Names to know

Slade Norris OSU defensive end

A third-down specialist last season, Norris moved into the starting lineup in his senior year. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, OSU coach Mike Riley wasn’t sure when the season started if Norris could be an every-down defender. Now he is. “I thought Slade Norris was really outstanding against Utah,” Riley said, adding Norris has played his best football the past two games. Not only does Norris have 18 tackles, he leads the Beavers with 5.5 for loss (good for minus-23 yards) and 2.5 sacks.

A’I Ahmu WSU defensive tackle

As undersized as Jacquizz Rodgers is as a running back, Ahmu is as a defensive tackle. The senior is listed at 6-0, 280 pounds, but seems much shorter when he leaves the field. Maybe that’s because he has to butt heads for hours with offensive linemen who are always larger. But the San Diego product has a knack of getting into gaps and disrupting running plays, whether it’s in the base 4-3 front or when the three-man line, with Ahmu in one of the gaps next to the center.

Darrell Catchings OSU wide receiver

Catchings came out of Escondido, Calif., last year with a reputation as a speedster with great hands. He stepped up when Sammie Stroughter missed last season, catching 33 passes for 386 yards. But he’s become the forgotten man this year, with just six catches for 92 yards. But Riley sees him stepping forward this week, with Stroughter still nursing a sore hip. “He’s very capable and I think he could be a very good receiver,” Riley said. “(He can’t) just wait in the wings for Sammie to be gone.”