Washington comes into its matchup with No. 6@@changed from No. 8: goducks, http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings and http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/football/fbs/usa_today_coaches@@ Oregon looking more prepared to spring an upset against the Ducks than any time in recent memory. The Huskies are 6-2 overall (4-1 in the Pac-12)@@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Football/Standings.aspx@@ and, despite the graduation of highly touted quarterback Jake Locker@@CE@@, have an offense that should — at the very least — hold its own against the Ducks. The Huskies are averaging 35.6 points per game (tied for 25th in the country)@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1028@@ with 255.5 passing yards per game (37th in the NCAA).@@changed from 38th: http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1026@@
Sophomore quarterback Keith Price@@CE@@ has stepped into the starting role seamlessly, displaying deft decision-making and accuracy. The Compton, Calif., native has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 1990 yards and 23 touchdowns (versus eight interceptions) in 2011@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/price_keith00.html@@.
Price also has some valuable experience against the Ducks. The true sophomore made his first career start in Autzen Stadium last November and had a decent debut against then-No. 1 Oregon, completing 14 of 28 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown (with no turnovers)@@http://www.goducks.com/fls/500/pages/2010-11/FB/stats/uwuo10.htm@@. Price said that being thrown into a hostile road environment for that matchup was actually more exciting than daunting.
“Oh man, it was fun,” Price said. “It was my first time starting and, you know, they threw a lot of blitzes out there. That’s just some of their schemes.”
Containing Price will be the primary concern for Oregon’s defense. A more difficult challenge for Nick Aliotti’s@@CE@@ men will be neutralizing versatile running back Chris Polk@@CE@@. The junior already has 1,016 yards (127 per game) and nine touchdowns on the ground this year@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/polk_chris00.html@@. The 5-foot-11 @@tail?@@back is also a threat in the passing game, collecting 18 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns on the season@@see previous@@. During Washington’s last game — a 42-31 victory over Arizona@@UW schedule@@ — Polk scorched the Wildcats’ secondary for 100 yards on only four receptions@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/arizwash.html@@. Combined with a monumental effort on the ground (34 carries for 144 yards and 4 scores), Polk accounted for five offensive touchdowns by himself@@see previous@@.
On the other side of the ball, Washington’s defense will also face a stiff test in subduing Oregon’s stable of versatile, lightning-quick running backs. Washington knows that the Ducks’ top trio (LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas@@CE all@@) is emblematic of the team’s overall philosophy.
“(The Ducks) obviously present a great deal of challenges with their overall team speed, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams,” Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian@@CE@@ said.
Although most of the Pac-12 is well aware of Oregon’s speedy offense, its special teams have been a less-heralded key to victory in recent weeks. Booming punts by Jackson Rice@@CE@@, an elusive kickoff return by De’Anthony Thomas and a blocked punt by Avery Patterson@@CE@@ helped sustain the Ducks’ offense last week against the Cougars during a first-half that was relatively choppy for Chip Kelly’s@@CE@@ squad.
“Obviously last season they had great success in the return game against us,” Sarkisian said. “And it made it a real point of emphasis for us heading into the offseason, whether it’s in the punt-coverage unit or the kick-coverage unit, to try to corral them. I thought that was a big factor in the game last year.”
The Huskies have taken great leaps in the kick coverage and feel assured this year won’t be a repeat of last season’s matchup.
“The thing I think is all the young guys we were playing with before are coming along now,” special teams coach Johnny Nansen@@CE@@ said to the Seattle Times@@http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2016674266.html@@. “We haven’t changed the schemes at all, it’s just our guys are starting to understand it and they are playing hard. The returners are seeing what they need to see and they are hitting it down there like they are supposed to.”
Another issue for the Huskies will be conditioning. Last season against Oregon, the Huskies buckled down early on, holding the Ducks scoreless in the first quarter. From that point on, however, Oregon was off to the races, racking up 53 points in the last 45 minutes of the contest@@http://www.goducks.com/fls/500/pages/2010-11/FB/stats/uwuo10.htm@@.
“I think we’ve played decent defense against them for two-and-a-half quarters for two years in a row now but have run out of gas in the last 20 plays of the game,” Sarkisian said. “That’s where they’ve really hurt us.”
Last week, Washington State hung with Oregon during the first two quarters but came up short on a number of early opportunities to get on the board. Sarkisian knows his squad must execute near the goal line if they hope to keep up with Oregon’s breakneck@@m-w@@ scoring.
“I feel like the last two years, we’ve been unable to (capitalize on opportunities),” Sarkisian said. “In the first halves of both ball games we’ve been in the red zone and haven’t had the success that we are accustomed to having. We’ve settled for field goals, and we’ve gone for it on 4th down and not converted.”
Washington has lost its last seven matchups with Oregon, each by 20 points or more@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3383&SPID=233&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205326166&DB_OEM_ID=500@@.