ESPN College Football

We missed the UFL draft on June 3, but considering nine former Pac-10 players were selected, we thought we'd provide an update.

Seems that Sacramento is going to be Pac-10 rich.

Here are the Pac-10 players drafted (draft round).

OL Tavita Thompason, Oregon State, Sacramento (2)
CB Tim Clark, Oregon State, Sacramento (3)
DE Udeme Udofia, Stanford, Sacramento (4)
S Ryan McFoy, Arizona State, Sacramento (5)
OL Tim Mattran, Stanford, Hartford (6)
S Dennis Keyes, UCLA, Sacramento (8)
WR Devard Darling, Washington State, Omaha (8)
S Tony Parrish, Washington, Las Vegas (9)
CB Willie Glasper, Oregon, Sacramento (11)

There's no way to sugarcoat it. Oregon embarrassed Oregon State's defense last year.

The Beavers entered the 2008 Civil War ranked 13th in the nation in total defense (290 yards per game). In the spring, five players from that unit would be drafted by NFL teams.

Yet the Ducks rolled up 694 yards in a 65-38 victory.

For the Beavers, it was a nightmare in Reser Stadium. It cost them the Rose Bowl. For the Ducks, it was inspiring.

"John Wooden said that competitive greatness is when you play your best against the best," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "That's what our players did. Our players just made plays. It wasn't a scheme deal. It wasn't like we exploited anything. It had less to do with coaching than any game I was involved with last year."

Oregon can probably identify with how a defense can have a horrible day. It's played good defense all season, but Stanford somehow rolled up 505 yards in a 51-42 win on Nov. 7.

If defense, indeed, wins championships, then it's hard to imagine that defense won't be where the 113th Civil War on Thursday turns. After all, it's all about a championship, considering the winner goes to the Rose Bowl.

It will be strength-on-strength battle.

Oregon has the No. 1 rushing offense in the Pac-10. Oregon State has the No. 1 rushing defense.

Oregon State has the No. 1 passing offense in the conference. Oregon has the No. 2 passing defense.

Both teams rebuilt their defenses this offseason. The Ducks lost six starters -- four were NFL draft choices -- while the Beavers lost eight, including their entire secondary and three-fourths of the defensive line.

Kelly said repeatedly before the season began he wasn't worried about his defense. He loved the across-the-board speed, particularly at linebacker. His secondary ranked among the nation's best.

Even when two cornerbacks -- starter Walter Thurmond III and his backup, Willie Glasper -- went down early with season-ending knee injuries, the Ducks continued to play well.

"[There's] a lot of athleticism and speed," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "One of the best Oregon defenses I've seen."

The Ducks perhaps revealed some vulnerability to a power-rushing attack -- Stanford piled up 254 yards on the ground -- but that's not the Beavers thing on offense.

The first order for the Ducks is disrupting Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield, whose quick release has made him the conference's top-rated quarterback.

Oregon State, which starts two sophomores and a true freshman on its offensive line, surrendered 15 sacks in the first four games. But it gave up just 12 in the past seven, in large part because Canfield is distributing the ball quickly to the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz, who are one-two in the conference in receptions per game, and letting them do their thing.

The Ducks rank third in the conference in sacks with 30, but will they be able to get to Canfield? And if not, will they tackle well in space?

As for Oregon State's defense, Riley and defensive coordinator Mark Banker talked candidly about their concerns in the preseason. The Beavers gap-cancellation scheme counts on getting pressure on the quarterback because the secondary is often in press-man coverage. In 2008, ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris dominated with their edge rush, and cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Brandon Hughes could handle most receivers one-on-one.

That didn't matter much, of course, when the Ducks rushed for 385 yards last year.

That's why many of the Beavers defenders are as interested in redemption as they are in the Rose Bowl.

"That obviously wasn't the Oregon State team we had last year playing out there on that field, that's for sure," said linebacker Keaton Kristick, one of three starters returning from that 2008 crew.

