By John Sleeper
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – Picture this.
Should Taylor Barton be unable to fulfill his duties as the Washington Huskies quarterback Saturday against UCLA – and face it, he’s just one head shot away from that scenario – the duty falls to one Casey Paus …
… whose brother is Cory Paus, the Bruins’ senior starting quarterback.
“We have a real close relationship and we pretty much talk every week,” said Casey Paus, a freshman who went to his first college class just last week. “We let each other know how we’re doing. I don’t think much will change. Maybe a little less football talk.”
In a perfect world, Washington coach Rick Neuheisel said, Casey Paus would stay on the sidelines. The Huskies hope that Paus could stay out of the game, keep his redshirt year and have four more seasons of eligibility at Washington.
But strange things happen, which is the reason Barton is playing in the first place. Were it not for Cody Pickett’s separated shoulder, Barton himself wouldn’t be separated from the bench.
Still, given UCLA’s fearsome, attacking defense, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Nancy and Rick Paus might see their sons compete against each other.
“Right now, I don’t think I’ve really come to grips with the idea that I’ll be on the field with a purple uniform yet,” Casey Paus said. “Come Saturday, it’s probably going to be a fun time. It’s going to be interesting.”
Casey Paus never seriously considered following his brother to UCLA. Although he was the only quarterback in Washington’s 2001 recruiting class, Casey Paus says that it was he who recruited Washington, not necessarily the other way around.
“I’d been referred to as Cory’s little brother for quite some time,” he said. “I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to follow that again.”
If he isn’t referred to as “Cory’s little bro” at Washington, he may well be at UCLA. He has spent much of the last three summers at Cory’s apartment in Santa Monica, Calif., hanging out with his brother and several Bruins, including some who, should the opportunity arise, will try to take his head off.
“I’ve become pretty close with most of them,” Casey Paus said. “I know most of them pretty well. It should be fun to see them.”
Just so he doesn’t see them too awfully close.
Short routes: Saturday will mark the second time in three years and third time in the last five that UCLA will have faced Washington the week after a bye. UCLA won 52-28 in 1997, 23-20 in 1999 … The size of the crowd in the Rose Bowl Saturday may be influenced by a promotion the Bruins are putting on. Each firefighter or police officer from the Los Angeles area with identification will receive two free tickets at the gate.
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