Washington Huskies

Taking a look at four major issue for the Pac-12 in Week 11.

A few storylines to keep an eye on in Week 11.

1. Backups-to-starters: Oregon State quarterback Cody Vaz and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan both started the season on the bench. Now they square off as starters in one of the most pivotal games in the North Division this season. Whichever team wins in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday emerges as the prime contender to challenge Oregon for the division crown and a spot in the conference title game. But the stakes are higher still. Because there's a good chance that if either loses to Oregon, but is able to win its other remaining games, that team could still make the Rose Bowl if Oregon goes to the national championship game. Much on the line with not a ton of experience at the QB position.
2. Backups-to-starters, Take II: While Vaz and Hogan are now starting quarterbacks because of performance reasons, Allan Bridgford and B.J. Denker probably will get the nod in lieu of injured starters Zach Maynard and Matt Scott at California and Arizona, respectively. Maynard suffered a knee injury in the loss to Washington. An MRI showed no ligament damage, but he hasn't practiced much. Scott continues to be evaluated after suffering a concussion in the loss to UCLA and Denker has been taking the bulk of the snaps in practice this week.
3. Bowl-bound? Washington, Arizona State and Arizona all could become bowl-eligible this week with victories. The Sun Devils have the toughest chore of the trio, going on the road to face a disgruntled USC team that gave up 62 points to Oregon last week. Arizona -- despite the questionable health of quarterback Scott -- has the easier task with Colorado coming to the desert. Washington has been tough at home, but hosts a surging Utah squad also looking to get back into the postseason.
4. Slump-buster: Speaking of that Arizona State-USC game, both teams come into the game with losing streaks. The Sun Devils have dropped three straight and USC has dropped two in a row. The Trojans have not lost three in a row since 2001. Someone is going to put the skids on their losing streak.
5. [+] Enlarge
   Russ Isabella/US PresswireUtah may need more kick-return magic from Reggie Dunn to get a win at Washington.
   Something's Bruin: UCLA took a huge step toward winning the South -- no asterisks this year, thank you very much -- with its blowout win over Arizona last week. That sets up a monumental showdown next week with crosstown rival USC -- a team that's had its way with the Bruins every year since 2006. While an upset isn't expected in Pullman, Wash. -- especially given the issues the Cougars have experienced this year -- the Bruins are still a young team and can't be caught looking too far ahead. It's a good thing to control your destiny, but it also can weigh heavily on a team with a lot of freshmen playing on offense.
6. Barner watch: After rolling up 321 yards and five touchdowns last week against USC, Oregon running back Kenjon Barner has played his way into the Heisman conversation. However, the Ducks needed all four quarters to pull away from the Trojans last week and Barner carried 38 times. You have to wonder if the Ducks go back to their standard operating procedure of sitting the starters in the second half should they build a big lead on the Bears.
7. Three week in a row? Can Utah kick returner Reggie Dunn do it again? He has returned three kickoffs 100 yards for touchdowns in the past two weeks -- an NCAA record. And he has four such returns for his career, also an NCAA record.
8. Tough at home: The Utes will need all the points they can get. Washington is 4-1 at CenturyLink Field and the Huskies' defense is allowing only 13 points per game in their home away from home. (Stanford had a defensive touchdown and USC had a special-teams touchdown -- total points are 15.8).

SEATTLE -- As players are pulled aside for interviews after Washington practices, Thomas Vincent often slips past unnoticed.

The blonde backup quarterback walks off the field with his teammates as an unfamiliar face to members of the media. The redshirt freshman walk-on blends into the background.

So, when the Huskies’ media relations staff pulled him aside Wednesday, Vincent flashed a wide, if not somewhat confused, smile. As he explained what life is like as a walk-on, his teammates taunted him playfully as they worked their way toward the locker room.

“I’m just here to earn a spot on the field, make everybody around me better and just win ballgames,” said Vincent, who stepped out of the shadows to talk about his role with Washington.

If the coaching staff needs a receiver, a running back or a defensive back on the scout team, they turn to Vincent, who is athletic enough to fill in wherever he is needed.

“That’s what you’re hopeful you get, a guy that is somewhat of a jack of all trades, but really is willing to do anything,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a guy that can play quarterback, running back, DB when we need him to. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Vincent earns opportunities in practice, because he refuses to say no.

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KeiVarae Russell sat at a table in the Everett (Wash.) Mariner gym. It was a few days after Christmas, and the common thought was the three-star prospect’s college announcement would be a late gift for Washington.

There were four hats on the table -- Notre Dame, Washington, USC and Cal -- and just when it looked like the recruit was about to pick up a purple-and-gold Huskies hat, the lights went out.

In the dark, the Notre Dame fight song was piped through the gym’s speakers and, when the lights clicked on, Russell wore a white hat with the Irish’s “ND” logo on the front.

At that moment, the Huskies lost out on one of the top in-state prospects in 2012. They made a late push with Russell but, in the end, he decided he wanted to leave his home state.

“I wanted to experience something new, get out of my comfort zone, and Seattle's kind of my comfort zone,” said Russell, not long before signing day. “It will be a new experience for me, basically, a chance to experience life. That's what college is all about, life-changing experiences.”

Evaluated as a running back coming out of high school, Notre Dame moved Russell to cornerback. The position switch has worked out well for the freshman. He has started all nine games and is No. 5 on the team in tackles with 43 -- two for loss.