The Beavers defense was mediocre early in the season. It recorded just two sacks in the first four games and couldn't get off the field on third down. But it's picked up the pace considerably, recording 13 sacks over the last seven games and improving its performance on third down by eight percent.

"I think [Banker] has done maybe his best coaching job ever with this group, considering who we lost," Riley said.

Still, the Beavers looked stout on D before they played host to the Ducks last year. This time, they won't have a home crowd making things difficult for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

The first key is fairly simple: Do your job -- don't freelance.

"When you're playing a team that has variety like that you can't do your job and somebody else's," Riley said.

Then second and third keys also are simple: Get off blocks. Tackle. If the Beavers run defense holds up, it's got a much better chance containing with the Ducks passing game.

It should help that powerhouse defensive tackle Stephen Paea is healthy. A knee injury slowed him considerably in last year's game, though it's not encouraging that the guy who starts next to him, Brennan Olander, is decidedly questionable with his own knee issue.

So which team will be grinning after the Civil War for the Roses?

As they say: Defense wins championships.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon's defense doesn't pencil out. It's clearly very good, but it shouldn't be.

The Ducks lost six starters, four of whom were NFL draft picks, from a 2008 defense that ranked 82nd in the nation in total defense and 78th in scoring defense. T.J. Ward was a returning starter at free safety, but he's only recently returned to action after being injured in the first half of the season-opener at Boise State. Cornerback and team captain Walter Thurmond III, generally considered the Ducks' best player, blew out his knee on Sept. 26.

Look at it like this: Name a defensive starter for Oregon.

	AP Photo/Chris Carlson
	Linebacker Spencer Paysinger and the Oregon defense have surprised many with their performance so far this season.

Defensive end Will Tukuafu? Good for you. He's long been an underrated player. Clay Matthews? Actually, Oregon's middle linebacker is "Casey" Matthews, but it's the same gene pool, so that's not too bad.

It's a no-name crew that has been riddled by injuries -- Willie Glasper, who replaced Thurmond, also was lost for the year to a knee injury -- yet here Oregon is, ranked 19th in the nation in both total defense and scoring defense.

When Washington scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 43-19 defeat last weekend, it was the first TD against the Ducks' defense in 15 quarters.

How can this be? Oregon hasn't ranked among the top 40 in total defense since 2004. It hasn't had a "special" defense since 1994, when the "Gang Green" led the Ducks to the Rose Bowl.

There are a lot of explanations, though.

"They're being very aggressive and they've really been aggressive mixing their odd front and their 4-2 front," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose Trojans visit Oregon on Saturday. "It's been problematic for their opponents. They've had a lot of pressure and a lot of plays in the backfield."

That's true. Oregon ranks third in the Pac-10 and 10th in the nation in sacks (3.14 per game) and is 25th in the nation in tackles for a loss (7.0 per game).

UCLA had just 211 yards and didn't score an offensive touchdown against Oregon. Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel said the Ducks play hard, play their gap responsibilities and are good tacklers.

California's only points against Oregon in a 42-3 defeat came after the Ducks fumbled the opening kickoff. The drive totaled minus-8 yards. Coach Jeff Tedford said Oregon has speed at every position, which will be critical in the matchup with the Trojans.

"I think Oregon's defense is going to match up pretty favorably [with USC]," he said.

Washington moved the ball at times against Oregon, but the Ducks recorded four sacks and forced three turnovers, one of which concluded a first-half goal-line stand. Coach Steve Sarkisian said Oregon isn't giving up big plays, which has been a problem in the past.

"They're making teams drive down the field and not get yards in chunks," he said.

As for Oregon's longtime defensive coordinator, Nick Aliotti, he gives a jovial shrug. Why is his defense so good? Beats him.

"If I had the answer to that, I would bottle it," he said.

Maybe it's better chemistry. Maybe the focus and work ethic are better.

Of course, Aliotti is being a bit coy. There have been some scheme tweaks.

