The Ducks are trying to get back on track.
They’re moving along with an almost “business as usual” feel, according to their head coach, while coming off a conference loss is something Oregon is a little more accustomed to this season.
“(This week is) hard focus, contend to the end and finish things,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said Tuesday. “We’ll work very hard in practice with a positive attitude about what we can do this week.”
Heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. game against California, the Ducks are coming off more than just a conference loss, though. They’re coming off the second game of the first back-to-back losses to Washington since the early ’90s.
“Every single one of our losses this year has been opportunities to make plays that we haven’t made,” quarterback Kellen Clemens said. “(This week is) making the plays, doing it one play at a time, one series at a time, one quarter at a time and one game at a time.”
On Saturday in Seattle, Oregon had a promising first half. After a field goal and an 85-yard Clemens’ pass to Demetrius Williams, the Ducks went into the locker room at halftime with a 10-7 lead.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, their days as the comeback kids have reversed. This season, Oregon has lost to Utah and Washington after holding a 3-point lead at halftime. Against Utah, the Ducks gave up one touchdown in the second half. At Washington, they gave up 42 unanswered points, leading to a 42-10 loss.
“We’ve got to be consistent in what we do and the intensity level and just taking care of business and making plays,” senior linebacker Kevin Mitchell said. “We’ve got to work on some gap controls, defensive wise. It’s just a matter of us executing and getting ready throughout the week.”

Oregon’s best preparation has been the cold weather. After practicing in 39-degree weather on Tuesday, which was warmer than Monday’s practice, the Ducks will be ready come Saturday’s late kickoff.
“We’re going to be practicing in (the cold) all week,” Clemens said. “We’re going to be used to it — it won’t be as much of a shock to our system.”
The shock would come if the Ducks get a fifth loss on Saturday. Oregon is trying to match its school record of 10-straight winning seasons with a winning percentage of .500 or above.
The last time Oregon had a losing season, Bellotti was the offensive coordinator.
“Up to this point, we still have the opportunity to have a winning season,” Clemens said. “We still have an opportunity to go to a bowl game. I think that’s keeping a lot of guys focused. But if we don’t turn this thing around pretty soon, it’s going to get bad. And then it will be over. It’ll get bad and then it will be done. We don’t want that.”
The Ducks also want to show a former mentor that they’re still as good as when he was coach.
Saturday night’s game pits the Ducks against former offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford. Tedford is in his second year as head coach of the Golden Bears.
“It’s much like when (Arizona State head coach) Dirk (Koetter) came back,” Bellotti said. “They were parts of what we’ve done over the years. I’m very proud of what they’ve done on their own, and I respect a great deal what they contributed to the program when they were here, but now it’s very much that they’re the enemy so it’s a very different mindset.”
With Tedford leading California, the Ducks have said it’s going to be like playing in a house of mirrors.
“It’s going to be basically the Ducks playing the Ducks,” Clemens said. “They do a lot of the same things we do.”
Both teams are also one win away from the six-win minimum to be eligible for a post-season bowl game. Both teams want that opportunity with three weeks remaining in the season.
“We’re still taking it one game at a time,” Clemens said. “Each game grows more and more important as the season draws to a close.”