Two weeks ago, while Oregon was putting the finishing touches on its 42-13 non-conference victory over Idaho, Washington fans began to chant “Bring on the Ducks! Bring on the Ducks!”
This is not extraordinary, except that: a) Husky fans were in Boulder, Col., drowning out a rowdy Colorado home crowd of 50,454, and b) a bye week separated the Buffaloes game and this week’s anticipated Oregon-Washington matchup. Also surprising about the chant was that it occurred with the score being only 17-7 in Washington’s favor, and there was still a good portion amount of time left in the game.
One thing is certain, the sixth-ranked Huskies will be ready for the Ducks when they visit Eugene this weekend.
The undefeated Huskies are off to a blazing start with wins over then-No. 4 Miami (Fla), Colorado and Idaho. Rick Neuheisel’s team has risen steadily in the Associated Press Top-25 polls, beginning the season at No. 15 and now residing in the No. 6 spot. After the three wins, the Huskies had a bye week to prepare for the Ducks.
During that time, Washington went through practice with increased crowd noise to simulate the hostile Autzen Stadium atmosphere. But nothing can truly create the ear-splitting clamor from the 45,000-plus fans expected to attend this weekend’s game, which has been sold out for months.
Last week, UCLA used whisper drills to prepare for Autzen. The Bruins whispered their way to six illegal motion penalties, including three in a row in the first half of a 29-10 Duck rout. After the game, UCLA coach Bob Toledo described Autzen as Oregon’s “12th man.”
During its bye week, Washington got a close-up look at the Autzen mystique on national television.
“I think that if you are not prepared for [crowd noise] you get surprised and it can have an effect,” Neuheisel said. “I think we are clearly aware of what kind of home crowd Oregon possesses. We have to find a way to stay within ourselves and play good football.”
As important as the game is for Oregon, it is equally crucial to the Huskies and their season.
“We understand the challenge that lies ahead and we are excited about it,” Neuheisel said. “It is our Pac-10 opener and although it is early in the Pac-10 race it certainly has implications down the road and we need to take care of business if we expect to be a team that is in the race in November. I am excited, but weary about what lies ahead.”
Washington needs a win to keep pace with the nation’s undefeated elite — Nebraska, Florida and Florida State. A loss could dash some its Rose Bowl hopes, much like UCLA’s were last week.
Starting quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo is more confident about the game than their coach.
“We have to make plays to keep the crowd quiet,” Tuiasosopo said.
Tuiasosopo leads the Pac-10 in total offense with 271.3 yards per game.
Washington leads the Pac-10 in rushing offense despite having no players averaging over 60 yards per game. However, the Huskies do have six players who average over 14 yards per game. Surprisingly, Tuiasosopo leads the list at 56 yards per game, followed by tailback Paul Arnold at 42.7.
Tuiasosopo does have a number of targets to pass to. Tight end Jerramy Stevens averages 13.6 yards per reception and 77 yards per game, good enough for fifth in the conference. Arnold and flanker Wilbur Hooks also have had good performances.
Whoever comes out on top of the hyped Oregon-Washington battle will have bragging rights for the next couple of years. Because of scheduling conflicts, the Ducks and Huskies will not see each other until 2002. The year off will mark only the second time in 100 years that the two teams have not met.