Washington Football's Rahshawn Clark Shines in Return to Defense

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One week after being limited to special teams duties, third-year defensive back Rahshawn Clark finished as the Washington Huskies' leading tackler in Saturday night's 25-21 loss at USC.

Clark recorded 9 tackles, eight of which were credited solely to the 6-foot, 200-pound nickel, and added his first tackle for loss of the season. The former Garfield High School standout athlete was one of four defenders credited with a tackle for loss—veteran linebacker Jacob Manu and safety Alex McLaughlin each logged half a TFL—alongside linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale and cornerback Emmanuel Karnley.

Clark's return to the UW secondary made a significant impact for second-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters on several occasions. Clark corralled Trojans first-year wide receiver Ethan Feaster short of the line to gain on USC's final possession of the first half, though the Huskies weren't able to capitalize on it with less than a minute left on the game clock before halftime.

After allowing a pair of first downs in the third quarter, Clark rose to the occasion again by tackling star running back Waymond Jordan for a 3-yard loss to hold USC to a 39-yard field goal with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Aside from providing a necessary boost to hold Lincoln Riley's offense to just two touchdowns in the game, Clark also held down his role as the Huskies' punt returner with 18 yards on two returns, one of which set up a quick 42-yard touchdown from third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to tight end Decker DeGraaf early in the third quarter to extend the visitors' lead to 21-10.

Now, with Clark back in a starting role moving forward, it provides Walters and secondary coach John Richardson flexibility in the secondary with first-year defensive back Jeron Jones and second-year backup Ramonz Adams Jr.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football's Rahshawn Clark Shines in Return to Defense

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