Budda is back.
The Huskies’ star sophomore safety, Budda Baker, returned to the field for Thursday night’s game at USC, after missing almost two full games with a left ankle injury.
Baker, the former Bellevue High standout, started the first 17 games of his UW career, injuring his ankle on the third play of the game against Utah State last month. He missed the next game against Cal.
Back to full strength, UW’s secondary helped spark a dominant defensive performance in the first half. Sophomore cornerback Darren Gardenhire, a Long Beach native, intercepted USC’s Cody Kessler on the game’s first drive.