Throughout the last few days, since the "suddenly senior'' news of last week, I hadn't heard any of the current players say it had much of an impact on what happened Saturday against Stanford.

The only player I'd heard say it might have was Chris Hemphill, who is one the four guys apparently being dismissed.

But guard Stanley Daniels said Tuesday that he thinks the news of the week definitely played a role in Saturday's game in what were the most definitive statements on that subject I've heard on the topic.

"Of course, it had some effect on the team because these are guys on our team that we live with every day and work with and sweat and bleed with and when you hear something like that it kind of discourages you a little bit,'' Daniels said. "It's a it's a mental thing. You have to take it for what it is. But I think it definitely effected us a little bit when we heard it.''

Asked about the policy, Daniels said it was a change from what the players who were brought in before Tyrone Willingham had come to expect.

"It was a new thing for us when coach Willingham came that he was handling our fifth year like that,'' he said. "We came in with guaranteed five years. You come to UW, you get five years guaranteed, you get your degree and play some great football --- that's what was told to me when I was a young high school kid. So when coach Willingham came he had different policies. But we respect that. It's his team, his players. It's unfortunate he chose some of the guys he chose to enforce that policy on.''

Also, UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said QB Johnny DuRocher will not practice today as he has not yet been cleared after suffering a concussion against Stanford.

Carl Bonnell, however, will be able to play as Lappano said his injured thigh is improving quickly. Felix Sweetman is the backup and Sonny Shackelford would be the emergency QB. Lappano said Shackelford, a high school quarterback for a while, will get some snaps in practice this week.

A couple of you asked about the hit on DuRocher, Lappano said "it was legal and all that, but it was physical.'' DuRocher was hit by a blindside block on the play when Stanford intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. He didn't play after that.