We heard from UCLA coach Rick Neuhiesel today by conference call. He said several interesting things, and John McGrath will write about some of it for our Tuesday paper, and I'll write about some more of it leading up to the game at UW a 7:15 p.m. Saturday.

However, there were two particular things I wanted to share now.

One, Neuheisel gave a straight-out apology to UW fans:

"I just want the fans to know that I am truly sorry for the messiness of how things shook out. Husky football is a great entity and a great program and I believe that good things are in store, and I believe that is also the case for UCLA football."

He, when asked, he made a nice push for UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker as a head coach:

"I think he would be a wonderful candidate that I encourage anybody and everybody to certainly explore, because DeWayne is not only a gifted tactician with respect to defensive football, but also a good leader. The kids rally to him and I think he's a guy that people would be making a mistake if they didn't go that extra step and find out what he's all about and realize what a good man he is."

As I mentioned, more later.

But now, a scouting report on the Bruins:

UCLA (3-6 OVERALL, 2-4 PAC-10)
7:15 p.m. Saturday, FSN, at Husky Stadium.
Scouting report: UCLA is looking for its first road win. The Bruins rank 108th nationally in total offense. Kahlil Bell leads a rushing offense than ranks 116th out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Craft ranks fifth in the Pac-10 in passing yardage and ninth in pass efficiency. The Bruins rank 67th nationally in total defense and 95th in scoring defense. Reggie Carter is their leading tackler, averaging 7.4 per game. Alterraun Verner is fifth in the league in passes defended. Over the last five games, opponents have converted only 28.1 percent on third-down tries. UCLA shines on special teams. Austin Terrence leads the league in all-purpose yards and kick returns. Aaron Perez is the top-rated punter. Kai Forbath is second in field goals.

I remember the first long sit-down one-on-one interview I had with coach Tyrone Willingham as he was about to begin his first season as UW coach.

I told him how meaningful the walk down the Husky Stadium tunnel has been for so many Huskies, and I asked him if he expected to feel any emotion his first walk down as head coach.

He said that the walk down the tunnel isn't what is important; the important thing is the competition that awaits on the field at the end of the tunnel.

Over these past four seasons, that answer has come to seem very much in keeping with the man Willingham is.

Today, I had to turn the question around, noting that he would take his final pregame walk down that tunnel on Saturday, and wondering if he expects to feel any emotions this time

“I’ll be drawing closer to an end here,” he said. “Ends that don’t finish the way you’d like them to are kind of difficult.”

I plan more Senior Day coverage as the week progresses. But my Tuesday story will look at Willingham's final walk, and also the final walk of kicker Ryan Perkins, who has decided to skip his final season due to the worsening condition of the knee injury he suffered in the 2006 spring game.

Coach Tyrone Willingham said today that QB Jake Locker will have surgery this week or next to remove the plates that were inserted into his injured thumb.

Willingham said it remains undetermined if Locker will return this season. However, that seems mightly unlikely given the timeline, how little there seems to gain and how much might be lost.

In one other health update, Willingham said X-rays were negative on the arm/elbow injury CB Vonzell McDowell Jr. suffered late in the ASU game. His return date is not yet known.

UW coached picked as players of the week for their efforts in the Arizona State game: freshman receiver Cody Bruns (offense), sophomore linebacker Mason Foster (defense) and senior Chris Stevens and kicker Ryan Perkins(special teams).

Also honored for their work on service teams were offensive lineman Terence Thomas, linebacker Cort Dennison and cornerback Adam Long.