SEATTLE -- Carson Palmer of Southern California is ready to step to the head of the class in the Pacific 10 Conference, which has produced such NFL quarterbacks as John Elway, Jim Plunkett, Warren Moon, Mark Brunell, Dan Fouts, Troy Aikman, Jake Plummer and Drew Bledsoe.

To name a few.

Palmer is about to make Pac-10 history on Saturday. He needs 76 yards to move past Stanford's Steve Stenstrom (1991-94), with 10,911, as the conference's all-time passing leader.

He's likely to do it in the first half against UCLA. Palmer goes into this week's game with 10,836 yards passing.

The NCAA career record is 15,031 passing yards set by Ty Detmer of BYU in 1988-91.

Carson has been a key player for the No. 7 Trojans, who have won five in a row after a 3-2 start.

"We've had a tremendous schedule and there hasn't been a week where Carson hasn't risen to the occasion for us,'' coach Pete Carroll said. "He's rock-solid in his resolve.''

It's also been a record-setting year for Washington's Cody Pickett, who last weekend set the Pac-10's single-season passing record with 3,818 yards. The previous mark, 3,637 yards, was set by Washington State's Ryan Leaf in 1997.

The NCAA single-season record is 5,188 yards by Detmer in 1990.

"I would trade all my yards for five wins,'' said Pickett, a junior. "If I could trade 1,000 yards for a win, that would be great.''

Pickett indicated this week that he plans to return for his final season. He'll lead the Huskies, who have a 6-5 record, in the Apple Cup on Saturday at No. 3 Washington State (9-1).

He's set seven Huskies' passing records this season, including career yards (6,243), career completions (475) and touchdowns in a season (25).

Since Washington lost 34-24 to UCLA on Nov. 2 -- a game in which he passed for 429 yards in 60 attempts but also had four passes intercepted -- Pickett is 48-for-90 for 578 yards and five touchdowns, with two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Washington State's Jason Gesser is climbing up the Pac-10's list of career touchdown pass leaders. His 66 TDs tie him with Cade McNown of UCLA (1995-99) at third place. Elway ranks first with 77 TD passes from 1979-82, followed by Stenstrom with 75.

Not far behind are Palmer with 63 and California's Kyle Boller with 62.

Gesser, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior from Honolulu, broke the WSU tradition set by 6-foot-5 pocket passers Bledsoe and Leaf. He said he was confident he could be a perfect fit for coach Mike Price's offense, though a lot of other people didn't think so.

"I was looking for an offense I thought I could thrive in,'' Gesser said. "Coming out of high school, everybody said, 'You're too short.' I was like, 'Whatever, I'm going to go somewhere else and prove myself.'''

Gesser has proved himself and then some. He's now being listed as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

The Cougars think they have a chance to go to the Fiesta Bowl and play for the national title if they can beat the Huskies and UCLA in Pasadena on Dec. 7.

"I'm just doing what I can trying to win games,'' Gesser said. "I'm not thinking about that (the Heisman) right now. If we win our next two games, maybe I will be a finalist. It would be a dream come true. But I'm not up for the Heisman. Washington State is up for a Heisman.''

A lot of those touchdowns have come this season. Gesser has 24 so far, as many as Palmer, and they're tied for 11th on the single-season Pac-10 list. Pickett, with 25 TDs this fall, ranks No. 10.

Boller and Arizona State's Andrew Walter have thrown 26 TDs this season to share the No. 9 ranking with Rob Johnson of USC (1993). The single-season record is Leaf's 33 TDs in 1997.

The single-season NCAA record for touchdown passes is 54, set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990.

Palmer also ranks second on the Pac-10 career total offense list at 10,619 yards. The league's career total offense leader is Cade McNown (11,285), who played at UCLA from 1995-99.

Of course, those quarterbacks must have someone to catch their passes, and that's jeopardizing some of the Pac-10's receiving records.

Bobby Wade of Arizona has 87 catches this season, ranking fourth on the Pac-10's single-season list. Dameane Douglas of California set the record with 100 receptions in 1998.

Wade also ranks third in career receptions with 287. Stanford's Troy Walters is the league's leader with 248 catches from 1996-99.

The NCAA records for single-season touchdown receptions (27, 1998) and career touchdown receptions (50, 1996-98) are held by Troy Edwards of Louisiana Tech.