Arizona faces surprising Oregon in key game
With just four more weekends to go, the Pac-10 race to the Rose
Bowl now has Arizona leading a resurgent USC and two surprise teams
in Oregon and Washington State.
This weekend, No. 11 Arizona (6-1 overall) will take its 4-0
conference mark to Eugene, Ore., where head coach Rich Brooks have
his Oregon Ducks playing inspired football.
The Ducks (5-3 overall) are at 3-1 in the Pac-10. With a victory
over the Wildcats, which will be Oregon’s first over U of A since
1970, the Ducks will be tied for first in the Pac-10.
Oregon has won some impressive games. Led by quarterback Danny
O’Neil, the Ducks shellacked California after they beat USC in Los
Angeles, 22-7. Then, last weekend, the Ducks held Washington’s
Napoleon Kaufman to 102 yards rushing and beat the Huskies, 31-20,
with a 97-yard touchdown off an interception in the waning moments
of the game.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats haven’t looked as invincible as the
pundits once had described them, way back in September. Oregon
State, the wishbone school, passed for 101 yards against U of A,
and Colorado State gained 314 yards in total offense in their 21-16
win over the Wildcats in Tucson Oct. 8.
Arizona coach Dick Tomey knows his team has been playing to the
level of the competition. To keep his ‘Cats atop the Pac-10, Tomey
needs the Desert Swarm, to, well, swarm on the Ducks.
"Oregon has probably the two most important wins in the league
this year  over USC and Washington," Tomey said. "Our play
has to reflect the circumstances of the game  the urgency of
the situation. In all cases, it didn’t happen last week (in a 34-24
win over UCLA).
"It has to this week. If we’re first and they’re (UCLA) last,
this is a great league. Oregon has that belief that they’re going
to win. We have it, but we’re not playing that way."
* * *
Oh, how the mighty have fallen …
Well, sort of. Oregon State got out of the conference cellar
with an impressive victory over UCLA two weeks ago, but the Beavers
couldn’t keep things running, as OSU dropped a 35-29 decision to
Stanford in Corvallis, Ore.
This week, the Beavers have the unenviable task of trying to
stop Kaufman. Washington (5-2, 2-2) is on probation, so the bowls
and the championships are out of the question. The next best thing?
Oh, maybe kick everybody’s ass and get the Heisman for
Napoleon?
"It seems like every time we get ready to play a game this
season, (the other team) has a special reason to play well against
us," OSU head coach Jerry Pettibone said. "I am sure that will be
the case this week.
"I thought after the Washington-Miami game that the Huskies
proved they had the best football team in the Pac-10, and I still
feel that way. I think they have the most complete football team,
on offense, on defense and on special teams. Now they will have an
additional incentive to play even harder because of their upset
loss to Oregon."
And, what about Mr. Kaufman?
"Kaufman’s explosiveness, not only from scrimmage, but from
special teams, is a concern," Pettibone said.