Oregon vs. Washington Football 2009
Ducks Take 5-Game Winning Streak to Seattle
No. 12 Oregon has not lost since dropping its season opener 19-8 to No. 6 Boise State, and has begun conference play with impressive victories over Cal, Washington State and UCLA.
Coach Chip Kelly’s Ducks, who are No. 11 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, will be aiming for their sixth consecutive win over Washington.
The Ducks (5-1 overall, 3-0 Pac-10) are coming off a bye week, which followed their 24-10 road triumph vs. UCLA on Oct. 10.
Washington has lost three of four since their titanic 16-13 upset of then-No. 3 USC on Sept. 19. Last week, Steve Sarkisian’s Huskies dropped a heartbreaking 24-17 decision to Arizona State, allowing a tie-breaking 50-yard touchdown pass with five seconds remaining.
The Huskies (3-4, 2-2) have gone down to the wire in each of their last three games. They beat Arizona 36-33 on Oct. 10, and fell to Notre Dame 37-30 in overtime on Oct. 3.
Washington owns a 58-38-5 series lead over Oregon, but has not defeated the Ducks since a 42-10 triumph in 2003. Saturday’s game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and will be telecast by ABC.
QB Locker Leads Young Huskies Offense
Washington will attack Oregon’s impressive defense with a young unit led by quarterback Jake Locker. The fleet-footed junior has passed for 1,702 yards and 11 TDs with six interceptions. He’s completing 57.2 of his throws.
Locker has rushed 68 times for 223 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Huskies average 25.4 points and 360.9 yards per game. But he’s also been sacked 15 times.
The ground game has been spearheaded by freshman Chris Polk (537 yards, 2 TDs). The receiving corps has been led by freshman James Johnson (28 catches, 318 yards, 2 TDs) and sophomore Jermaine Kearse (35 receptions, 368 yards, 2 TDs).
But sophomore Devin Aguilar, who missed two games because of a knee injury, had seven catches for 154 yards and a touchdown vs. Arizona State. On the season, he has 17 receptions for 304 yards and team-high three TD receptions.
Tight end Kavario Middleton also has 17 catches, which have gained him 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Washington Defense Struggles Against Tough Opposition
The Huskies have faced formidable offenses such as Notre Dame, Arizona, Stanford and USC, and they’ve been giving up 27.9 points per game.
Washington ranks 110th in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in pass defense (262.1 yards per game) and 106th in total defense (424.6 yards per game). In addition, opponents have been gaining an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Predictably, the Huskies’ linebacking corps has been busy. Donald Butler has recorded team-highs of 56 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss, along with two interceptions. Mason Foster has added 48 tackles, three forced fumbles, five pass breakups and two interceptions.
Linebacker E.J. Savannah and safety Nate Williams have 40 and 31 tackles, respectively, and defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim heads the pass rush with five of his team’s 12 sacks.
Running Back James Spearheads Oregon Rushing Attack
Oregon’s offense has been mostly sound, averaging 360.2 yards and 32.5 through six games. The main question is whether QB Jeremiah Masoli will be on the field to lead the Ducks in Game No. 7. Oregon has announced whether he'll play.
Masoli sat out the UCLA game with a bad knee. And while backup Nate Costa did an adequate job, it was obvious that the Ducks couldhave used Masoli’s athleticism.
The junior has passed for 748 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, while completing 59.8 percent of his passes. He’s also Oregon’s second-leading rusher with 218 yards and five TDs.
But whether it’s Masoli or Costa under center, it’s probable that freshman LaMichael James will be pacing the ground game. James has rushed for 581 yards and four TDs, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
The Ducks also have an outstanding tight end in Ed Dickson (25 catches, 333 yards, 4 TDs), a steady wideout in Jeff Maehl (19 receptions, 231 yards) and a talented running back/return man in Kenjon Barner.
Ducks Defense Faces New Challenge
Oregon’s defense has surrendered only 16.3 points and 280.8 yards per game, and has been particularly strong since entering Pac-10 competition.
But dealing with Locker could provide a difficult challenge for the Ducks, who haven’t faced a dangerous running QB since taking on Utah’s Terrance Cain on Sept. 19. Cain ran for 68 yards and a TD, and passed for 178 yards another score in Oregon’s 31-24 victory.
The Ducks, nonetheless, have done a good job of tracking down quarterbacks so far. They’re averaging three sacks per game. Linebacker Kenny Rowe’s made a team-high 6.5 of them on the year, and has forced three fumbles.
Linebacker Matthews is Ducks’ Top Tackler
Oregon’s leading tackler overall is linebacker Casey Matthews, who has 42 stops, including 2.5 sacks. Next on the list are defensive backs John Boyett and Javes Lewis with 37. Boyett has also come up with two interceptions, while Lewis has forced two fumbles in addition to making a pick.
Linebacker Spencer Paysinger leads the team in pass breakups with five, and also has 30 tackles, and cornerback Talmadge Jackson III has contributed 26 tackles in addition to two interceptions. The defensive line features tackle Blake Ferras (21 tackles) along with end Will Tukuafu (4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks).
Safety T.J. Ward, Oregon’s leading tackler, has not played since the opener because of a bad ankle. He’s been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game, ESPN reported.
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