Washington Huskies

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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If you don't like where you are in the power rankings, play better.

See last week's power rankings here.

1. Oregon: It wasn't perfect, at least on defense, but that was a resounding statement at USC. There are some injury issues, particularly on defense, but this team is coming together as perhaps the best of the Chip Kelly era. Wondering what type of opponent the Ducks will face at California: A motivated one or one that will serve as a doormat?

2. Oregon State: A nice bounce-back win over Arizona State. The Beavers have overcome a quarterback change and injuries. This team just keeps finding ways to get it done. The winner at Stanford on Saturday becomes a legitimate threat to Oregon in the North Division.

3. Stanford: So does Kevin Hogan step in at QB and make the Stanford offense formidable again? Maybe. But it's not wise to take too much away from stomping Colorado. Oregon State will offer a true defensive challenge.

4. UCLA: Just like Kevin and I predicted: The Bruins dominated Arizona. The offensive effort was outstanding but unsurprising. The defense shutting down the potent Wildcats' offense was most notable. But the Bruins can't overlook a visit to Washington State. That's what the "old" Bruins might have done.

5. USC: The Trojans' resilience is going to be tested, starting with a visit from Arizona State. USC could win out, go to the Pac-12 title game and still earn a shot at the Rose Bowl. Or they could fold and finish a season that began with national title hopes with five consecutive defeats.

6. Arizona: Wow ... the Wildcats took a horrible beating at UCLA. Some of that was a USC hangover. But a lot of that was the Bruins asserting themselves in the South Division pecking order. A visit from Colorado should supply that sixth victory and bowl eligibility.

7. Washington: The Huskies were sloppy at Cal, but sloppy with a W is OK. If they can handle a visit from Utah on Saturday, they will get a sixth victory and bowl eligibility.

8. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have lost three in a row after the schedule toughened up. The good news is they showed some fight at Oregon State. It's a battle of two wounded teams at USC on Saturday.

9. Utah: The Utes are making another late charge. At 4-5, they need to win two of three to earn bowl eligibility. They still play Colorado, so that means they need to win at Washington on Saturday or beat Arizona when it visits on Nov. 17.

10. California: Cal and Jeff Tedford are beaten up. And here comes Oregon. Maybe the Ducks will be flat after the big win over USC?

11. Washington State: A run of 10 bowl games in 10 seasons as a head coach ends for Mike Leach, and things don't seem to be going well in the Cougars' locker room. A hot UCLA team is coming to town. How about a good snow storm for the visitors from sunny SoCal?

12. Colorado: The Buffs just need the season to end. A visit to Arizona doesn't figure to go well for perhaps the nation's worst defense.

ESPN 150 athlete Max Redfield decommitted from USC on Sunday night via a message on his Facebook page. Redfield, who has already taken an official visit to Notre Dame, has scheduled a trip to Washington for Nov. 9. He will likely visit Oregon as well.

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