Oregon’s second bye week of the season offered a bit of rest for the weary, which in the Ducks’ case is its defense.
But on a defense that has been on the field for more plays than any other in the nation, defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti has never had to worry about the motor of defensive ends Will Tukuafu and Nick Reed, the Pacific-10 Conference’s most prolific duo in the department of backfield disruption.
The pair have combined for 32.5 tackles for loss on the season, the second-most in the nation for a duo, and 17 sacks.
Both will figure prominently in stopping Oregon State’s speed in the rushing game, whether from Jacquizz or James Rodgers. Jacquizz, a freshman, has proven to be a tough back despite a small stature and has run for more than 1,200 yards this season. His brother, James, a wide receiver by design, can handle the ball on the Beavers’ fly sweep play that brings the wide receiver running into the backfield, where he can take a handoff from the quarterback. The 25-yard play helped James Rodgers run for the winning touchdown in the second overtime during last year’s Civil War game.
By the numbers
| 17: | Oregon State’s rank, its highest since being No. 10 during the 2001 preseason. | |
| 6: | Consecutive wins by the Beavers, the longest such streak since 2000, when they won seven straight. It is the seventh-longest streak in the nation. | |
| 2000: | The last year both teams were nationally ranked heading into the Civil War, when UO was No. 5 and OSU was No. 8. | |
| 4.84: | Average yards per carry by Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers, who has 1,253 yards this season and 11 touchdowns.7.22: | Average yards per carry by Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount, who has 816 yards this season and 15 touchdowns. |
| 32.5: | Combined tackles for loss by Oregon’s Nick Reed and Will Tukuafu. | |
| 31.0: | Combined tackles for loss by Oregon State’s Victor Butler and Slade Norris. | |
| 86.09: | Difference in yards allowed by Oregon State, 13th-best total defense in the nation, and Oregon, 73rd-best total defense in the nation. | |
| 16: | Passes defended by Oregon’s Jairus Byrd, tied for third-best in the nation. |
The Ducks’ defensive ends, however, won’t be the only pair of talented ends playing in Saturday’s Civil War. That distinction also belongs to the Beavers’ Victor Butler and Slade Norris, who resemble the Oregon duo in size, speed and productivity.
The pair have combined for 31 tackles for loss this season.
“From what I hear, they’re great defensive ends,” Reed said.
Butler, a 6-foot-2, 238-pound end, leads Oregon State with 16 tackles for loss, tied with Tukuafu for 12th nationally.
Norris, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound rush end, sizes up comparably with Reed, Tukuafu said.
“I think their play is pretty similar; get to the quarterback and stopping the run,” Tukuafu said.
“I figure he’s a smaller ‘D’ end like me, a run-around, pass-rush type guy like me,” Reed said.
All the players but Tukuafu are seniors, and both have given each team a pair of leaders on the edges of the line, something that has translated to their defenses as a whole. Oregon’s rushing defense has always found its strength in its ends, while the gap-stuffing ability of tackles Cole Linehan and Ra’Shon Harris has developed over the course of the season, averaging 122 yards per game allowed. Oregon State has averaged 112 yards allowed on the ground.
Despite both duos’ careers, Reed has never seen either of the Beaver ends play with the exception of last week’s game against Arizona, when Butler had 1.5 sacks against the Wildcats.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard their numbers,” Reed said. “Respect the numbers, but I honestly don’t know much about them.”
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