Pac-10 puttin' a hurt on QBs

With a lack of high-profile quarterbacks returning to the Pac-10 Conference, the year 2006 didn't figure to be one of video-game passing numbers or Heisman Trophy candidates.

At only about the halfway point in the schedule, the season has become notable for something else: For quarterbacks, it's the most injury-ravaged season in the league in at least a decade.

Foot injuries to Washington's Isaiah Stanback and Stanford's Trent Edwards suffered Saturday have ended their college careers. Meanwhile, several other programs are scrambling, either to prop up an injured starter or to prepare a backup to play:

UCLA, which already has lost starter Ben Olson, who said he plans to return from a knee injury on Oct. 28 against Washington State, faces Notre Dame on Saturday on the road with uncertainty surrounding backup Pat Cowan, whose voice box swelled after he bruised that area at Oregon. Cowan was instructed not to talk early in the week and the No. 3 quarterback, redshirt freshman Osaar Rasshan, might have to play.

Arizona starter Willie Tuitama could return against Oregon State after missing time with his second concussion of the season. His backup, Adam Austin, is out with a knee injury suffered at Stanford.

Washington State backup Gary Rogers incurred a slight separation of his non-throwing (left) shoulder Saturday against California, and is doubtful against Oregon.

Injuries to quarterbacks aren't rare. But they're more unusual, because teams take pains to protect the most important position.

Stanback's injury, for instance, brings about the most sweeping change at quarterback for the Huskies since the spring of 1991, when Mark Brunell suffered a knee injury and Billy Joe Hobert stepped in to help Washington to a co-national championship.

Aside from that, the quarterback spot had been a relatively injury-free position historically at Washington. In the last 10 years, the player who opened game one for the Huskies never missed more than two starts with an injury — and when it did happen in 1996, they were able to turn it over from Shane Fortney (knee) to future NFL quarterback Brock Huard.

This week, UCLA, Stanford and Arizona all could find themselves playing their No. 3 quarterback.

Referring to Cowan's status, UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said the quarterback was told the past couple of days, "Don't even talk, communicate by the pen. We anticipate he'll be better by the end of the week."

If Cowan isn't fully recovered, Dorrell said, "We're going to have to find Plan B ways of communication." He said the offensive line might have to take more responsibility for its calls.

"We may not have a very strong-voiced quarterback this weekend," Dorrell said. "But we're still going to find ways to be effective."

Stanford could turn to No. 3 quarterback Tavita Pritchard of Clover Park High. He's the nephew of former WSU standout Jack Thompson.

If Tuitama can't play for Arizona against Oregon State, the Wildcats would go with Kris Heavner, who had 14 starts at the school before transferring to Baylor. He came back to Tucson with the idea of playing baseball, then opted to walk on to the football team.

"He's not been on aid," said Arizona coach Mike Stoops. "He's really done it himself, so I give him a lot of credit."

Since 1990, no Pac-10 school has had more injury-induced shuffles than UCLA. It had three starters in both 2002 and 1999, and four quarterbacks started in 1992.

In 1991, Oregon started five quarterbacks because of injuries.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com