Things to Expect in the Husky Game, and One Thing that Probably Won't Happen

Will Jake Locker put on a flak jacket and pull a Willis Reed? I doubt it. It would be much more impactful if it were a home game for Washington, and his team isn't that likely to be inspired by a move like that. After all, he played last week, and they lost 41-0. He's the same quarterback who started in losses to BYU and Nebraska. He has great measurables as an athlete, but he's no John Elway or Joe Montana. In fact he's not even a Sonny Sixkiller. At least Sixkiller had one of the great quarterback names of all time.

After a win to go to 9-0, which I believe is the best start in Oregon history, Duck fans want to see a block of quality snaps for Nate Costa, Kenjon Barner, Josh Huff, Brandon Williams, Darryle Hawkins, and the reserve offensive linemen. There's no substitute for live game experience, and these guys are the insurance policy for the stretch run

The Ducks regularly play about 26 guys on defense, and this game is likely to provide some quality developmental time for Dion Jordan, Ricky Heimuli, Taylor Hart, Wade Keliikipi, Boseko Lokombo, Michael Clay, and Scott Grady.

Fan favorite Cliff Harris is likely to have a diminished role in this one. Starting a freshman quarterback, the Huskies aren't likely to pass much, and players like Javes Lewis and Marvin Johnson become more valuable off the bench for their tackling ability in run defense. Too bad, because the one-on-one matchup between Harris and Jermaine Kearse could have been interesting.

The Huskies' Chris Polk is good preparation for the feature backs the Ducks will face in the last three weeks, Shane Vereen from Cal, Grigsby and Antolin from Arizona, and Quizz Rodgers, who'll be a man on a mission in the Civil War. The Ducks did a great job of containing him last year. They had more trouble with the Beaver passing game and Quizz's brother James.

Last week against USC, the Oregon defensive line kept getting pushed upfield and beyond the pocket, giving Matt Barkley a clear view and room to operate in the passing game. That could be disastrous this week against new Washington starter Price, who is much more likely to make plays with his feet. He runs a 4.7 40 and ran for over 500 yards as a high school senior.

Price is not without talent. The Ducks recruited him, and he completed over 70% of his passes his senior year playing in the Trinity League in Compton California. Young starters are always an X factor. The last one I remember in Autzen stadium? Mark Sanchez of USC in 2007. He had a pretty good game, got picked off in the closing seconds by Matthew Harper to ward off an upset. Price isn't likely to become the next Mark Sanchez, but Duck fans just hope he doesn't become the next Tony Graziani or Harvey Winn.