"I don't think I'm ever surprised at the amount of criticism or scrutiny a head coach has. It's part of the job," he said. "If you're not meeting expectations at a program that expects to win championships and Rose Bowls, in a visible market and a storied program, I think it comes with the territory.

"That doesn't mean it's an accurate depiction of what kind of coach he is, at least from a professional standpoint. As I watch the team, I think they're well-coached."

Fortunately for Willingham, he has quarterback Jake Locker. The 6- foot-3, 222-pound sophomore broke the Pac-10 record for rushing yards (986) by a quarterback last season as a redshirt freshman. He is one of only 19 players in NCAA history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game.

"Locker is one of the best players in college football," Mendenhall said. "I haven't seen a team yet that's been able to run him down. He's physical with the football, he makes great decisions. He's difficult to tackle. He might be the fastest player on their team. That combination presents all kinds of problems."

Said Jorgensen: "Jake Locker is a great athlete. Our No. 1 priority is stopping him."

Washington offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said his offense will show more against BYU than it did against Oregon.

"We're going to be able to open it up a little bit more," he said. "We will be a little bit more wide-open in this plan. So yeah, you'll see some things that you haven't seen in a while."

The Huskies hope one of those things is a victory.

Home-opener

No. 15 BYU (1-0) at Washington (0-1)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Net
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM

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E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com