He has become an important part of Irish’s secondary. He never lacked confidence in high school, which has helped him develop into a starter for the program ranked No. 4 in the nation.

Washington landed a pair of cornerbacks in its 2012 class -- Brandon Beaver and Cleveland Wallace -- and redshirt freshman Marcus Peters has shown signs that point toward a very successful career. The Huskies have the players in their program to ease the loss of an in-state standout.

However, with a finite number of blue-chip prospects coming out of Washington, it hurts the Huskies when the state’s top talent escapes.

Here's a quick look at Week 11 in the conference. All times are ET. All games are Saturday.

Colorado (1-5, 1-8) at Arizona (5-4, 2-4) 1:30 p.m. FX: Colorado leads the series 13-1, including a 48-29 win last year. The Wildcats' only win in the series came in 1986. Arizona could be without QB Matt Scott, who suffered a concussion in the loss Saturday at UCLA. The Buffaloes rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and rushing defense. But Arizona ranks last in total defense and pass defense. Arizona is 11th and Colorado 12th in pass efficiency defense. The Buffs have just three interceptions all season, which ranks 113th in the nation. The Buffs have surrendered 40 sacks, tied for most in the conference. The Wildcats have just 13 sacks this season.

Arizona State (5-4, 3-3) at No. 19 USC (6-3, 4-3) 3 p.m. Pac-12 Network: The Sun Devils lead the series 18-10, including a 43-22 win last year in Tempe. That victory, however, ended an 11-game Trojans' winning streak in the series. ASU has not defeated USC in Los Angeles since a 26-15 win in the Coliseum in 1999. The Sun Devils have lost three games in a row, the Trojans two games in a row. USC ranks first in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency. Arizona State ranks first in pass efficiency defense. The Trojans pass for 312.7 yards per game, but the Sun Devils only allow 161.6 yards per game through the air. The Trojans are still seeking win No. 800. It’s the earliest USC kickoff time in the Coliseum since 1998.

No. 11 Oregon State (7-1, 5-1) at No. 14 Stanford (7-2, 5-1) 3 p.m. Fox: Stanford leads the series 50-25-3. The Cardinal has won three of the last four, including a 38-13 win last year. This game features the two best defenses in the Pac-12. Stanford is No. 1 and Oregon State No. 5 in the nation in run defense, and both are ranked in the nation's top 20 in scoring defense. Both also recently changed quarterbacks, with Kevin Hogan taking over the Cardinal's starting job from Josh Nunes, and Cody Vaz replacing Sean Mannion. The winner becomes the top challenger to Oregon in the Pac-12 North Division. Stanford visits the Ducks on Nov. 17, while the Beavers play host to them on Nov. 24.

Utah (4-5, 2-4) at Washington (5-4, 3-3) 10:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network: Washington leads the series 7-0, including a 31-14 win in Salt Lake last year. Both teams have won two in a row. Washington is the only Pac-12 school that Utah has never beaten. Utah must win two of its final three games to become bowl eligible for a 10th-straight year. The Huskies are 4-1 this season at CenturyLink Field, a record that includes wins over then-No. 8 Stanford and then-No. 7 Oregon State. According to the NCAA, Washington has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation to date while the remaining schedule ranks No. 116 in the nation. Last year, the Utes also started 0-4 in Pac-12 play before winning four straight games and five of their last six, including a Sun Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. Utah senior Reggie Dunn made NCAA history with his fourth career 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. WSU last Saturday. Going into the game, Dunn was tied for the record at three with Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State, 1986-88) and Brandon Boykin (Georgia, 2008-11). Utah is 11-0 when John White rushes for 100 yards, which he has done three times this season, including the past two games.

No. 3 Oregon (9-0, 6-0) at California (3-7, 2-5) 10:30 p.m. ESPN: California leads the series 39-34-2, including a 43-15 win last year. The last time the Ducks were in Berkeley, the Bears almost pulled a major upset against the unbeaten Ducks before succumbing 15-13. Oregon is No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring (54.3 ppg), total offense (561.2 yards per game) and rushing (341.2 ypg). QB Marcus Mariota is No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency. It appears that Bears QB Zach Maynard will not play in this game due to a knee injury he suffered last Friday against Washington. His backup is Allan Bridgford.

No. 18 UCLA (7-2, 4-2) at Washington State (2-7, 0-6) 10:30 p.m. ESPN2: UCLA leads the series with the Cougars 39-18-1 and has won four in a row, including a 28-25 win last year. The Bruins have won three in a row since losing at Cal. The Cougars have lost six in a row since a 2-1 start. The Bruins are second in the conference in scoring (37 ppg), third in total offense (514.9 ypg) and second in rushing (226.2). The Cougars are allowing foes to convert 48.6 percent of their third-down plays, which marks the worst percentage in the conference. UCLA's defense has recorded 33 sacks. The Cougars have surrendered 40 sacks, tied with Colorado for worst in the conference. UCLA is ranked ahead of USC in the BCS standings for the first time since 2001.

SEATTLE -- Washington needed a late push to land its 2012 recruiting class into the top 25 nationally.

After securing safety Shaq Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant) right before signing day, the Huskies were able to finish with a class rated No. 23 in the nation.

Led by Thompson, who was rated the nation’s No. 16 prospect in the ESPN 150, the class featured four, four-star recruits and 15 three-star recruits.

With Washington nine games into its season, here is a look at who is playing, who is redshirting and who is grayshirting.

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