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7773
GOT A STORY IDEA?
Ducks anticipate battle with
long-time rival Huskies
An interception in 1994 and a post-game dance at
Autzen Stadium heightened tension between the teams
BY LUKE ANDREWS
SPORTS REPORTER
It was a call from long-time radio
announcer Jerry Allen, and it’s a
sound that is music to many Duck
fan’s ears.
“Kenny Wheaton’s gonna score!
Kenny Wheaton’s gonna score! ”
Later termed “The Pick,” it’s the
play that highlights Oregon’s climb to
a Pacific-10 Conference power and
graces DuckVision before every Ore
gon home game.
It’s the play that put Autzen Stadi
um on the map, and it came against
one of Oregon’s biggest rivals: The
Washington Huskies.
It was the 1994 season and the
Ducks had dropped 17 of their last
20 games to the Huskies, including
five straight.
Ninth-ranked Washington trailed
Oregon 24-20 late in the fourth
quarter, but threatened with the ball
at Oregon’s 8-yard line when quar
terback Damon Huard stepped back
to throw.
Huard tossed the ball toward the
left sideline, but Wheaton, a fresh
man comerback, stepped in front of
the intended receiver and returned it
97 yards for a touchdown to give Ore
gon the improbable 31-20 win.
The Ducks won their final four
games that season and reached the
Rose Bowl for the first time in
37 years.
“It kind of made it a rivalry. Up to
that point, it was kind of one-sided,”
Allen said. “That play kind of ignited
a fire in them, and all of a sudden,
there was a little competition. That
probably started the true rivalry.”
It was simply one play, but it may
have been the one that transcended
the Oregon-Washington rivalry from
simply little brother/big brother to
one that is comparable to any in
the nation.
The Ducks versus the Dawgs: It’s
remained one of the most anticipated
football games for both teams since
they first played each other in 1900.
Many contend that it is the most
emotional rivalry for the two respec
tive schools — even more so than the
Civil War with Oregon State or, for
Washington, the Apple Cup against
Washington State.
“It’s one of those teams you never
want to lose to,” Allen said. “That’s
the one game all year you’ve got
to win.”
The teams have battled 97 times,
and in years past, the Ducks and
Huskies have gotten downright ugly.
Possibly starting the feud was a
Washington decision during the
1948 season. That year, Oregon and
California finished in a tie for first
place with conference foes deter
mining which team would attend
the Rose Bowl.
The Huskies chose California.
“Some Oregon fans have never for
gotten that,” Allen said. “So there
was some animosity.”
Decades later, the rivalry became
increasingly heated.
Rick Neuheisel’s 2002 Husky team
added fuel to the rivalry when, fol
lowing a 42-14 drubbing of the Ducks
in Autzen, his players proceeded to
dance on Oregon’s midfield logo.
This came after former Oregon safe
ty Keith Lewis provided some pre
game bulletin board material saying
Washington quarterback Cody
Pickett was overrated.
“We have players here that remem
ber some of those incidents of the
past that will certainly be fueled by
that,” Oregon head coach Mike
Bellotti said.
Conerback Justin Phinisee, a sen
ior, remembers it all too well.
“When the Huskies come in here
and chant and dance on our field, we
kind of do take that personally,”
Phinisee said. “So our mindset is just
that we’re going to put more points
on the board and our defense is go
ing to dominate. That just ensures
that we’re going to do that.”
The two traded victories through
out the 90s, culminating with the
2000 season when, along with Ore
gon State, the Ducks and Huskies
shared the Pac-10 title.
Oregon defeated Washington and
Marques Tlriasosopo that year in Eu
gene 23-16, but the Huskies hold the
all-time advantage 58-34-5.
Records aside, the one thing to
count on Saturday is Autzen Stadium
transforming from simply a hostile
environment to an all-out war zone.
“It’s always a big game. All our
fans would like you to know that Ore
gon State and Washington are our
biggest rivals. We know that,” said
Bellotti, who owns a 5-4 record
against the Huskies. “It really doesn’t
matter records or whatever happened
last year or 75 years ago, what mat
ters is this week, this team, and the
Washington Huskies.”
According to the Duck players,
this week’s practice was just
business as usual.
“It’ll be a little bit different, but it’s
a football game,” running back
Jonathan Stewart said. “Every week
is going to be a big game no matter
who we play. You can’t really go into
the game thinking that it’s anything
bigger than it is.”
Stewart is one of five players on
the Oregon roster from the Evergreen
State. The freshman running back
was the state’s Gatorade Player of the
Year after rushing for more than
7,000 yards in four years at Lacey
High School.
Defensive end and last year’s
sack leader, Devan Long (Ana
cortes), offensive guard Matt Webb
(Vancouver), offensive tackle Aaron
Klovas (Graham) and tight end Levi
Horn (Spokane), are the other
Washington natives.
“I know a lot of players on the
team, so it’s a big game for me,”
Long said. “They didn’t recruit me
in high school and I was only an
hour away, so it was kind of like a
slap in the face. I like to play those
guys and show that they should
have recruited me. ”
Contrarily, there are no Oregonians
on the Huskies’ roster.
Former Oregon quarterback John
ny DuRocher may be the closest
thing. The Graham, Wash., native
signed with the Ducks in 2003 but
since transferred, choosing to partake
in a rebuilding effort in Seattle.
DuRocher currently sits second on
the Huskies’ depth chart, but is hop
ing to help the future of a Washing
ton team that has not won a Pac-10
game in its last 10 tries.
The Ducks hope to make that
streak 11 when the series resumes
Saturday.
“It’s like fighting or going to war
with the guys that you hate,” Long
said. “It’s a huge game for us.”
landrews@dailyemerald.com
Preview: Willingham newcomer to rivalry
Continued from page 2B
wrong like the fourth quarter and
finishing strong.”
Despite a difference in wins and
losses, there is a common denomina
tor for both programs — a knowl
edgeable head coach capable of turn
ing around a program at any time.
Washington is guided by first
year head coach Tyrone Willing
ham, who found instant success at
Notre Dame in 2002. After a 10-win
season and being named National
Coach of the Year kicked off his ca
reer with the Irish, Willingham was
let go after the following two years
netted a combined 11-12 record.
Willingham has taken his team to
a bowl game in six of his 10 seasons
as a head coach and in his first year
at the helm at Stanford, he turned
that program around as well. In
1995, the Cardinal won seven
games and reached the Liberty
Bowl. Four seasons later,
Willingham guided Stanford to the
Rose Bowl.
Now he is in the Northwest, coach
ing a team despised by Duck fans.
Why isn’t it just a simple dislike?
For instance, after the Huskies
won at Autzen in 2002, they rushed
to the Ducks’ emblem at midfield
and danced on the ‘0.’ They even
decided to pose for team pictures in
the middle of the field. That is just
one incident in a long list.
“Every week I try to figure out
something to say to get the guys up
and to get them excited about our
opponent,” Bellotti said. “The rival
ry itself will grow in the players’
minds. We have players here that re
member some of those incidents of
the past, that will certainly be
fueled by that.”
The talk of the week has been the
downright ugliness of the rivalry,
which Willingham is starting to get
acquainted with.
“There is a certain segment of our
fans who believe that this is the
most important rivalry that we
have, there is another group that be
lieve Washington State is the most
important rivalry that we have,”
Willingham said. “So, I have kind of
split myself accordingly. This week,
this is the most important rivalry
that we have. ”
Throw out the stats in a rivalry
game. If Oregon feels the same way
as its counterpart, the blows will be
. dealt both ways and in the end, the
team that wants it more and plays
with the most heart will win.
smiUer@daUyememld.com
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