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The Air Zona offense seems to be clicking, and the Pac-10 Conference has taken notice.

On Monday, quarterback Willie Tuitama and wide receiver/kick returner Mike Thomas were named the conference's offensive player of the week and special teams player of the week, respectively.

The awards are the first for both players.

Tuitama threw for a school-record 510 yards on 38 of 51 passing and five touchdowns in Arizona's 48-41 road victory over the Huskies on Saturday. The junior quarterback led the Wildcats on three scoring drives in the game's final 12 minutes to pull off the victory.

"I wasn't thinking about it," Tuitama said of the record. "I was just thinking about getting a 'W' and that's what happened."

Thomas would have likely taken Monday's offensive player award if not for Tuitama's record-setting performance. The Cats' junior wide receiver caught 10 passes for 165 yards and scored three touchdowns in arguably the best performance of his career.

The Pac-10 instead credited Thomas for his special teams play. Thomas returned six kickoffs for 173 yards on Saturday; his longest return, a 45-yarder, helped the Wildcats cut Washington's lead from 15 points to eight early in the fourth quarter.

"The kickoff return was huge, probably as big a play as there was in the game," UA coach Mike Stoops said. "I thought that would give us some life, to get some points on the board quickly."

Arizona snapped a three-game Pac-10 losing streak with Saturday's win. The Wildcats will host UCLA this weekend for homecoming.

The rest of the Pac-10 now knows what Arizona's coaches have been insisting all on year: Spencer Larsen is a star.

The senior linebacker posted a team-high 12 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles in Arizona's win over Washington. In his last three games, Larsen has 43 tackles and an interception. He leads all Pac-10 players with 10.2 tackles a game.

"I tell everyone you want him on your team," Stoops said. "Character and credibility matters at our level … it matters in the NFL, too."

That's where Stoops — and many scouts — believe Larsen is headed after his senior season is over. The Scouts, Inc., scouting service lists Larsen as the 17th-best outside linebacker prospect available in the 2008 draft. NFLDraftCountDown.com has Larsen 23rd.

Stoops said Larsen's intangibles — he is on pace to graduate in the spring with a degree in urban planning — could make him a standout at the next level.

Larsen said it's hard to ignore the lure of the NFL.

"How I prepare here and how I play here determines (my future) and the looks that I get," Larsen said. "Your senior year, you want to have the best year possible."

● Strong safety Cam Nelson was cleared to practice Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion against Oregon State in Week 6. Stoops said Nelson has been kept out as a precaution. Nelson did not lose consciousness when he suffered the concussion, Stoops said.

"Shoot, he played the best series he's ever played here, and then they took him out," Stoops said with a chuckle. "That's kind of our luck."

● The Wildcats regulars watched film on Monday but did not practice in an attempt to stay fresh heading into this weekend's game. Arizona is preparing for its 10th game in as many weeks without a break. The UA will have its first bye next week.

"It's crucial because we haven't had a bye week yet," defensive tackle Lionel Dotson said. "We need this for our legs so we can be strong on Saturday."

● Players recalled Monday that Stoops took a relaxed stance before Saturday's win, telling the Wildcats that one bad play — or botched assignment — wasn't going to cost them a game. The Wildcats took it to heart; Thomas dropped a sure-fire touchdown in the first quarter only to catch one on the next play.

"I finally said something that was right," Stoops said. "Offensively, you have to play free and loose and not put too much pressure on yourself. That's always easier said than done."