Coaches who have played the Ducks, as well as Carroll, note Oregon has diversified its defensive alignments and is running more zone blitzes.

"Yeah, we're doing more of that," Aliotti said after a brief pause. "I'm trying not to give away all our secrets."

Aliotti also admitted he's not trading out personnel groups as much, which can disrupt a defense's rhythm and sometimes lead to confusion. He also talked about the coaching staff being "on the same page," which suggests some staff changes, specifically the addition of defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, have helped.

Linebacker Spencer Paysinger, one of the returning starters you've never heard of but is, nonetheless, a really good player, said he likes how the defense is playing more aggressively and is "able to put bodies on people instead of just dropping into zones."

He's also noticed how the defense's play has turned Aliotti's frown upside down. More than a few Oregon fans have groused about Aliotti's defense through the years because it didn't match the typically high-powered offense. When Aliotti defended his defense, some rolled their eyes.

Those complaints are rarer these days.

"He does have a smile on his face," Paysinger said. "He knows his defense has been lights out the past few games."

While Aliotti clearly is enjoying the defensive renaissance -- he's coached at Oregon 19 seasons, split between three different tenures -- he's also quick to note the season is only seven games old and, oh by the way, USC is coming to town.

He's not ready to talk about this crew as the second-coming of his "Gang Green" unit just yet.

Not that he's ruling out a new nickname at some point.

"Maybe we'll give them something fancy at the end of the year," he said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

	Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
	Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli returned to the lineup to throw for one touchdown and rush for two.

SEATTLE -- Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti is thinking about food. First, a big meal on the short plane ride home after the Ducks 43-19 win over Washington on Saturday. Then some vanilla ice cream when he gets home. On Sunday, he'll eat some breakfast with a grin on his face.

Only after that will he start thinking about USC.

"My mind is not on 'SC right now," he said. "I'm going to enjoy this win."

He added, "It will be tomorrow."

Oregon, like many teams, has a 24 hour rule, when coaches and players are allowed to celebrate a victory or mourn a defeat for only one day before moving on and focusing exclusively on the next foe.

Coach Chip Kelly might be more obsessive than most about not looking back or forward but living only in the moment. He's repeatedly harped on how each Saturday is a one-game season and each game should be treated like a national championship.

That allowed for him to say this, which is great fun when taken out of context, "We're playing USC for a national championship."

Ha! But get this: the Ducks-Trojans showdown on Halloween night in Autzen Stadium will showcase two Pac-10 teams with the potential to play themselves into the national championship picture, assuming, of course, that USC keeps up its end of the bargain and beats Oregon State on Saturday evening.

The Ducks, who've won six in a row since an opening night loss at Boise State, presently look like they could play with anybody. Aliotti's defense and Kelly's offense are both humming.

The offense got a huge boost from the return of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who hurt his knee on Oct. 3 and sat out the Ducks win at UCLA. After a slow start, he completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown and ran 11 times for 54 yards with two touchdowns.

He seemed to get bolder on each run, as if his knee was successfully passing a series of tests.

"I definitely gained confidence in my knee, cutting and whatnot," he said. "It was just one of those things where I take it safe at first."

While Masoli said he only felt "70-75 percent," it's clear that his presence stressed the Huskies defense.

"It's a big lift because they can't key on me because Jeremiah is incredible with the ball in his hands, so they have to pay attention to him, too," Ducks running back LaMichael James said.

James, a redshirt freshman, also gets a defense's attention. He seems to get better every week. His 154 yards rushing on 15 carries, which included a 56-yard touchdown run, was a school freshman record. It also was his fourth 100 yard game since replacing LeGarrette Blount in the starting lineup.

Oregon's special teams also are fairly sharp. The Ducks scored their first touchdown on a blocked punt. A fake field goal set up their second.

"(Oregon) just destroyed us on special teams," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.

Then there's Aliotti's defense. It gave up some yards -- 395, which is 115 more than the season average entering the game -- and it allowed its first offensive touchdown in 15 quarters, but it has become a swarming, no-name unit that seems a step faster than the opposing offense.

