OXNARD, Calif. – As a third-string quarterback in training camp, practice reps are minimal for Cooper Rush.
Rush got his first extended playing time in last Thursday's preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals, and the undrafted rookie looked sharp working with the rest of the offensive reserves in the second half. He threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Uzoma Nwachukwu against an all-out blitz on the first drive of the third quarter and finished the game 9-of-18 for 87 yards for an 82.4 passer rating.
"Thought he did a really good job," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "Thought he handled himself very well. Poised and composed. There were not many game situations that came up that he didn't handle well. They did a few different things to him defensively and he recognized them, made some big plays. The touchdown was a big play and he really did a nice job on that play, recognizing the Cover 0 blitz and getting it to the right guy.
"That's really what he's shown us in all the opportunities he's gotten up to this point. So it was good to see him take that to the game."
Rush also drove the offense 20 yards for a field goal in the fourth quarter, and he helped preserve the win with a 12-play drive in the final four minutes, running the clock down to 50 seconds before punting.
"Tons of excitement to just get out there and play, get in a rhythm, feel game reps again, a chance to just kind of show what you've got. A lot of fun and can't wait for the next one."
