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Ducks try to reverse fortunes in desert
By Andrew Bagnato, AP College Football Writer
Sunday, November 22, 2009 | No comments posted.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews has a vivid memory from the Ducks’ last trip to Arizona Stadium — a 34-24 loss to Arizona in 2007.
“Their fans rushing the field,” Matthews said this week. “We were ranked No. 2 in the nation and we came out on the losing side and it was tough. ... It crushed us as a team.”
The Ducks were contending for a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game when they came to the desert. With a national TV audience watching on a Thursday night, the 4-6 Wildcats seemed to pose little threat, especially after Oregon star quarterback Dennis Dixon scored on a 39-yard run early in the first quarter.
But Dixon left with a knee injury, and the Ducks never recovered. They dropped their last three regular-season games and tumbled all the way to the Sun Bowl.
No. 11 Oregon isn’t in the national title picture this time as it prepares to face Arizona again today. But the Ducks are in the hunt for a Rose Bowl berth — and so are the Wildcats, who were picked to finish eighth in a preseason poll of media assigned to the conference.
It’s a rare spot for Arizona, the only Pac-10 team that has not played in the Rose Bowl game. In the Wildcats’ first 31 years as a conference member, they split one football title — with USC and UCLA in 1993.
“I’m sure it’s in the back of our head that it would be something special for us to take this team to the first Rose Bowl,” Arizona wide receiver Bug Wright said.
The winner of this game will control the race, but it shouldn’t book rooms in Pasadena just yet.
The Ducks (8-2, 6-1 Pac-10) still have to play Oregon State in the Civil War on Dec. 3, and the Beavers will be alive if they can beat woeful Washington State this weekend.
If Arizona (6-3, 4-2) wins today, it would own tiebreakers with Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford, which also is still in the chase. The Wildcats’ final two regular season games are against rival Arizona State in Tempe on Nov. 28 and No. 22 Southern California in Los Angeles on Dec. 5.
“Our margin for error is very narrow,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said.
The pressure is mounting, and the Wildcats seemed a bit fazed by it in a 24-16 loss to California in Berkeley last weekend. Arizona’s once-potent attack sputtered, and the Wildcats committed two turnovers and were flagged eight times.
They’ll probably have to produce more points to have any chance against an Oregon team averaging 37.1 points per game, the most in the Pac-10.
The Ducks are led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, whose deft play-fakes often freeze opposing defenders.
Masoli ran wild against Arizona last fall, running for three scores and throwing for two more in a 55-45 victory over the Wildcats at Autzen Stadium. It was the most points allowed in Stoops’ six seasons at Arizona.
The scary part for Arizona: Oregon coach Chip Kelly said Masoli is playing better this year.
“I think he’s just doing a better job in his decision-making,” Kelly said. “His physical skill set is ideal for what this offense is all about, but he seems not to be forcing the issue as much as he was kind of early in the year.”
Masoli has plenty of help, and more may be on the way.
Tailback LeGarrette Blount, originally suspended for the season after punching a Boise State player in September, has been reinstated. Blount suited up last week but did not play in the Ducks’ 44-21 victory over Arizona State in Autzen Stadium. He’s expected to make the trip to Tucson.
Oregon’s rushing attack, ranked sixth in the nation, hasn’t missed a beat without Blount. Freshman LaMichael James has run for an Oregon freshman-record 1,193 yards, including more than 100 in five straight games.
Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops said it doesn’t matter if Blount plays.
“Their offense does not change,” Mark Stoops said. “The young kid, the freshman that’s playing for them, has done a great job.”
The Wildcats have turned in some of their best performances against elite opponents in recent years, with seven victories over Top 25 teams since Stoops took over in 2004.
The Ducks remember one of those games too well, and they’d like to erase the memory with a victory tonight.
“Any time you lose to someone like that in that type of situation you want revenge, you know, payback,” Oregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl said. “But we’re just focusing on what we need to do to get a win.”
“Their fans rushing the field,” Matthews said this week. “We were ranked No. 2 in the nation and we came out on the losing side and it was tough. ... It crushed us as a team.”
The Ducks were contending for a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game when they came to the desert. With a national TV audience watching on a Thursday night, the 4-6 Wildcats seemed to pose little threat, especially after Oregon star quarterback Dennis Dixon scored on a 39-yard run early in the first quarter.
But Dixon left with a knee injury, and the Ducks never recovered. They dropped their last three regular-season games and tumbled all the way to the Sun Bowl.
No. 11 Oregon isn’t in the national title picture this time as it prepares to face Arizona again today. But the Ducks are in the hunt for a Rose Bowl berth — and so are the Wildcats, who were picked to finish eighth in a preseason poll of media assigned to the conference.
It’s a rare spot for Arizona, the only Pac-10 team that has not played in the Rose Bowl game. In the Wildcats’ first 31 years as a conference member, they split one football title — with USC and UCLA in 1993.
“I’m sure it’s in the back of our head that it would be something special for us to take this team to the first Rose Bowl,” Arizona wide receiver Bug Wright said.
The winner of this game will control the race, but it shouldn’t book rooms in Pasadena just yet.
The Ducks (8-2, 6-1 Pac-10) still have to play Oregon State in the Civil War on Dec. 3, and the Beavers will be alive if they can beat woeful Washington State this weekend.
If Arizona (6-3, 4-2) wins today, it would own tiebreakers with Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford, which also is still in the chase. The Wildcats’ final two regular season games are against rival Arizona State in Tempe on Nov. 28 and No. 22 Southern California in Los Angeles on Dec. 5.
“Our margin for error is very narrow,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said.
The pressure is mounting, and the Wildcats seemed a bit fazed by it in a 24-16 loss to California in Berkeley last weekend. Arizona’s once-potent attack sputtered, and the Wildcats committed two turnovers and were flagged eight times.
They’ll probably have to produce more points to have any chance against an Oregon team averaging 37.1 points per game, the most in the Pac-10.
The Ducks are led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, whose deft play-fakes often freeze opposing defenders.
Masoli ran wild against Arizona last fall, running for three scores and throwing for two more in a 55-45 victory over the Wildcats at Autzen Stadium. It was the most points allowed in Stoops’ six seasons at Arizona.
The scary part for Arizona: Oregon coach Chip Kelly said Masoli is playing better this year.
“I think he’s just doing a better job in his decision-making,” Kelly said. “His physical skill set is ideal for what this offense is all about, but he seems not to be forcing the issue as much as he was kind of early in the year.”
Masoli has plenty of help, and more may be on the way.
Tailback LeGarrette Blount, originally suspended for the season after punching a Boise State player in September, has been reinstated. Blount suited up last week but did not play in the Ducks’ 44-21 victory over Arizona State in Autzen Stadium. He’s expected to make the trip to Tucson.
Oregon’s rushing attack, ranked sixth in the nation, hasn’t missed a beat without Blount. Freshman LaMichael James has run for an Oregon freshman-record 1,193 yards, including more than 100 in five straight games.
Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops said it doesn’t matter if Blount plays.
“Their offense does not change,” Mark Stoops said. “The young kid, the freshman that’s playing for them, has done a great job.”
The Wildcats have turned in some of their best performances against elite opponents in recent years, with seven victories over Top 25 teams since Stoops took over in 2004.
The Ducks remember one of those games too well, and they’d like to erase the memory with a victory tonight.
“Any time you lose to someone like that in that type of situation you want revenge, you know, payback,” Oregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl said. “But we’re just focusing on what we need to do to get a win.”
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