Washington Huskies

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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SEATTLE -- Washington’s defense forced three turnovers that led to two touchdowns, helping the Huskies hold off San Diego State 21-12 Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

It was over when: With 4:50 left in the game, San Diego State went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 8-yard line. Quarterback Ryan Katz’s pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Huskies.

Game ball goes to: Will Shamburger. The junior safety returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown -- Washington’s only second-half score -- in the third quarter that gave the Huskies a 21-6 lead.

Stat of the game: Zero. After scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, Washington’s offense was held scoreless the final three, putting pressure on its defense, which turned in a touchdown and helped the Huskies hang on.

What it means: Despite a strong start in the first quarter, the Huskies still have a lot of work to do if they plan on competing with LSU next week. While it is clear Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams have taken the next step as sophomores -- they combined for 15 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown -- the offense struggled for the better part of three quarters.

What we learned: The Huskies aren’t afraid to play their freshmen. Safety Shaq Thompson tallied his first tackle on the first play from scrimmage, and finished with two. Receivers Jaydon Mickens (two catches, 16 yards and three kick returns for 47 yards) and Kendyl Taylor (one catch, 6 yards) also contributed, while running back Erich Wilson II had two carries for 22 yards.

Who we should see more of: Running back Bishop Sankey. Not only did the sophomore play well, rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, but junior Jesse Callier suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter and didn’t return.

SEATTLE -- Washington gave its young players an extended chance to prove they can play in a simulated Saturday setting during the Huskies' eighth day of fall camp Tuesday afternoon.

The offense lined up on one side of the field, with the defense on the other. The coaching staff sent the players out on the field and let them make decisions.

The Huskies scrimmaged for a majority of practice, providing a chance for the coaching staff to assess where the team is and where it is headed.

“This was the first time we let them go out on the field and have to play, without a coach in their ear telling them what to do, without being able to look at a script to see what might be coming,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian said the end result was “pretty good.”

The offense spent too much time in the huddle and some of the young players on defense struggled with communication, but Sarkisian was encouraged. Any issue can be addressed and fixed.

“I didn’t see something glaring where, jeez, we’re playing the wrong guy at the wrong spot,” Sarkisian said. “It’s about being confident. It’s about doing what you’ve been prepared to do throughout camp. We’ve got to go look at this thing and then point out those errors, those mistakes that are definitely correctable.”

The practice was an opportunity to put freshmen like cornerback Brandon Beaver and receivers Jaydon Mickens and Kendyl Taylor in similar situations to the ones they will see on Saturdays.

Sometimes they succeeded -- Taylor caught a 35-yard touchdown from quarterback Keith Price. Sometimes they didn’t -- receiver Marvin Hall beat Beaver deep, catching a 45-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Cyler Miles.

Sarkisian said he sees progress from the offense and defense, a significant improvement since spring practice. But there is still plenty to improve on.

“I thought there was plenty of good things out there, but I know we can be better,” Sarkisian said.

Price provided the play of the day, hitting on a 47-yard scoring strike. Safety Sean Parker picked off Price and linebacker John Timu provided a welcome-to-college hit on running back Erich Wilson II.

But both Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox see room for improvement.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Wilcox said. “There were way too many mistakes today. We showed some good things. There were obviously some bad things.”

Quotable

When asked about Taylor and Mickens, Sarkisian said, “They’ve both had great camps. I feel like I talk about them every day. Again, they are going to have probably a handful of plays they want back from today as well, but that’s all part of putting them in the same situation and letting them play.”

Notes

• Safeties Justin Glenn and Shaq Thompson missed a second day with mild concussions, but there were no new significant injuries.

• Miles continues to make a case for securing the backup quarterback spot as a freshman, tossing a pair of touchdowns.