In a matchup featuring two of the country’s top quarterbacks, the No. 13 Stanford football team heads to Seattle this week to take on Washington.

The Cardinal (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10) is coming off a somewhat weak showing against Washington State (1-7, 0-5), the doormat of the Pac-10. Though Stanford beat the Cougars at home last weekend, 38-28, the Card was fairly lackluster throughout the game and allowed two Cougar touchdowns late on big passes from WSU quarterback Jeff Tuel. Discipline also appeared to slip somewhat, as Stanford was penalized eight times for 80 yards.

Stanford’s passing attack, its biggest weapon in recent weeks, showed signs of weakness against a Washington State defense that ranks near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck, who has been gaining some Heisman hype, finished the day with 20-28 passing for just 190 yards. He did throw three touchdowns, but also tossed an interception to the Cougars.

However, the Cardinal appears to have officially found its top tailback in true sophomore Stepfan Taylor, who rushed 27 times for 142 yards and two scores. Indeed, the running game carried the Card against Washington State–Stanford went to the air 28 times, but called 47 runs throughout the afternoon.

While Stanford’s offense has distinguished itself as one of the conference’s best, sitting second in the conference with 42.6 points per game, the Huskies (3-4, 2-2 Pac-10) have been a disappointment thus far this season.

Washington was expected to finally become a factor in the Pac-10 race, but instead has been incredibly inconsistent. Since opening the season with a loss to Brigham Young, the Huskies have alternated wins and losses. Washington’s two conference wins also came by a combined two points–it beat USC in Los Angeles on a last-second field goal four weeks ago, and felled Oregon State at home two weeks ago in double overtime as the Beavers failed to score on their final two-point conversion. Both teams were ranked when they played Washington.

However, the Huskies have also lost by decisive margins to conference foes, both at home and on the road. Washington lost to Arizona State, 24-14, before getting blown out at Arizona last week, 44-14. That might not be good news for the Card, though–if Washington keeps up its recent pattern of play, it’s due for a win this weekend in the friendly confines of Husky Stadium.

By far the most puzzling part of Washington’s struggles this year has been the subpar performance from its much-vaunted offense. Led by NFL prospect Jake Locker (who was projected as the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft before deciding to return for his senior season), head coach Steve Sarkisian’s attack was supposed to overpower opponents and lead Washington back to national relevance. Instead, the Huskies rank near the bottom of the Pac-10–they are eighth in scoring offense (24.9 points per game), eighth in pass efficiency and seventh in passing offense.

Locker in particular has had an up-and-down season. Though he has shown flashes of brilliance, he has failed to live up to the hype that surrounded him entering the season (highlighted by a somewhat premature “Locker for Heisman” campaign in the preseason). Among Pac-10 quarterbacks, Locker is sixth in passing yards per game and eighth in pass efficiency.

All of these signs point to a somewhat lopsided matchup this weekend. However, Locker and his offense could have a big day against a Stanford defense that has looked shaky in recent weeks.

In the Cardinal’s last two games, its passing defense has been abysmal. USC’s Matt Barkley shredded the Stanford secondary for 390 yards on 28-45 passing and three touchdowns in the Trojans’ Oct. 9 visit to the Farm. The unit didn’t exactly impress against Tuel and Washington State, either, as the quarterback gashed Stanford with 21-28 passing for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Overall, the Cardinal has given up a combined 115 points in its last three games.

Beyond the stat sheet, the Stanford defense simply hasn’t looked like a unit capable of making big stops in recent weeks. It was unable to make critical plays late in the game against the Trojans, and looked complacent at times against the Cougars, especially in giving up a huge 74-yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining.

The secondary could get a much-needed boost if junior safety Delano Howell, a linchpin of the unit, returns this week from an undisclosed injury. Howell sat out the game against Washington State, but Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has given no indication on whether Howell will be available.

Though Stanford’s defense hasn’t been very strong, Washington’s defense has also struggled in conference play. The Huskies are ninth in the Pac-10 in scoring defense, and have given up at least 31 points to three out of their four conference opponents to date.

While the pass defense is respectable, giving up 221.3 yards per game, Taylor could have another big day against a Washington front seven that ranks among the worst in the Pac-10. The Huskies rank ninth in the conference in rushing defense, giving up 202.7 yards per game. In its last game against Arizona, Wildcat running back Keola Antolin took 14 carries for 114 yards (an average of 8.1 yards per carry). The Arizona offense simply ran over the Huskies, notching 234 yards on 43 carries overall.

Looking at the bigger picture for both teams, a win for Washington would go a long way toward securing bowl eligibility. The Huskies need three more wins to earn a bowl berth, and while they have five games left to play, one of them is against No. 2 Oregon in Eugene. If Washington falls to both the Cardinal and the Ducks, it will need to win out in order to take a postseason trip.

Stanford, meanwhile, has already secured bowl eligibility, but still has its sights set on a possible Rose Bowl berth in Pasadena. To stay near the top of the conference, it will need to bounce the Huskies, as the Cardinal still has tough games against No. 15 Arizona, California and Oregon State remaining.

Stanford will take on Washington on Saturday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.