Back from injury, Carver Willis details recovery from torn MCL

Plus, my quick thoughts on Washington's place in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

SEATTLE — In a sport as violent as football, the good-news/bad-news calculus is always relative, particularly with regard to large humans and knee injuries.

Carver Willis knew he tore something in his right knee late in the first half of Washington’s Sept. 27 loss to Ohio State. He’d been rolled up on before, but had never felt a sharp “pop” like this one. That’s what he told trainers before resolving to walk off the field under his own power.

Halftime tests were relatively promising, Willis said Monday. He’d torn his MCL, but not his ACL.

“So I said, ‘cool,’” Willis said, “then I went and got one of our strength coaches. I did some pass-blocking drills and run-blocking drills, trying to show that I could go back in after half. And it became pretty clear after that, that the decision was not up to me.”