This Personnel Switch Well Received : Huskies: Bjornson goes from passing to catching, giving Huard a target who can sense trouble.

After alternating between quarterback and wide receiver during his first three seasons at Washington, Eric Bjornson went to Husky Coach Don Lambright last spring and asked to be moved to wide receiver this season.

Bjornson, who started the final three games at quarterback last season after starter Damon Huard suffered a shoulder injury, thought he could be more effective at wide receiver and that settling on one quarterback would stabilize the team.

But Bjornson didn’t think Lambright would agree to the switch.

“I went in with the intention of convincing him to play (me at) wide receiver, and I was surprised when he had wanted that all along,” Bjornson said. “I was pretty tentative about bringing it up. I thought he’d be totally against it. We sat there jabbering for 15 minutes about my role and I came to the conclusion that he wanted me to play receiver, but I think he was a little tentative about bringing it up because he thought it would insult me as far as my abilities as a quarterback.”

“So I finally said, ‘Coach, let me get this straight. You want me to play receiver?’ And he said it was a great idea. I was just blown away.”

The move has paid off for the 12th-ranked Huskies. Huard and Bjornson have flourished in helping Washington win three consecutive games after a season-opening loss to USC.

Huard completed 10 of 21 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns as Washington beat UCLA, 37-10, Saturday. Bjornson caught five passes for a career-high 89 yards, including a 32-yard reception on the opening drive of the second half that kept Washington’s touchdown drive alive.

“Being an ex-quarterback, he kind of knows what I’m seeing back there,” Huard said. “He’s a real smart guy. He’s seen every movie and read every book. He’s brilliant. He really out-thinks people. He could be calling our plays. It’s nice to have two quarterbacks on the field at the same time.”

Bjornson said being a former quarterback makes him a better wide receiver because he is able to anticipate how Huard will react to defensive coverages.

“Damon and I have always had good timing,” Bjornson said. “Sometimes I can relate to the thought process that Damon is going through on a play. There are times when I cut a (pass) route a little bit shorter because I know he has to get rid of the ball. I still have that little clock running in my head as to when he has to get rid of the ball.”

Does Bjornson miss playing quarterback?

“Not really,” he said. “We’re winning games and I’m playing. Why would I miss it? I enjoy it.”

With UCLA intent on trying to shut down tailback Napoleon Kaufman, who ran for a career-high 227 yards and one touchdown, the Huskies might have caught the Bruins off guard by going to the air at the start of the game as Huard completed seven of 14 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. Washington took a 10-3 first-half lead.

“It’s amazing what having Napoleon in the backfield does for our passing game,” Huard said. “They were taking Napoleon away a little bit in the first half. Our receivers are a big part of our team and they have to be if they’re going to beat quality teams like UCLA because the pass sets up the run and the run sets up the pass. It was nice to get some big plays with the receivers today.”

Although Kaufman is Washington’s best player, Bjornson might be the Huskies’ best leader. “You can see his talent, but his number one talent is his leadership,” Lambright said of Bjornson. “He gives us stability outside and that leadership has certainly helped us through this three-game period.”