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Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Haloti Ngata (on the tackle) AJ. Tuitele (34), and Ramone Reed, seen here against Arizona, have contributed to giving Oregon the third
best run defense in the Pac-10. The Ducks have allowed 109.3 yards per game on the ground.
Thriving Oregon battles
faltering Washington
Holding a 3-1 conference
mark, the Ducks look for
fourth consecutive win
BY CLAYTON JONES
SPORTS EDITOR
A less-than-stellar Washington
team limps into Autzen Stadium Sat
urday to face an Oregon squad that
has won three consecutive Pacific-10
Conference games.
The Huskies (1-6 overall, 0-4 Pac
10) have lost two in a row and were
beat up by No. 1 Southern California
last weekend.
The Ducks (4-3, 3-1) are coming
off of a victory at Stanford and are
riding high on a streak that has seen
them put up over 1,500 yards of of
fense in their last three games.
None of that matters Saturday.
“All I can say is it’s going to be an
intense game,” Oregon offensive
tackle Adam Snyder said. “Both sides
of the ball are going to be playing
with emotion.”
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti
agrees with Snyder and says it does
n’t matter what shape a team is in go
ing into this game.
“This game, much like the Civil
War, isn’t about records,” Bellotti
said. “It’s about personal pride, and
you better come ready to play a good
football game.”
Oregon has taken the brunt of the
last two games between the duo, los
ing 42-10 at Husky Stadium last sea
son and 42-14 at Autzen Stadium two
years ago, resulting in Washington
players celebrating in the middle of
the “O” at the 50-yard line.
Bellotti said that what the Huskies
did two years ago doesn’t bother him.
“The fact that we allow a team to
(beat us at home) is what I’m most
concerned with,” Bellotti said. “If we
put ourselves in that situation, a team
can do whatever they want to do af
ter the game or before the game. ”
A difference this year, compared to
the past two matchups with the
Huskies, will be the Oregon defense.
The Ducks’ defense has been allow
ing less than 300 yards of total of
fense per game, and last week
against Stanford it tallied 10 sacks
and held the Cardinal to minus-8
yards rushing.
“Their front is really doing a lot,”
■ _
Courtesy | Washington Athletic Department
Washington wide
receiver Charles
Frederick, seen
here against Fres
no State, has been
sidelined with a
pulled hamstring.
Head coach Keith
Gilbertson said
there is a chance
the senior will play
Saturday against
the Ducks. The
Huskies have
missed Frederick,
who is arguably
their best offensive
player.
Washington head coach Keith
Gilbertson said. “If you watch the
Stanford game, they’re just all over
their quarterbacks. The pressure is
on the quarterbacks every snap.”
The Oregon defensive line account
ed for seven sacks, and super-sized
tackle Haloti Ngata is looking more
unblockable as each game goes by.
“Haloti Ngata is playing at a differ
ent level,” Bellotti said.
Gilbertson has been impressed
with Ngata’s play, but isn’t sure if his
listed weight is accurate.
“He is a big, powerful, athletic
guy,” Gilbertson said. “They list him
at (only) 345? Like I said, he is a big,
powerful man.”
While the Oregon defense has
been impressive, the Washington of
fense has struggled.
The Huskies rank ninth in the Pac
10 in scoring offense (14.0 points per
game), passing offense (169.4 yards
per game) and total offense (315.4
yards per game).
The main problem for the Huskies
is their questionable play at quarter
back. Between junior Casey Paus,
Sophomore Isaiah Stanback and
freshman Carl Bonnell, the Huskies
have the worst quarterback efficien
cy rating in the Pac-10 (78.0, almost
30 points below Arizona).
All three quarterbacks have start
ed for Washington. Stanback start
ed last week against USC, and he is
listed at the top of the depth chart.
According to Bellotti, the Huskies
question marks at quarterback make
it tough to come up with a defensive
scheme.
“The problem for us will be not
knowing who will be at quarter
back,” Bellotti said. “Paus is a pocket
passer. Stanback is extremely mobile
and extremely fast... Bonnell is in the
middle of the road and is very agile
and very fast.”
Another question for the Huskies
is the health of their most explosive
player, wide receiver and kick return
er Charles Frederick, who has been
dealing with a hamstring injury most
of the season.
“There is a chance (he will play),”
Gilbertson said.
Bellotti would rather he stayed out
one more game.
“He is a great run-after-the-catch
guy, and that skill obviously helps
him as a returner,” Bellotti said. “It
wouldn’t break my heart if he wasn’t
completely healthy. ”
Washington will lean on the run
ning attack and the No. 7 rusher in
the Pac-10, Kenny James. The
sophomore is averaging 74.6 yards
per game and has five touchdowns
on the season.
It’s very much the opposite for the
Oregon offense, as they are ranked
second in the conference and 15th
nationally in total offense (449.1
yards per game).
PREVIEW, page 5B