UW Comes Up Against Arizona’s Qb Dilemma Teams Match Short Win Streaks In Pivotal Pac-10 Confrontation

Two great athletes and one position.

That’s the dilemma of Arizona coach Dick Tomey as he tries to decide which quarterback to send against No. 10 Washington.

Redshirt freshman Ortege Jenkins has started and won the last two games, and has a hot hand after passing for 548 yards and eight touchdowns in less than 10 quarters. But Keith Smith, who sat out two games after a shoulder injury, has too much talent to leave on the bench.

“We need to get him on the field,” Tomey said about the game today in Arizona Stadium.

Both teams have won two straight games, but it’s more of an accomplishment for the Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Pac-10), who have struggled in conference play.

The Huskies, on the other hand, had their hopes for a national championship dented by a 27-13 loss to Nebraska four weeks ago. Washington (4-1, 2-0) came back with wins over Arizona State and California to get its Rose Bowl plans back on track.

“They were everyone’s pick to win the league, and a lot of people’s to win the national title,” Tomey said. “They stumbled against Nebraska, but they have some good company there.”

Arizona’s Wildcats (3-3, 1-2) have beaten San Diego State and Stanford, stunning the Cardinal 28-22 last week, and appear primed for a second straight upset of a ranked team.

“We are playing them at a good time for us,” Tomey said.

Jenkins expects to be tested by a defense that gives up yards but not many TDs. Washington is 13th in the nation in scoring defense at 13.4 points per game.

The Wildcats must stop Brock Huard, the nation’s passing-efficiency leader with a 172 rating. As a freshman, Huard completed 20 of 31 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in Washington’s 31-17 win last season.

The Huskies are led by Rashaan Shehee, the league’s leading rusher with a 108.2-yard average.