Cornerback Mesphin Forrester did not practice this afternoon. He walked with a slight limp and appeared to wear a knee brace beneath gray sweatpants. He wore a jersey, but did not dress in shoulder pads and a helmet, which usually indicates he won't be available Saturday.

Coach Tyrone Willingham did not mention Forrester's injury during Thursday's news conference when asked about an injury update.

If Forrester, a 6-foot-2, 202-pound senior, is unable to play, then that's a big blow for the winless Huskies, who face No. 7 USC. The two-year starter started every game this season and had been the UW's most dependable defensive back.

Sophomore cornerback Matt Mosley took the reps at left cornerback and will likely start if Forrester isn't ready. Mosley played well in last week's loss against Notre Dame and appeared to be pushing starting cornerback Quinton Richardson for minutes.

In other news, Willingham said injured quarterback Jake Locker will not travel to Los Angeles for the USC game. Locker was on the 64-man travel list to Arizona four weeks ago because the coach felt Locker could help redshirt freshman Ronnie Fouch in his first start.

Willingham said he'll give the spot on the roster to someone who could help the team in a pinch. The Huskies are thin in so many positions, particularly the defensive backfield.

Tripper Johnson will likely start at safety in place of injured Victor Aiyewa while true freshman Johri Fogerson returns to playing shape after missing the past three games.

Willingham said he's received support and phone calls from friends in the coaching fraternity across the country.

"They just are very much behind the man. They understand the circumstances, as we all do. I do. They are very much behind the quality of the man and the things I bring to our position."

Finally, Willingham admitted that it's been very difficult to prepare this week.

"You're talking about being able to focus 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds, which is always difficult," he said. "That's difficult in itself. And then they have to deal with the circumstances that were presented in front of them. There are a lot of things they think about. There are a lot of things they wonder about. There are answers that they don't have that nobody can really provide them at this time. So that's always difficult trying to corral all of that so they can work as a football team."

Willingham said Tuesday's practice was subdued and Wednesday's workout was upbeat.

Thursday was a mix of both during the first 25 minutes, which is viewed by the media. The mood was noticeably somber at the start before LB Donald Butler tried to lighten the moment with a silly, spontaneous bout of jumping jacks during stretching. Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano's voice rose above everyone else's quite often. There wasn't much excitement on the defensive end, however.