| Ducks and Dawgs: Could Be a Slugfest In a Squall |
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| Written by Ken Woody | |||||||||
| Thursday, 18 October 2007 | |||||||||
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My greatest concern going into the 100th Oregon-Washington football game in Seattle is the fact that no one on the current Duck team has ever played a game in Husky Stadium. Just as Oregon players come to best understand the extent of the rivalry with Oregon State by experiencing a game against them in Corvallis, so too, do you learn about the Husky rivalry in Seattle, at Husky Stadium.
The conditions are likely to be wet, cold and with a chill coming off nearby Lake Washington. The crowd will be intense in their disdain and contempt for their southern rival, which has largely taken over their perch as the preeminent Northwest team. The Huskies, although winless in conference play, have been ahead or tied at halftime with nearly all their opponents this season. They beat Boise State at home and were ahead against Ohio State at halftime, so it is likely the Huskies will have their moments. The Ducks’ shocking experience in the second quarter at Stanford should be helpful to draw on when things get tough.
Much has been made about the injuries to wide receiver Cameron Colvin and tailback Jeremiah Johnson. Andre Crenshaw is slated to replace Johnson, and fortunately, according to running backs coach Gary Campbell, Crenshaw is a better receiver and blocker than Johnson. This is good news because usually the replacement lacks in those vital areas—areas that greatly impact the efficiency of the overall offense.
To replace Colvin, additional production must come from freshman Aaron Pflugrad, who caught his first touchdown against WSU, and sophomores Rory Cavaille and Derrick Jones, who also caught his second touchdown pass against the Cougars. Look for tight end Ed Dickson to play more in the slot position in some situations as it is advantageous to have a bigger receiver inside on option and pass situations.
The Huskies’ Jake Locker is considered the real deal at quarterback. He is a splendidly-built athlete who is the Huskies’ leading rusher. He has a lot to learn throwing the ball as his completion rate is only 49 percent (Dennis Dixon is about 70 percent), and he has forced the ball into defenses, giving up eight interceptions against seven touchdowns.
Washington’s defense has given up over 224 yards rushing in each of the past four games and according to one of the Oregon lineman, “do some funky things on defense.” Husky coaches can look at Washington State changing its four down lineman philosophy for a three-man look against the Ducks last week and get ripped to shreds.
“We have a very sound offense,” observed Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator, “and with just a week to prepare for us, it’s difficult for opponents because we’re so different from other conference teams. Washington State tried something totally different than what they were used to and it didn’t work out.”
The 40-point lead for the Ducks at halftime was the largest known halftime lead in school history.
Look for a tough game and track turnovers and rushing yardage. The winner in those categories will win the game, which I think is the toughest “match up” for the Ducks on their schedule this season. Toughest because of the lack of Seattle history for current Oregon players and for the fact that the Dawgs are a tough outfit that takes pride in outworking and out hitting their opponents. Mike Bellotti has gone 59-17 (.776) in his 13 seasons at Autzen Stadium, reputedly one of the toughest places to play in college football. In comparison, the Huskies have won 78 of its last 109 (.720) at their Mountlake dog house. My advice to all Ducks: don’t take this game lightly, and take care of the football.
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