■ SPORTS EXTRA FOOTBALL
’Cats and Ducks hook up for crucial Pac-10 contest
Chris Metz
Oepon [teJy [rrmvd
All conference eyes will lie on
Eugene Saturday a* the fight for
the Pacific-10 title and Rone
Bowl bid heats up on the Omni
Turf of Autzen Stadium.
The Arizona Wildcats and
Oregon Ducks hook up for the
20th edition of the battle
between the two schools More
than lost pride is at stake as the
game represents a crucial step
in deciding this year's confer
ence title.
The '(aits enter Saturday's
i ontest with a perfe< t 4-0 con
ference record and boast a No.
11 rating in this week's AP j;c!!.
while the Ducks narrowly
missed this week's top 2.r>, com
ing in at No 2?
Arizona head i oae.h Dit k
Ttitnev is well aware of the
urgency of this weekend's game
and knows that Oregon head
coach Kit h Brooks and the
Dut ks will he plenty ready for
the Pat 10 clash.
''Oregon has that belief that
they are going to win." Tomes
said. "We have it. but we re not
playing that way
1'he regionally televised game
between the two has taken on
unexpected importance lor both
teams as the Ducks (5- t overall.
:t-l in conference) have posi
tioned themselves in the thick
of the Hose Howl rat i- after
upsetting the Washington
Huskies last weekend The win
places the Ducks in a third
pint e tie with Washington State,
just one win behind second
plat e USC, also n vit tirn of the
Dm ks
"Oregon has probably ihi> two
most important wins in Ihe
league this year — over I ISC.
and Washington." Toiney said.
"Our play has to refits I the ( ir
cumstam es of the game - the
urgency of the situation."
The Out ks are flying high
after wins over California and
the Huskies and have won four
of their last five games after a
shaky start to the season. They
have done so behind a solid
defense and timely offensive
and spet ial teams piny.
The Dm k defense has i ome
to lift> sine e starting I’m 1(1 play,
allowing only 5-r> points in four
conference games. The Ducks
have also been aided by their
ability to take the hall away
from the opposition, with eight
fumble ret meries and a confer
ence-leading 14 interceptions.
MCMAf l SMlNDtltVEinarrtd
Oregon hopes to display Its own brand ol defense against the highly touted Arizona attack In Saturday's
showdown at Autzan Stadium
Bui Brook* knows all to well
that the turnover game is a two
way street as he has wall hed
the Ducks rough up seven fum
bles and deliver tl intercep
tions themselves.
Brooks is quite versed on
how strong the Arizona defense
is as well and believes that the
Oregon offense will need to step
it up a notch against the '(jits
' Washington State's defense
has the statist!! s. ' Brooks said,
"but there are just not very
many people able to move the
football on Arizona's defense
We re going to have to got more
production than wo had against i
tho Huskies." I
Arizona ranks second in total i
defense in the Pac-tO and are i
espet-.tally tough against the run, <
allowing only 56 yards a game
in seven contests so far this sea
son. ranking the ‘Cats second
nationally against the run.
Tomey's defense ranks seventh
in the nation in storing defense,
giving up a little over 12 points
|x*r game, and ranks ninth in the
nation in total defense
In last season's contest, the
Wildcats held the hapless Ducks
to 10 vanls rushing and registered
itx quarterback sacks. The situn
ion ltKiks to be just as ominous
is this year's Arizona defense is
mce again powered by defensive
ind Tody Bruschi and inside
inehackur and Hotkus Award
ieiniftnalist Sean Harris.
Bruschi is a semi Finalist for the
-ombardi Award for the nation's
Hist lineman and is considered
is one of the best defenders in the
’ac-10 Although Bruschi is a
ilayer that needs to be worked
iround, Brooks is reluctant to
iesign his offense around stop
ling him
"It's very difficult to si heme
JJ
Washington State s
defense has the
statistics, hut there are
just not eery many peo
ple able to move the
football on Arizona's
defense. We're going to
have to get more pro
duction than nr had
against the Huskies.
- RICH BROOKS
Oregon head coach
- //
special protection against
Bruschi," Brooks said. “because
if you do, you really have to
change a lot of things you do
normally."
UCLA center Mike Flanagan
knows first hand how fierce
Bruschi is and documented his
experience with the defender
after last weekend’s contest.
"He has that look in his eyes
that say*, Tin crazy.’" Flanagan
said.
Arizona has had problems
scoring at times this season hut
has averaged a healthy 27 points
per game, just slightly ahead of
the Oregon offense. The one thing
Arizona has been able to do is run
the hall and features the eighth
lending rusher it: the nation in
Ontiwaun liarter. His 130 yards
a game trails only Napoleon Kauf
man for the Pac-10 rushing lead.
Oregon once again will have
the thankless task of defending
one of the tatter receivers in the
Pac-10 in Richard Dice. Dice was
the Poe-10 offensive player after
last week’s win over UCLA, and
his large frame poses a problem
for the smaller defensive hacks
for Oregon.
"We had trouble with (Eric)
Bjomson last week at fi-foot-5."
Brooks said. “Dice is 6-foot-3,
That's always a match up prob
lem for 5-foot-11, 5-foot-10, 6-foot
corners ”
With a win, Tomey’s Wildcats
would strengthen their confer
ence lend and. with only a road
contest with USC remaining, the
'Cats would Im> thnt much closer
to attending their first-ever Rose
Bowl.
For the Ducks, a win would
push them into a first-place tie
with the Wildcats, the idle USC
and possibly Washington State
"It looks like a four-team tour
nament." Tomev said.
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