Washington linebacker Carson Bruener prepares for a play against Eastern Michigan, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)

Carson Bruener didn't know if he was going to be able to play.

A week earlier, the fifth-year linebacker from Woodinville was forced to exit the 116th Apple Cup early after sustaining a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of Washington's 24-19 loss to Washington State. Bruener was limited in practice throughout the week.

But one thought stuck in his mind as Bruener fought to get back on the field the next week against Northwestern. He only has a handful of opportunities remaining to suit up in the purple and gold.

"This program means a lot to me," Bruener said. "I've been here a long time. This is my last year, so I need to take every opportunity I can to be able to play and help this team win."

Bruener returned a week later against Northwestern to make a team-best six tackles and grab his first interception of the season as Washington won its Big Ten debut 24-5. Sophomore edge rusher Isaiah Ward said the team's defense took its cues from Bruener's return, helping spur a defensive performance that paved the way for UW's first conference win of the season.

Washington heads east to play Rutgers at 5 p.m. Friday in Piscataway, N.J. This is UW's first road game since its 22-20 win against a ranked Oregon State team in Corvallis, Ore. on Nov. 18, 2023. The Huskies (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) have played eight consecutive home or neutral-site games.

"He's our leader," Ward said during postgame media availability on Saturday. "Seeing him bounce back from that injury, and play his butt off and play really good, just looking at that, I want to be like that guy."

Bruener's return against Northwestern wasn't a certainty. While coach Jedd Fisch announced the team captain was probable in NFL terms on Thursday, Bruener was officially listed as questionable on UW's availability report two hours before the game.

Even being questionable was an achievement for Bruener. He injured his shoulder while tackling Washington State quarterback John Mateer, and said he was in enough pain in the immediate aftermath of the play that he could've believed he'd dislocated his shoulder, separated his acromioclavicular (AC) joint or broken his collarbone.

"I wasn't too sure what to think at the time," he said. "The pain was high, I'll be honest, so I was kind of more focused on that, just trying to figure out what it was."

While Bruener dealt with physical pain, he also had to watch the seconds tick by in his final Apple Cup from the sideline. The Washington legacy desperately wanted to be back on the field, helping his defense get stops, but said he trusted his teammates to do the job. The Huskies came up short -- literally one yard away from a win -- but Bruener's defense didn't concede a single point despite his absence.

"I know this is my last Apple Cup, and I wanted to do everything I could to help our team win," Bruener said. "Not being able to do that was definitely tough, but (defensive coordinator Steve Belichick) has said many times when one person goes down, that's the reason why we practice. It's a next-man-up mentality, and I feel like we have lots of good linebackers in our room that can play at any time."

So Bruener turned his attention to the game against Northwestern. Once he learned his injury wasn't going to end his season, he said a majority of his rehab was reducing the swelling in his shoulder, building up his strength and regaining his range of motion -- which he said was severely limited for days after the Apple Cup.

Bruener said he was barely able to use his arm to strike during practices, and said the coaching staff kept the physical work light for him as he recovered.

The linebacker credited associate athletic trainer Jaqui Carrell for leading his rehabilitation, along with input from head trainer Tom Reed. Bruener called UW's training staff "the best in the country."

"It was something I kind of took day-by-day," he said. "I wasn't sure really how it was going to feel, how it was going to recover."

The work he put in, however, ensured Bruener was able to return in time to face Northwestern. Fisch praised his leadership after the game, and named the former Redmond High School star the program's "Dawg of the Week." Bruener, however, simply wanted to take full advantage of his remaining opportunities to play for the Huskies.

"That was really my mindset throughout the week," he said, "staying here late, doing as much extra as I can to get back for this team."