The Ducks had four sacks and forced three turnvoers, one of which concluded a first-half goal line stand.

"When this group gets flying, it kind of gets into a frenzy mode," Kelly said.

Injuries, particularly in the secondary, are a bit of a worry, though. The Ducks have already lost cornerbacks Walter Thurmond, perhaps the Ducks best player, and Willie Glasper. While safety T.J. Ward played for the first time since spraining his ankle at Boise State and made five tackles, cornerback Talmadge Jackson hurt his back, forcing Aliotti to play true freshman Cliff Harris and junior Chad Peppars.

It's not a good thing to face USC with a banged up secondary.

But Kelly and his players don't seem like the worrying sorts. Or the sorts who will allow USC, the seven-time Pac-10 champions, to get into their heads.

"They haven't had success too much in Oregon the past few years, so they'll definitely bring their A-game," said linebacker Casey Matthews, whose brother, Clay, starred for the Trojans last year.

Kelly said USC didn't come up when he talked to his players after beating Washington.

"This group is as focused a bunch of young men as I've ever been around," Kelly said. "They buy into everything we're talking about. And all we talk about is the next game."

And what about that next game?

Despite the blinders, Kelly knows it's going to be a circus.

"We've got a real, real big game coming up," Kelly said.

Posted by ESPN.com Ted Miller

New Oregon coach Chip Kelly preaches to his team that every game is a season. So it would be fair to say that Kelly's first season was a disaster.

The 19-8 loss at Boise State was a thorough embarrassment for the program. The Ducks arrived talking about revenge. They left as an object of national ridicule, both for the way they conducted themselves during the game and the way running back LeGarrette Blount acted afterwards.

Then the Ducks struggled to beat Purdue.

Then they beat a Utah team riding the nation's longest winning streak. The nation said, "Hmm."

Then they poleaxed No. 6 California and Washington State by a combined count of 94-9. Then they won at UCLA 24-10 without starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

And folks started to realize something: Oregon stunk in the first game, yes. But the Ducks, now ranked 11th in the BCS standings, might still be one of the best team's in college football.

The defense ranks among the best in the country by most measures. The offense is scoring 33 points per game. Redshirt freshman LaMichael James has stepped in capably for the suspended Blount. And the Ducks showed they were good enough to win without three starting defensive backs as well as Masoli, who may or may be back this weekend at Washington.

Offensive MVP: Tight end Ed Dickson nips James here. The Ducks offense looked like it might be mostly one-dimensional this year -- Masoli and the passing game were out of sync in the first three games -- until Dickson caught 11 passes for 148 yards with three touchdowns in the blowout win over California. Dickson, a potential early-round NFL draft pick, leads the offense with 25 receptions for 333 yards and four TDs.

Defensive MVP: The were questions about who would be the Ducks primary pass rusher during the preseason, but end Kenny Rowe has answered those questions. He ranks third in the Pac-10 with 6.5 sacks and he's also forced three fumbles, which is tops in the conference. He has 21 tackles and two pass breakups.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Ten years ago, would you have believed UCLA and Oregon would be 3-0 at halftime?



The Pac-10 is now a defensive league.

The Bruins lead on Kai Forbath's 52-yard field goal. And that's our scoring summary.

Oregon sophomore cornerback Anthony Gildon -- the Ducks third option at the position after Walter Thurmond and Willie Glasper went down to knee injuries -- has been flagged twice for pass interference, but the Bruins have been unable to exploit the Ducks secondary, which is also missing safety T.J. Ward and was riddled with illness this week.

Quarterback report?

Kevin Prince and Nate Costa are both playing OK, but neither has strung a few good passing plays together.

Turning point: Oregon posted an impressive goal-line stand when two quarterback sneaks by Prince from the 1/2-yard line failed.

Stat of the half: Ducks are 1 of 6 on third down. Costa has played fairly well, but he hasn't been able to string together first downs.

