An exhausting, last-second 24-22 win against one of the most successful programs in Pacific-10 Conference history is a hard act to follow, especially when the next scene involves 0-3 Utah State.
But think of Saturday’s 6 p.m. nonconference matchup against the Aggies as a midterm exam for the sixth-ranked Oregon football squad (3-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-10).
It’s not supposed to be a pop-quiz, or even the dreaded final, it’s just a test any freshman would pass with flying colors.
Cornerback Steve Smith, a hero of last week’s emotional two-point victory, said the Ducks know how it feels to be Utah State.
“A couple years ago, we were the unranked team, and we know how fired up we got to win,” Smith said. “We know they’re going to be ready for us to come in there.”
The Ducks, favored by more than two touchdowns, head to Logan, Utah, for the first of three straight road games.
“You never really know what type of team you have until you go on the road,” head coach Mike Bellotti said. “Playing at home is one thing and it’s obviously a comfort zone with a supportive crowd.
“We’re going to someone else’s house, and if we want to accomplish the things we’ve set out for ourselves, then this is the next step,” Bellotti said. “We cannot overlook anybody. There is not the margin for error.”
No margin for error. This is the No. 6 team in the nation, talking about an 0-3, independent school with a stadium that seats 30,257. But the Ducks know they need to stop “playing to the level of our competition,” as Smith put it.
“We need to stop that,” Smith said. “We need to come out ready to rumble this weekend.”
Oregon has played three close games this season, but with three wins. Oregon beat Wisconsin 31-28 in its first game and unranked Utah 24-10 in game two before its emotional win over USC.
“We’re not where we need to be in any aspect of our game, and I see that as a positive considering we’re 3-0,” Bellotti said.
The Ducks have traditionally avoided letdowns after emotional games. In 1999, after a tough one-touchdown loss to Michigan State, Oregon blew out Texas-El Paso the following week, 47-28, and Nevada 72-10 a week after. Despite losing to Wisconsin last season, Oregon regrouped and blew out Idaho 42-13. In a similar situation to the one Oregon now faces, the Ducks won a close overtime game at Fresno State in 1996, and came back to cream Nevada 44-30 the following week.
Still, despite the history, rankings and tradition, Oregon will not look past Utah State this weekend.
“A win like [USC] just brings us more together,” said freshman placekicker Jared Siegel, the hero of last Saturday’s win. “Hopefully the team will put things together more consistently, and it won’t come down to my kick.”
Offensively, quarterback Joey Harrington leads the conference with 110 pass attempts, completing a respectable 56 percent of those, but is seventh in the conference with 222 yards per game. His Heisman status has declined some, and a big day against the Aggies would no doubt help in his quest to head to New York in December.
Bellotti said converting on third downs and establishing a better running game are essential this weekend.
Utah State features one of the nation’s top wide receivers in Kevin Curtis, who is averaging 10.7 catches per game, best in the nation. The Aggies star running back, Emmett White, is also a major threat
“Coming into the game (against USC), we emphasized stopping the run,” said sophomore safety Keith Lewis, who leads the Pac-10 with 35 tackles through three games. “[USC running back Sultan] McCullough came in here with a big head, talking a lot of trash, saying he was going to stuff the ball down our throats. And look what happened.”
What happened is Lewis and the Duck defense allowed McCullough just 31 yards on 20 carries, by far Oregon’s best performance of the season.
The Ducks will need more of the same to stop White and the Aggies.