Solid offensive game should
put Ducks past Oregon State
injuries have slowed
down what was once
a potent Oregon offense
BY BRIAN SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
As much as Oregon needs the run
ning game, a solid passing game is
essential to a prolific offense as well.
Last week against UCLA was a
good example.
“I don’t think we threw the ball
very well,” Oregon head coach Mike
Bellotti said. “We did not execute the
passing game. I think that Kellen was
not sharp. I think we had opportuni
ties, we had wide receivers, running
backs and tight ends.
“We just couldn’t see them due
to protection or just didn’t execute
the throw. ”
Once ranked in the top-15 in passing
offense in the nation, the Ducks have
fallen out of the top-25 nationally and
to fifth in the conference in passing of
fense, averaging 249.5 yards per game.
Going into its game against Arizona a
month ago, Oregon was ranked second
in the conference with 279.3 yards per
game, behind only Oregon State.
The loss of leading receivers Tim
Day and Demetrius Williams, who are
third and first on the team in receptions
respectively, put pressure on running
back Terrence Whitehead and a group
of young receivers to gel with quarter
back Kellen Clemens mid-season.
Williams is the team’s leading re
ceiver with 43 catches for 539 yards
and one touchdown, despite missing
significant playing time with a turf
toe injury.
He caught 12 balls against Wash
ington State, which represents the
second-most grabs in a single game
in school history. Williams also has
the second-most career 100-yard re
ceiving games in school history.
Home is where the
victories are in Civil War
It’s no secret that home-field ad
vantage has played a significant role
in the history of the Civil War, espe
cially recently. The last seven games
have been won by the home team.
The last road victory was captured by
the Ducks in 1996.
“I think that obviously there is
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Oregon
junior wide
receiver
Demetrius
Williams
leads the
Ducks in
receptions
with 43
and yards
with 539,
despite
missing a
portion of the
season with
a turf toe
injury.
a home-field advantage, and it prob
ably has to do with the surface of
the field,” Bellotti said. “I think Ore
gon State’s is the only one of its
kind now, probably in the western
United States.
That part is different. I think that
the fan base and the intensity with
which the game is played adds to the
home-field advantage.”
Ironically, the Ducks own a much
better road record in the all-time series
against the Beavers than in Eugene.
Oregon is 25-16-5 in Corvallis com
pared with its 25-23-4 mark in Eugene.
“Sure, there’s something to home
field advantage, we’d all rather play
at home,” Oregon State’s Mike Riley
said. “But once the game starts, it
doesn’t really mean anything to us.”
November usually a good
month for Oregon
For only the second time during
Mike Bellotti’s tenure, the Ducks
have lost more than one game in the
month of November.
Oregon is 0-2 this month with its
recent losses to California and UCLA.
The only other season with more
than one loss was the 2002 season,
when the Ducks went 1-3 with loss
es to Washington, Washington State
and Oregon State.
The Beavers own the most wins
against Bellotti in November. Oregon
State is 3-6 in November, while
Washington has two wins, and Ari
zona State, Washington State, Califor
nia and UCLA each have one victory.
Bellotti has accumulated a 21-9
record in November, going 13-1 at
Autzen Stadium and 8-8 on the road.
Undiscovered territory
for Ducks and Beavers
Never once in the 107-game history
of the Civil War have Oregon and Ore
gon State played in a scenario where
the winner concludes the regular sea
son with a winning season and a bowl
game while the loser goes home.
The closest scenario in recent mem
ory occurred in 1957, with Oregon en
tering the regular-season finale at 7-3
(6-1 in conference play) and Oregon
State 7-2 (5-2).
The Beavers won 10-7 to finish tied
with the Ducks, yet Oregon still ad
vanced to the Rose Bowl, because
Oregon State played in the 1957 Rose
Bowl and the conference’s “non-re
peat” clause was in effect. Under cur
rent guidelines, the winner of the
game (Oregon State) would have
earned the Rose Bowl berth.
briansmith@dailyemerald.com
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