Huskies' Master Of Nasty -- The Meaner, The Dirtier, The Nastier The Action Gets In The Football Trenches, The More Frank Garcia Likes It. The 290-Pound Husky Center Is A One-Man Dirty-Tricks Gang.

Frank Garcia is being accused of the most dastardly deeds, of having little regard for basic life functions, of committing thoughtless acts against human anatomy. He is being called the meanest, dirtiest player on the team. By his own friend and teammate.

"He'll do anything," said Donovan Schmidt, Washington's starting defensive end. "He'll bite you. He'll grab your fingers and twist them around."

To which Garcia responds, "Nah, I'm a nice guy."

He says no more, putting his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. It suddenly buckles, startling its 290-pound occupant. Realizing he broke the back of his chair, Garcia smiles, looking embarrassed and mischievous. You get the feeling he has done the same thing to a defensive lineman or two.

"Frank is not usually this quiet," Schmidt counters. "Tell him about the time you sat on that guy, Frank. Tell him about the time you tried to strangle somebody."

Just how much is exaggeration and how much is truth becomes blurry as Schmidt and Garcia, the team's center and co-captain, exchange smirks. Regardless, his teammates concur on this: Garcia is not a man you want to tick off.

"He's a pretty nasty guy," tackle Eric Battle said. "Let's just say I'd want to have him on my team when we're in the trenches. He plays with this nasty chip on his shoulder. The end result is always guys falling left and right. I look back and there's old Frank."

Perhaps it is the nature of the position. Like the Husky centers before him - Jim Nevelle, Ed Cunningham, Bern Brostek - Garcia is not just smart, but fearless and a bit maniacal. Qualities that serve you well when you must hike the ball while a hulking nose tackle is ready to pounce on your lungs.

Bringing it on this week will be the 18th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, who visit Husky Stadium tomorrow to play No. 25 Washington. The Buckeyes start two sophomores and a freshman on their defensive line.

Just the type that could make good seat cushions for Garcia.

"Just this last week," Battle said, "I saw Frank slam this guy down. He dove on top of him. And when he (the other guy) tried to get up, Frank pushed him down with one hand, slid on top of him and just sat on him."

Not exactly an NCAA-approved method of blocking.

"Anything extra you can do helps," Garcia said. "Like getting up with all your weight on them."

Garcia confessed to a few other digressions: the requisite amount of trash talking, an elbow in the back of an opponent's neck, a knee in the back, a forearm to the chinstrap.

Normal stuff. For Garcia.

"It's pretty much a Frank Garcia thing," backup guard Jeff Aselin said. "He's the most fierce guy on the team. He's pretty much the head honcho when it comes to mauling guys. It works as long as no one throws a flag. If you can stick someone in the gut or say something about his mom. . . ."

Teammates speak of Garcia's aura, one that a center, as leader of the line, has to have.

"It's how he takes care of business," Aselin said. "It all starts with him. The position says it all. He's the center of attention."

If he beats you, he's not shy about drawing attention to that fact.

"If he beats somebody, he'll do something funny," Schmidt said. "He likes to show and tell."

Schmidt, Garcia's former roommate, also testified to the center's easy-going side. But don't underestimate the extent of his treachery, Schmidt warned.

At an early age, Garcia taught himself a "party trick." To put it tastefully, he is able to voluntarily evacuate the contents of his stomach. In short, he can barf on command. As the name implies, the trick comes in handy at parties, or when Garcia wants to terrorize an upstart underclassman.

But that's another story.

Notes

Defensive tackle David Richie will be unable to practice for another week because of an infection in his knee. He will receive outpatient treatment at a hospital, including antibiotics. Coach Jim Lambright expects him to return in time for the Miami game, thanks to the bye.

-- Napoleon Kaufman will return kicks and punts against Ohio State. His stamina has improved, Lambright said. "He has been out there for all the plays . . . It's all coming back.".

-- With the absence of Richie and end Donovan Schmidt (ankle), the Huskies are down to three backup linemen for four positions: Jason Chorak, Darius Jones and Sekou Wiggs, who should get his first game experience against Ohio State.

-- The Huskies took today off. The Buckeyes were scheduled for a short practice at Husky Stadium.