I have a story in the Tuesday paper comparing the current Huskies with the 2004 team -- the one that cost Keith Gilberson his job and resulted in the hiring of coach Tyrone Willingham.

In preparation, I looked back at Willingham's opening statement from his opening press conference when hired in December of 2004, just to get an idea on what priorities he had for area's of improvement.

Here's how Willingham began that day:

"For me to stand before you as the head coach of the University of Washington, is a special opportunity and a special honor. I have watched this program for many a year, and the things that President Emmert, Todd (Turner) have said, are the things that have rung true in my mind, my vision of what this football program is all about. It is tradition-laden, when you think about that tradition you think of a great deal of success, you think about great players, you think of Rose Bowls. I couldn't be prouder at this moment to be head coach. What I would hope to do in my time here is to go back to all those great things and great accomplishments that this program has achieved. That will be my focus to get back to the toughness. I remember walking in to this stadium on numerous occasions, and walking out saddened, because not only had we been defeated, we had also been beaten."

So, Willingham's first stated priority for the Huskies was toughness.

I asked him Monday how he thinks he's come along on that goal.

“That one’s always a very difficult quality to measure,” he said. “I would probably say we still haven’t reached the level that I would like us to. Are we better in some areas than others? I would probably say yes. I think we have improved some of our mental toughness. Physically, yes, we have some guys that I think across the board are physically tougher.”

I followed up asking in what ways the current team is clearly better than the one he inherited.

“I would say our approach to the game is definitely one of those things that you talk about,” he said. “The mentality it takes to develop and be a good football team – absolutely. I think we’ve improved a lot of our athleticism across the board on this football team.”

We got a little while with Oregon State coach Mike Riley today. Here are his thoughts on coming to Husky Stadium on Saturday as a two-touchdown favorite.

"We’ve talked a lot with our team about not worrying about the point spreads," he said. "We’ve been on both extremes as underdogs and as favorites, and so we try to say that that doesn’t matter to us. We know it’s going to be hard, every game in the conference is. We always try to preach that the game is about our preparation and getting ready to win, so that’s the focus and all that other stuff is really for people that aren’t playing in the game."

An early look at the Beavers:

OREGON STATE (3-3 OVERALL, 2-1 PAC-10)
4 p.m. Saturday, Versus, at Husky Stadium

Coach: Mike Riley, 50-41 in eighth season at OSU.

Against the Huskies: Washington leads 57-31-4 overall and 32-18-2 in Seattle. However, the Beavers have won four straight, their longest domination of the series. OSU won last season, 29-23, in Corvallis; and took the last meeting in Seattle, 27-17, in 2006.

Last week: Oregon State mauled Washington State, 66-13, in Corvallis. The Beavers ran up 548 yards of total offense including a season-high 323 rushing yards. The attack was led by Jacquizz Rodgers’ 168 rushing yards and Sammie Stroughter’s 116 receiving yards. Quarterback Lyle Moevao threw four interceptions, but even at that the Beavers won so dominatingly that there were postgame complaints from WSU that they had run up the score.

Washington connections: Eight players from Washington high schools appear on the OSU roster: freshman P Johnny Hekker (Bothell), freshman WR Geno Munoz (Tacoma/Mount Tahoma), freshman DB Brian Watkins and WR Anthony Watkins (both Burien/Highline), freshman PK Matt Barker (Sprague/Gonzaga Prep), sophomore OL Alex Linnenkohl (Olympia/Capital) freshman OK Colin Kelly (Kelso) and freshman TW Joe Halahuni (Orting). OSU running backs coach Reggie Davis is a former UW Huskies tight ends coach and letterman.

Scouting report: There is no love lost between the teams, especially after a rough game last season in which Jake Locker was taken from the field by ambulance after suffering a concussion. Rodgers, a true freshman, leads the Pac-10 win an average of 119.7 rushing yards per game. Moevao leads the Pac-10 in total offense (252.8 yards) and passing average (264.7 yards). Stroughter had six catches against WSU and became the fifth Beaver to top 2,000 career receiving yards. OSU defensive end Norris Slade had two sacks in each of the last two games and ranks fourth in the Pac-10 overall. The Beavers lead the Pac-10 in time of possession (32:53) and fourth-down conversions (5-of-9; 55.6 percent). Johnny Hekker is the lowest-ranked punter in the conference. OSU is 3-0 at home, 0-3 on the road.

Coach Willingham was asked directly today if recruiting would be easier if he had a vote of confidence from athletic director Scott Woodward.

And his answer was equally direct: "Absolutely."

However, it was somewhat more roundabout when asked how his assistant coaches were received while recruiting during the bye week:

I try to draw an analogy," he said. "It reminded me of a negative circumstance when you hae fires or disasters in another area: Everyone knows there's a fire. When you’re right there, you feel the heat of it, have the smoke, you have all those things that you deal with. When you’re far away, all you know is that there’s a fire. That’s very much what our recruiting was in the places we go to: They know there’s some conditions, but they don’t know all the stuff you deal with on a daily basis. … So, we still have a great opportunity to go in there, and if we turn things around, present a very positive outcome to the young men we’re recruiting, and they can see themselves coming in and helping our program and making it better.”

UW has received five oral commitments for its freshman class of 2009, but hasn’t added a recruit since Sept. 7.

Tailback Brandon Yakaboski and offensive lineman Casey Bulyca have been lost for the season due to injury, coach Tyrone Willingham announced today.

Both will have knee surgery in the coming weeks.

Bulyca had started every game this season at right guard. Willingham said he will likely be replaced by Ryan Tolar, perhaps with center Matt Sedillo in reserve.

Meanwhile, safety Darin Harris (concussion) remains out. TB David Freeman remains iffy with what is now thought to be a high-ankle sprain. And the lone good news may involve receiver D'Andre Goodwin, who is "close" to returning ... perhaps Saturday.

Coming off of the bye week, several decisions remain to be made regarding the UW starting lineup.

Either Willie Griffin or Brandon Johnson will start at tailback, either Alvin Logan or Jermaine Kearse at receiver (D'Andre Goodwin apparently is heathy enough to go on the other side ... at least accoding to the depth chart just released), either Josh Gage or Matt Houston at linebacker and either Tripper Johnson, Johri Fogerson or Victor Aiyewa.

Of the two true freshmen who took off their redshirts in Game 5 at Arizona, Terrance Dailey is listed as the No. 3 tailback, and Cody Bruns doesn't appear among the receivers.

Oregon State opens the week as two touchdown favorites for the game at Husky Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Here's an Oregonian quote from OSU coach Mike Riley on being a big favorite over a team from the state of Washington for the second straight week:

"I'm preaching the same message (this week),'' Riley said. "Respect who you are playing, practice like crazy, and try to get better. ... it's one game at a time for us, and that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if we're favored, or if we're the underdog in the rest of our games.''