147 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse and Saturday's game against the Broncos.

"Louis let the game come to him in Game 1," Willingham said. "I think in Game 2, he may have tried to make some plays, and that's what you can't do. You have to naturally let it happen."

Three Huskies share the backup role behind Rankin. Sophomore J.R. Hasty started camp as the backup, but the depth chart now lists him as sharing that distinction with freshmen Brandon Johnson and Curtis Shaw.

"The only thing that will change that will be injuries," Willingham said.

Johnson has run seven times for 23 yards, and Shaw has four carries for 6 yards. Hasty, the former Seattle Times High School State Player of the Year from Bellevue, had one carry for 6 yards in the opener, but he didn't have an attempt against Boise State.

Notes

• Ohio State ranks a mediocre 63rd in the nation in total offense after its first two wins against Akron and Youngstown State, but Willingham is concerned the Buckeyes have been bringing their new players along slowly and haven't revealed everything they can do.

"This, to me, sounds like the perfect game, the game right before they start the Big Ten season," Willingham said. "So I think they'd probably be looking to get everything in order this week."

• Starting right guard Casey Bulyca (bruised ribs) "did virtually all of practice" Wednesday, Willingham said, and should play Saturday.

• Cornerback Byron Davenport (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, and it's not known if he will play Saturday.