Best player in the half: Ducks running back LaMichael James has 83 yards rushing on eight carries. Of course, one carry -- from the Ducks' 1-yard line -- went for 49 yards.

What Oregon needs to do; What UCLA needs to do: Both teams need the same thing. They need to keep playing stingy defense while finding an offensive rhythm. In a low-scoring game, turnovers are almost always critical. No turnovers so far. And both teams have made nice plays in special teams. In low-scoring games, field position is almost always critical. Wonder who gets to play on a short field more?

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Yes, keeping up with Oregon's myriad injuries isn't easy. But Rob Moseley of the Eugene Register-Guard provides a helpful primer with this notebook.

To sum: Remember the talented 2008 secondary -- Patrick Chung, Jairus Byrd, Walter Thurmond and T.J. Ward -- which started 12 of 13 games together last year?

The crew starting at UCLA will be four entirely new parts -- a junior, two sophomores and a redshirt freshman.

Chung and Byrd are in the NFL. Thurmond suffered a season-ending knee injury. Ward is questionable for Saturday with a high ankle sprain. And Thurmond's senior backup, Willie Glasper, is also done for the season with a knee injury suffered this week.

That means the starting secondary figures to be sophomore Javes Lewis at rover (he started the first five games), redshirt freshman John Boyett at free safety (he's started the past four games for Ward), junior Talmadge Jackson at right corner (also a five-game starter) and sophomore Anthony Gildon at left corner (the third player to start in the spot this season).

Touted true freshman Cliff Harris also could be in the mix.

The Bruins are not a great passing team, but that rejiggered secondary surely raised an eyebrow or two in Westwood.

Toss in the likely absence of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (knee) and tackle C.E. Kaiser (shin), and the Ducks will face the Bruins without five starters (including running back LeGarrette Blount) on their preseason depth chart, and that only counts left cornerback once.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

A week ago, this is what UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince had to say about the Bruins offense: "Mmfpt frupftah tarrump foof karvin crafff. Fanfyfroh."

For those of you who don't speak the same language as a guy whose broken jaw is wired shut, Prince said he thought Kevin Craft was doing a fine job in his stead but he couldn't wait to get back and help his team win because it's tough watching from the sidelines.

Prince will get his wish on Saturday when he steps back behind center and eyeballs No. 13 Oregon in the Rose Bowl. That's even more exciting than being able to eat and talk again.

"Talking, eating -- you never know how much you'd miss it until you can't do it anymore," Prince said.

Prince's jaw got rearranged in the waning moments of UCLA's victory at Tennessee. While he played the Bruins final series after the hit, it was fairly obvious that something was amiss, both to Prince and to anyone watching.

"If you were watching the broadcast, you could see I was spitting up blood and stuff," he said.

On the airplane home, a bite into a sandwich was excruciating. A clicking sound when he moved his mouth was disconcerting. X-rays revealed the fracture.

Craft, the senior backup who started in 2008, led the Bruins to a 23-9 victory over Kansas State but, after a bye week, the offense was stymied in a 24-16 defeat at Stanford.

Prince finally got his jaw unwired -- they actually use rubber bands these days -- on Sunday, though a pair of "arch bars" remain in place. While his schedule was tight between the doctor's appointment and a team meeting, he was able to hit a local Persian restaurant for a couple of beef kabobs.

"It was outstanding," Craft said.

Kabobs surely beat the smoothies and pureed foods he'd been eating for three weeks, which led to a five-pound weight loss. Prince's description of blended rice, beans and salsa sounded like his diet was not unlike a what is scattered across a bus boy's tray at the local taco joint.

"Some of it was gross," he said.

A broken jaw is a different sort of injury. Prince was able to do limited conditioning -- limited because he couldn't breathe through his mouth -- and some throwing while he was out. He showed some rust during practices Tuesday and Wednesday, but it's possible he will be more game-ready than if he were coming back from a more typical knee, ankle or shoulder injury. Prince broke his collarbone in high school and also missed his senior season with a knee injury, so he knows what it's like to return from an injury.

