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Azle Malinao-Alvarez Emerald
Wide receiver Keenan Howry and the rest of the Ducks’ offense must repeat their steadfastness against Idaho to beat UCLA.
Matchup
continued from page 1
Oregon enters Saturday’s game
defending a 16-game home win
ning streak, the longest such streak
in die Pac-10. The last time the
Ducks lost at Autzen Stadium was
on Oct. 11,1997 — to the Bruins.
Just ask ESPN how important
this game is. The sports network
will be on stadium grounds at 8
a.m. broadcasting its weekly “Col
lege GameDay” show.
“We know we’ve got to step it
up,” Oregon head coach Mike Bel
lotti said. “We’ve got to step it up a
level because it’s league play, and
we’ve also got to step it up because
of the caliber of team we’ll be play
ing.”
Not one current Oregon player
has experienced beating UCLA,
and the last two losses could best
be described as heart-wrenching.
Two years ago, the No. 11 Ducks
lost a nationally televised, 41-38
overtime battle to the No. 2 Bruins
in Pasadena. Last season, Oregon
rallied from a 34-10 fourth-quarter
deficit before losing 34-29 when
Marshaun Tucker was tackled on
the one-yard fine at the end of regu
lation play.
It was a strong possibility that the
Ducks could have been headed to
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the Rose Bowl had Tucker made it
into the end zone.
So, needless to say, the blood
runs deep with the Bruins.
“This will be a big game for us,
especially for the guys who were
part of the last two times we lost to
these guys,” defensive end Saul
Patu said. “We’ve definitely got
something to prove; not just to our
selves, but also to our fans and the
people who support us.”
On the ground, UCLA is led by
junior tailback DeShaun Foster, a
first-team Freshman All-American
We've got to step it up
a level because it's league
play, and we’ve also got to
step it up because of the
caliber of team we’ll be
playing
Mike Beilotti .
Oregon head coach
in 1998 who was slowed last sea
son by a sprained right ankle. Fos
ter ranks seventh nationally and
second in the Pac-10 in scoring
with 12 points per game and sec
ond in the Pac-10 in rushing with
140.7 yards per game.
Oregon’s rushing defense, ranked
eighth in the conference, could
have its hands full with Foster.
“We have to capitalize on their
mistakes and correct our mistakes,”
Patu said. “If we capitalize on the
good things that we’ve been doing,
we’ll be just fine.”
Redshirt sophomore quarterback
Ryan McCann has come up big for
the Bruins in place of injured Cory
Paus. Last week against Michigan,
McCann completed 15 of 21 passes
for 160 yards and two touchdowns
in the second half.
But a hostile Autzen Stadium
crowd could rattle UCLA’s offense.
Granted, the Bruins did beat then
No. 3 Alabama and Michigan in the
preseason, but both of those victo
ries happened in the comfort of the
Rose Bowl.
“Last year we didn’t fare very
well on the road,” UCLA head
coach Bob Toledo said. “We didn’t
win a game on the road last year
whereas the previous seasons we
did pretty good. I always tell them
that you have to win at home. But
to win a championship, you have to
win on the road.”
The Ducks must overcome the
inconsistencies in their offense if
they axe to beat UCLA. Starting
quarterback Joey Harrington con
nected on just 10 of 22 passes
against an overmatched Nevada
squad, and a week later, Oregon’s
receivers dropped several key pass
es in the loss to Wisconsin.
Last Saturday, the offense had its
most complete performance of the
season against Idaho. Harrington
completed 14 of 21 passes for 173
yards and four touchdowns, and
tailback Maurice Morris ran 76
yards on 14 carries for two touch
downs. *
Save a few cross-country touch
down sprints by the Badgers’
Michael Bennett, the Ducks’ de
fense has been solid so far this sea
son. Oregon leads the Pac-10 in
passing defense and is third in total
defense. .
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