SEATTLE — Dwayne Washington is day-to-day. Lavon Coleman is day-to-day. Cyler Miles is day-to-day.
And so is every other player on the Washington Huskies’ roster, coach Chris Petersen said on Thursday.
“Everybody’s day-to-day in our program,” Petersen said two days ahead of UW’s 7:45 p.m. game Saturday against Arizona State at Husky Stadium.
There is little clarity, then, as to who will start for the Huskies at quarterback and tailback. Miles left last week’s 45-20 loss at Oregon with what Petersen later termed “concussion-like symptoms,” and backup Troy Williams, a redshirt freshman, was taking first-team practice reps earlier in the week.
Petersen said on Monday that Miles would start against ASU if he was healthy.
As for Williams, who spelled Miles in the fourth quarter of the Oregon game, Petersen said: “I think he has made progress, and I think it’s good to get other guys reps, when I was talking about that earlier (this week). It is good, because whether you’re talking about the o-line, quarterback, whatever — eventually, you’re going to need depth. So to get guys 1-reps I think is healthy for everybody.”
Then there’s the matter of UW’s top two tailbacks, Washington and Coleman, both of whom left last week’s game with apparent injuries. Running backs coach Keith Bhonapha told reporters on Wednesday that Washington would likely be available as “an emergency guy if we need him,” and that Coleman “is still good.”
Arizona State, meanwhile, will likely regain Taylor Kelly, its starting quarterback. ASU coach Todd Graham said multiple times this week that he expects Kelly, sidelined since Sept. 13 with a foot injury, to start against the Huskies. But backup Mike Bercovici might also play, Graham said.
Petersen said UW’s gameplan doesn’t change based on who lines up behind center for the Sun Devils.
“I think it’s always important to contain the quarterback, but (Kelly’s) been practicing and he’s played a lot of football and he’s a heck of a player,” Petersen said. “So again, we don’t really go back to worrying about what they have. Their other quarterback is really, really good, as well. He’s proved it, put it on tape. So we’ve got to show up and take care of our responsibilities.”
Dawg weather
The Huskies always practice indoors on Thursdays, Petersen said, but they were outside in Husky Stadium for Wednesday’s practice, which was bombarded by wind and rain.
Saturday’s forecast includes a 60 percent chance of rain.
“The kids are used to this. I’m looking for a huge umbrella and raincoat, but they’re not. They’re looking at me like I’ve got five heads,” Petersen said. “They do a good job. They go out there, and this is Dawg weather.
“And again, it’s got to be our advantage. It really does. I think the kids kind of approach it that way, and we’ll see. But it’s good to be able to practice in it a little bit.”
Long wait
Saturday’s game will be the first night game at Husky Stadium this season, and only the second UW game this year that starts later than 7 p.m. Pacific time (the first, at Hawaii on Aug. 30, was a 4:30 p.m. start in Honolulu).
That makes for a long day at the team hotel. Petersen admits he isn’t fond of late night games.
The plan, he said, is to “get them up a little bit later, a couple walkthroughs and stuff, trying to keep their mind alert a little bit. But it’s hard laying around all day. But both teams got to do it, and it’ll be here soon enough.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