Still, a gimpy jaw might offer a whole different set of challenges for a player.

"I'm kind of curious to see myself," Neuheisel said of how sharp he expects Prince to be.

"The good news about this injury is he was able to run, so he stayed in shape. He was able to throw. There's nothing physically wrong with his ability to drop back and work his legs. I'm hoping the rust is minimal. Now he didn't take a lot of plays under center and have the stuff around him, but hopefully he's not been gone for so long that becomes difficult."

Neuheisel further pointed out that, considering Prince is a redshirt freshman, there wasn't much to get rusty in the first place.

Fact is, Prince's numbers in the first two games weren't better than Craft's in the last two. Prince completed 29 of 52 (55.8 percent) for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Craft completed 35 of 58 (60.3 percent) for 390 yards with a TD and a pick. Craft's efficiency rating is slightly higher.

The general feeling, though, is Prince, the quarterback of the future, gives the Bruins a better chance to get the downfield passing game going, which stagnated against Stanford.

That won't be easy, though. The Oregon defense has been outstanding the last two weeks, surrendering only nine points combined to California and Washington State. The Ducks rank 20th in the nation in pass defense and are third in the Pac-10 with 13 sacks.

The Ducks like to gang up on the run and challenge a quarterback with unpredictable pressure. It's tough for any quarterback, but particularly for a redshirt freshman coming back from a major injury.

On the other hand, the Ducks lost a second starting cornerback -- Willie Gasper, who replaced Walter Thurmond -- for the season this week. They might be vulnerable in the secondary.

The more general measure for the Bruins is how they respond to their first loss. Both Prince and Neuheisel said the locker room after the Stanford game was more unhappy than they remembered it after any of the eight defeats in 2008. That might be a good thing.

"I'm pleased with the reaction to defeat," Neuheisel said. "Now it's got to manifest itself in some urgency to take care of the details so we play a cleaner game this weekend."

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli practiced on a limited basis Wednesday but he told the Eugene Register-Guard he expects to be Nate Costa's backup at UCLA on Saturday.

“It’s always tough to watch when you’re a competitor,” Masoli told the newspaper. “One of the things that helps me out, though, is I’m in the quarterback room and I see Nate knows his stuff, too, so it’s not as concerning for me. It’s just, as a competitor you want to be out there to help your team.”

Here's The Oregonian's take on Masoli, who suffered a bruised knee against Washington State.

Also, safety T.J. Ward suited up for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain at Boise State, but he told the paper he's not 100 percent, so his status remains questionable.

Finally, it appears that sophomore Anthony Gildon will replace cornerback Willie Glasper in the starting lineup. Glasper, who became a starter when Walter Thurmond suffered a season-ending knee injury, blew out his ACL on Tuesday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Though his mind is not for rent,
Don't put him down as arrogant.
His reserve, a quiet defense,
Riding out the days events.
The river.

• Arizona's big back is soft-spoken.
• Arizona State needs to get better pressure on the quarterback.
• California is not waving a white flag over its season.
• Anthony Gildon and Chad Peppars are the likely replacements for Oregon cornerback Willie Glasper, who's done for the year with a knee injury.
• Tim Clark is back starting at cornerback for Oregon State. Stanford's straight-ahead style might be a better match for the rebuilding Beavers defense.
• Every indication is Stanford should be ranked, other than the national polls. Stanford has an ace recruiter who knows her way around the White House and the world's other halls of power. Might running back -- and Heisman Trophy candidate -- Toby Gerhart return in 2010? Jim Harbaugh is taking center stage in the Bay Area.
• More on the return of UCLA QB Kevin Prince.
• USC quarterback Matt Barkley knows and likes Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen. This Trojan is lucky to be alive.
• Running back Chris Polk has been a revelation for Washington.
• Some thoughts from Washington State coach Paul Wulff, including his irritation with Oregon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon has lost its second starting cornerback to a season-ending knee injury.

