Washington 54, Arizona 0.

That was the final score in 1991, the last time a Wildcat football team visited Husky Stadium.

Arizona 16, Washington 3 - the score the following year, when the Wildcat defense shut down the No. 1-ranked Huskies at Arizona Stadium.

With a number of changes this season, UA head coach Dick Tomey said the Wildcats are trying to put together the whole package as Pacific 10 Conference play begins.

"This is the first conference game of the season, which means it is obviously a big game for us," Tomey said. "It will give us a chance to see how we react in tough road conditions. It's really a good test to see how far we have come."

Arizona (2-1 overall, 0-0 in the Pac-10) will take on the 24th-ranked Huskies (1-1, 0-1) to open the Pac-10 season tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on ABC and broadcasted on KNST (AM 790).

Both teams are coming in with various degrees of success so far this season. Arizona beat an Illinois team 41-0 in its last outing after a 21-20 loss to No. 21 Iowa. Washington bounced back from a 45-42 loss to Arizona State to defeat a tough Brigham Young team, 29-17.

For the Huskies, the game is especially important because with a conference loss already on the record, they may already be a step behind.

"The first one was a tough loss for us," Washington head coach Jim Lambright said. "But it was a game we learned a lot from. We can use that to get better."

The Huskies rebounded with their dominating performance against BYU, which propelled them into the top 25. They combined the running of tailback Rashaan Shehee (21 carries, 131 yards, 2 touchdowns) with an intense pass rush (eight sacks) to control the clock and shut down one of college football's most prolific passing offenses.

Shehee, who has gained 179 in his two games so far this year, may be laying the ground work for this season's Huskies, but it is the quarterbacks that have caught everyone else's attention.

Washington, like the Wildcats, has been involved in a quarterback controversy throughout the early season. Junior quarterback Shane Fortney has been labeled the starter, but redshirt freshman Brock Huard has received a great deal of attention after almost leading Washington back to a win against ASU.

"Whoever we go with should not be a problem," Lambright said. "We have confidence in both our guys."

Washington's array of receivers includes junior Jerome Pathon and Dave Janoski, along with tight end Cameron Cleeland. But it's the Husky defense that's making the biggest impact.

Washington sacked BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian eight times last Saturday.

But if the pass defense is a weakness, the Wildcats are not the team to take advantage of it. Arizona managed only 31 yards passing against Illinois with redshirt freshman Keith Smith at the helm. The Wildcats, did, however, run for 372 yards.

Smith and tailback Gary Taylor each ran for 143 yards, a feat that may be harder to repeat tomorrow.

"It is going to be tough, but it always is," Taylor said. "I have to be mentally prepared to take on the responsibility. I have to push myself and never be satisfied with my performance."

"Those kinds of runs will be more difficult because people will prepare for us now," Tomey said.

Smith is Arizona's quarterback for the moment, but junior Brady Batten still seems to have a more competent feel for the entire offense and may be looked to if the team should stall.

But whichever quarterback plays, he will be seeking improved contributions from wide receivers Richard Dice, Rodney Williams and Ron Holmes. Dice has been hampered by a knee injury, but still leads the team with seven receptions in limited playing time.

While the UA's secondary has been interception-happy this year, the defense has failed to prove it can stop an opponent from chewing up yardage. The Wildcats are allowing 262.2 yards of offense per game, a far cry from the defense that took the field against Washington in 1992.

"It (the 1991 game) was a long day, but I'd rather talk about the '92 game. It was a long day for them," Tomey said. "I don't want to dwell on that. None of these guys were there."

As for how tough playing on the road will be this season, Tomey is straightforward in his approach.

"I don't think it's different (on the road)," Tomey said. "You just go up there with a good team and don't make mistakes and you can win. If you don't, you get your ass kicked. That's the way it is."

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