The Box
Total
Offense
(Pac-10 rankings)
OREGON 2nd
BSC 2nd
Rushing
Offense
OREGON 1st
BSC 10th
Passing
Defense
JteoN 1st
SC 2nd
Rushing
Defense
OREGON 3rd
USC 4th
Turnover
Ratio
OREGON +7
use -8
QUOTABLE
"Duck fans, man,
they go every
where! I don't care
if we re going to
Amsterdam, we're
going to have some
people with us."
' -Oregon wideout
Marshaun Tucker
"I would rather
play every game at
home, but you
have to prove you
can win on the
road in this confer
ence/
-Oregon head
coach Mike Bellotti
Key Player
3o|| Frankel
Oregon's place
kicker missed
three field goals
against UW two
weeks ago, but has
changed his kick
ing form in prac
tice this week.
Trojans looking to get back on Pac-10 horse
Emerald
USC’s Carson Palmer (3) has thrown six interceptions in losses to Oregon State and Arizona this year.
Revenge can run both ways
SCOTT PESZNECKER
Revenge can be a powerful
thing.
Remember a month ago? The
UCLA Bruins marched into Eu
gene as if they owned the place. In a
sense, they did — or at least they
owned the Ducks, who had lost six of
eight contests in the 1990s to the blue
and gold conquerors.
The national spotlight was on
Autzen Stadium. Some would argue
that Oregon had the cards stacked
against them, others the opposite. But
nobody on the UCLA bench thought
the Ducks would be such a threat.
To that point, Oregon had won two,
lost one, and its momentum sputtered
in two of those games. Meanwhile,
UCLA beat three teams — two of them
ranked third nationally — and they did
so in high-pressure, thrilling fashion.
When asked about the upcoming
game, Bruin wide receiver Freddie
Mitchell said it would be a “breakout”
performance for him.
Is it all coming back to memory yet?
Think about how much the city of
Eugene hated the Bruins for what they
did to the Ducks in the last two years.
Two close losses in Los Angeles, either
just as heartbreaking as the other, the.
second one yard away from being a
win.
So, as the Ducks walked onto their
home turf to face the Bruins this sea
t son, everyone who’d been a part of the
program for the past two years carried
part of the collective chip which bur
dened Oregon’s shoulder.
Perhaps hatred doesn’t justify that
need to win that was so thick in the air
that day.
Add resentment, pain and grief —
the constant wondering of what might
have been, if only.
Well, the battle between Ducks and
Bruins ensued. It was fast, furious, and
then it was done. Oregon 29, UCLA 10.
For more than 45,000 people on hand,
redemption was sweet.
Granted, Autzen Stadium is one of
the toughest places to play anywhere.
But on that day, and the next weekend
against Washington, the home fans and
the players were fueled by something
other than a love for the game.
But now the Ducks leave their
beloved home for Southern California,
where they face a limping Trojan foot
ball team.
Beware, Oregon.
Southern California might have an
upset up its sleeve, powered by those
same intense emotions that drove the
Ducks past the Bruins and Huskies, re
gardless of their comparable lack of tal
ent on paper.
Revenge.
Think about it, the triple-overtime
showdown a year ago when Oregon
won over USC by a field goal. A toe-to
toe slugout, the kind that is as terrible
to lose as it is amazing to win.
And then there’s Carson Palmer, who
broke his right collarbone two minutes
before halftime and missed the rest of
the season, watching from the sidelines
as his team won just three conference
Tu rn to Pez Sez, page 9B
■ USC is 3-6 against Pac-10 schools since losing a triple
overtime thriller in Eugene last year; now it looks to knock off
the team that started the skid
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
Southern California’s once
vaunted football program has
come upon hard times the past
two seasons, and it’s all thanks to
Oregon.
Last year, the Trojans came into
Autzen Stadium with an All
American candidate as quarter
back, a 2-0 record and aspirations
for a trip to the Rose Bowl.
But the quarterback, Carson
Palmer, went down with a shoul
der injury in the second quarter.
Then the Trojans lost the game in
triple overtime, won only four
more games the rest of the season
and finished 6-6 in a three-way tie
for sixth in the Pacific-10 Confer
ence. Then the Rose Bowl hopes,
or any bowl hopes at all, went by
the wayside.
In fact, USC has won only three
Pac-10 games in nine attempts
since that fateful September night
last year. The Trojans opened up
the 2000 season strong with wins
against Penn State, Colorado and
San Jose State, but then lost Pac-10
matchups to Oregon State, 31-21
in Corvallis, and Arizona, 31-15 in
Los Angeles.
The two losses hurt USC in the
national polls. Ranked sixth in the
Associated Press poll just three
weeks ago, the Trojans plummeted
out of polls after last weekend’s
loss to the Wildcats and are un
ranked going into this Saturday’s
game against No. 9 Oregon.
Part of USC’s Pac-10 problem
has been a lack of offense. Palmer
has played the whole season at
quarterback, but has thrown six in
terceptions in the two Pac-10
matchups, and is “trying to make
plays where there aren’t plays,” ac
cording to USC head coach Paul
Hackett. It could have something
to do with Palmer’s best wide re
ceivers, Kareem Kelly and Marcell
Almond, missing the Arizona
game with injuries.
But Hackett thinks Palmer’s just
trying too hard.
“He’s pressed a little bit,” Hack
ett said, “But we need to help him
get on track by running the ball
better.”
USC’s rushers have gained only
73 yards in the past two games,
Turn to USC, page 9B
HOUSE OF
RECORDS
mmm, good vinyl!
BUY, SELL
& TRADE
NEW AND
USED
CDS, VINYL
& TAPES
258 E.13th EUGENE 342-7975
iSecrrefGarcfen
A Bed & Breakfast Inn
007201
Ten delightful garden-theme rooms await you.
t
1910 University Street, Eugene, Oregon 97403
541-484-6755 • fax:541-431-1699 • 1-888 484-6755 Toll free
www. sec re tga rden bbinn.com