After Oregon’s game against Washington State, head coach Mike Bellotti and the Ducks said the game tapes were going to be ignored, tossed away like a bad movie.
After the Ducks lost to Utah, concern began growing that Oregon wasn’t up to par with the rest of the Pacific-10 Conference.
After the Ducks visited Arizona State on Saturday, there’s a whole new set of concerns.
Arizona State dominated Oregon in every category at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, defeating the Ducks 59-14.
“We didn’t show up at all, and Arizona State took advantage of it and played a great game,” Oregon quarterback Jason Fife said in a release. “You got to give them credit. They executed their coverages very well. We just didn’t play at all.”
Before the game, the Ducks talked about bringing intensity and a new attitude into Sun Devil Stadium.
Arizona State, meanwhile, also needed to come out strong after losing its previous three games.
The Sun Devils (3-3 overall, 1-2 Pac-10) brought it against Oregon. The Ducks left it in Eugene.
“We started off very poorly,” Bellotti said. “I think that gave them some momentum and some confidence. I felt like we were moving the football, but you can’t spot an equal team 14 points at their place.”
After throwing for 536 yards against the Ducks (4-3, 1-2) last season, Arizona State quarterback Andrew Walter had another impressive game Saturday. He didn’t come close to his output from a year ago, but he did complete 18 passes in 28 attempts for 316 yards. He threw for three touchdown strikes before giving way to backup Sam Keller late in the fourth quarter.
“We did not get to him,” Bellotti said. “I think we got him a couple times, but the biggest thing was that he had a lot of time to throw. It’s very difficult to cover people for that long.”
Derek Hagan was Walter’s favorite target, catching seven passes and one score. Skyler Fulton and Matt Miller also caught touchdown receptions.
The 59 points the Ducks allowed is the second time this season Oregon has allowed more than 50 in a single game. Washington State hung 55 on the board at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 27.
“Anytime you get a win like this it breeds confidence,” Walter said. “Now we just have to keep going and keep up the confidence. I think this win is the product of working hard in practice and going over film with the receivers.”
Arizona State has now scored 45 points or more in three of its last four games against the Ducks. The Sun Devils defeated the Ducks 45-42 last season, and lost by just one at Sun Devil Stadium in 2000, 56-55.
Loren Wade (with ball) and Andrew Walter helped lead an Arizona State offense that gained 497 total yards against the Ducks on Saturday.
The Sun Devils have scored 104 points and have passed for more than 1,000 yards in their last two games against the Ducks.
The 59 points is also the most Oregon has allowed in a single game since a 63-0 shutout at the hands of Nebraska in 1985. That game marked the last time Oregon lost by at least 45 points, which was Arizona State’s margin of victory Saturday.
Bellotti said before the game he did not plan to rotate quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Fife as he had in the previous six games this season. That all changed, however, when Clemens couldn’t get the offense going early.
His first two passes were picked off. The first was returned by Jamar Williams for a 50-yard touchdown return.
On a similar play, Clemens rolled right and lofted a pass into the hands of Arizona State’s Chris McKenzie for the quarterback’s second interception of the afternoon. The Sun Devils scored shortly after to go up, 14-0.
“Being up by 14 points so early was big,” Williams said. “We had to be strong. We had two big defensive plays off the base and that was awesome.”
Fife wasn’t much better, throwing for 102 yards on seven of 18 passing. He did throw a touchdown to tight end Tim Day and scored on a 1-yard run with 49 seconds left in the first half.
“We need to figure out what’s wrong with the offense and get back on track,” Clemens said. “Today, the first two series were definitely not impressive on my part. That contributed. We played with a lack of luster and that was largely in part to my two picks.”
Terrence Whitehead led the Ducks with 78 yards rushing on 19 carries. Fife wasn’t far behind with eight rushes for 69 yards. As a team, Oregon gained 159 yards on the ground in 33 attempts.
The Ducks have a bye next week, and even though they have to sit on the loss for more than a week, the extra rest may be needed.
Oregon returns to play Oct. 25 when Stanford visits Autzen Stadium in the Ducks’ 2003 Homecoming game.
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