Senior Willie Glasper, who replaced senior captain Walter Thurmond in the starting lineup, is done of the year after injuring his knee during Tuesday's practice.

Glasper was hurt in a non-contact drill midway through the workout. An MRI on his right knee revealed the injury was season ending, though Oregon didn't specify the nature of the injury.

Glasper, who stepped into the starting lineup when Thurmond went down on the opening kickoff against California, recorded 11 tackles in five games this season, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and broke up two passes. Seven of those tackles were accumulated in the past two games.

He completes his collegiate career posting 65 tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon's injury issues are getting worse, not better, as the Ducks prepare to visit UCLA.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli continues to rest the knee he hurt against Washington State and didn't practice again Tuesday, while starting cornerback Willie Glasper suffered an apparent knee injury during practice.

Glasper became a starter only because team captain Walter Thurmond suffered a season-ending knee injury in the win over California.

Sophomore Anthony Gildon is listed as Glasper's backup on the depth chart this week.

With Masoli still on the sidelines, backup Nate Costa ran the first-team offense. Costa's backup is sophomore Darron Thomas.

Also, neither safety T.J. Ward (ankle) nor right tackle C.E. Kaiser (shin), who is on crutches, practiced.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers, USC safety Taylor Mays and Trojans punt returner Damian Williams have been named Pac-10 players of the week.

In Oregon State’s 28-17 upset win at Arizona State, Rodgers accounted for 209 all-purpose yards with 10 receptions for 114 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown reception, plus 60 yards on three punt returns and 30 yards on kickoff returns. He leads the Pac-10 in both receptions per game (7.4) and receiving yards per game (93.2).

Mays and Williams played prominent roles in USC’s 30-3 win at then-No. 24-ranked California. Mays had a team-high 10 tackles -- six solo -- and had an end zone interception that thwarted a potential California scoring drive. USC did not allow a touchdown, gave up just 285 yards total offense and posted three quarterbacks sacks.

Williams returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown in addition to having eight receptions for 101 yards.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were running backs Toby Gerhart of Stanford and Joe McKnight of USC, tight end Ed Dickson of Oregon and wide receiver Chris McGaha of Arizona State. Also nominated on defense were linebacker Clinton Snyder of Stanford, cornerback Willie Glasper of Oregon and end Matt LaGrone of Oregon State. Also nominated for special teams play were punters Jackson Rice of Oregon and Jeff Locke of UCLA.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond will miss the rest of the season due to the knee injury he suffered on the opening kickoff last Saturday against California, the school announced Tuesday.

An MRI on Thurmond’s right knee revealed that surgery will be needed to repair the damage -- the press release didn't specify the type of damage -- forcing the Ducks co-captain to miss the Ducks’ final eight games of the regular season and any potential bowl game.

Senior Willie Glasper replaced Thurmond in the lineup against Cal and likely will start against Washington State on Saturday.

The preseason ESPN.com All-Pac-10 corner played key roles in wins over Purdue and Utah, returning an interception and punt return for touchdowns in those games. A four-year starter, he posted 17 tackles in three games in addition to being ranked second in the Pac-10 and 21st nationally in punt returns (15.0 avg.) and fifth in the league in kickoff returns (27.7 avg.).

Thurmond, who had been included on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, finishes his Oregon career scoring more touchdowns (5) than any other non-offensive player in school history, in addition to equaling a school record with three interception returns for scores, and tied for ninth on the school’s all-time interceptions list (12).

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It's likely Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond will be sidelined for at least a few weeks because of a knee injury he sustained on the opening kickoff against California, but Oregon isn't providing any specific information on the nature of his injury.

Senior Willie Glasper will step in for Thurmond against Washington State on Saturday.

The Ducks' secondary also might be missing safety T.J. Ward for another week. Ward sprained his ankle in the opener at Boise State and hasn't played since. Redshirt freshman John Boyett has started the past three games in Ward's spot.