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Oregon Daily Emerald
GAME DAY
Friday, September 26, 2003
Sports Editor Hank Hager
Mark McCambridge Senior Photographer
Tight end Tim Day had three receptions for 55 yards for the Ducks against Michigan. Oregon receivers caught 20 passes for 253 yards.
Ducks get back to business
as Cougars come to Autzen
The Ducks must focus on
No. 21 Washington State
after the upset of Michigan
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
The last time Oregon football fans
saw the Ducks, green and yellow
swarms surrounded the team after
its surprising 31-27 defeat of then
No. 3 Michigan.
That was last Saturday. This week,
the Ducks get into the thick of Pacific
10 Conference play when No. 21
Washington State comes calling at
Autzen Stadium.
Hie win against Michigan vaulted
the Ducks to 10th in the nation in the
Associated Press Top 25 college foot
ball poll and to 15th in the
ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches
Poll. The win was only a piece of
the equation.
Now, Oregon will see if it can come
down in the polls and focus on
the Cougars.
"That's just what football's about,"
cornerback Justin Phinisee said.
"Yeah, it was a big win. We celebrated,
but once practice starts, you have to
refocus. You have to have hard inten
sity and a hard practice. On Saturday,
you'll know if it's there."
The Ducks insist they won't let the
win over the Wolverines linger,
knowing that Washington State won
the Pac-10 last season and is a dan
gerous opponent.
The Cougars — 3-1 overall after los
ing to Notre Dame 29-26 in South
Bend, Ind., earlier this season — have
an offense that could exploit weak
nesses if it picks up steam.
The team's defense, however, is
suspect after the first three games.
With the Ducks showing their most
balanced offensive attack of the sea
son against the Wolverines, Sarnie
Parker and company could open up
some holes.
"Washington State is a great
team," tight end Tim Day said. "They
won the Pac-10 last year. 1 think
they're going to be the hardest de
fenders this year in the Pac-10, and
so that will get us down from the
high and back to business."
For the Ducks, it is the first time in
three seasons that they will stay home
instead of traveling to Pullman, Wash.
In what was credited as a schedul
ing quirk due to the Pac- 10's desire to
assure each team of playing rivalry
games every season, Oregon has vis
ited Washington State for the past
three seasons. In each of those three
games, the teams were well matched,
with the Ducks winning in 2000 and
2001 before the Cougars took the
game last season.
Ask the Ducks, and they will tell you
it's nice to stay home once in a while.
"You have people yelling at you
and cold weather (in Pullman),"
Day said. "We were able to get past
those things a couple of times. It's
nice to be at home. You have your
fans, and (the Cougars) have to go
through that now."
Turn to GAME, page 6
weaKraolO, Michigan upset
allow Ducks to control destiny
Pardon the cliche, but the Ducks
truly are masters of their own destiny
from now on.
After the surprising victory over
Michigan last week, Oregon is flying
high, possibly even more so than at any
point during the team's 11-1 season of
2001. Michigan, No. 3 last week, was
Oregon's biggest nonconference oppo
nent since Notre Dame 20 years ago.
Michigan has the most tradition of
any team the Ducks have played in re
cent years or will play in the future.
The Wolverines have an aura about
them that exceeds expectations.
But now, the Ducks have broken
through to the big time. The win
against Michigan gave the Ducks a
Hank Hager
Behind the dish
chance any team in the nation would
love to have.
That is, they really can control how
their season shapes up.
That's not necessarily a tribute to
Oregon's overall ability, but rather the
less-than-stellar performances expect
ed out of Pacific-10 Conference teams.
Before I go any further, you have to
remember that the Ducks don't play
USC this season. The No. 3 Trojans
are the best team on the West Coast,
bar none, even though their quarter
back has little experience and their
secondary was lessened by Troy Pola
malu's graduation after last season.
So, theoretically, the Pac-10 could
have two undefeated teams. Oregon
and USC are the two most promi
nently ranked unbeaten teams so far,
with 2-0 Stanford rounding out the
Pac- 10's perfect teams.
Turn to HAGER, page 7