Oregon found out Saturday that as quickly as hype can be bestowed, it can be taken away even quicker.
Against Washington State, the Ducks found that out the hard way. Just days after finding itself on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Oregon fell to the Cougars 55-16 at Autzen Stadium.
“There is no way to describe it,” Oregon linebacker Kevin Mitchell said.
The Cougars (4-1 overall, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) outplayed the Ducks in every fashion, blocking two punts and forcing the Ducks to turn the ball over time after time. Washington State forced nine turnovers, including seven in the first half.
Washington State gained 125 yards on the ground, and had two quarterbacks combine to throw for 315 yards.
The 55 points the Cougars put on the board was the most by any opponent at Autzen. It was the also the worst loss at home for the Ducks since a 54-0 defeat at the hands of Washington in 1977.
If there’s any question as to why the Ducks failed to stay close to the Cougars, a quick look at the stat sheet would answer it. The nine turnovers committed by the Ducks (4-1, 1-1) kept them from establishing any consistency on offense, evidenced by 79 yards rushing.
“Early on, we committed so many turnovers we couldn’t keep the same balance on offense we usually like,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said.
What national title hopes the Ducks had entering the game were quickly erased by the Cougars. Washington State, No. 21 in the nation entering the game, went up 17-2 after the first quarter and held a 36-point lead at halftime.

Oregon’s two-quarterback rotation also took a severe hit in the loss. Kellen Clemens, who started his fifth straight game, threw four interceptions while Jason Fife was picked off twice.
“Every tipped ball seemed to come down into their hands,” Bellotti said.
Clemens and Fife ended the game having completed 24 passes in 58 attempts. They combined to throw for 360 yards.
“It was a nightmare,” Clemens said. “We got some bad breaks. We didn’t execute like we should have.
“We just got outplayed today. We made mistakes that are unacceptable at this level.”
On the flip side, Washington State quarterback Matt Kegel completed 13 passes in 33 attempts, but threw for 242 yards and three touchdown strikes.
Whereas the Cougars sacked Clemens and Fife four times, the Ducks were able to get to Kegel just once through the first three quarters. Oregon also sacked Cougar backup Josh Swogger, but not until the game was deep into the fourth quarter.
If it seemed as though the Ducks — ranked 10th entering the game — couldn’t do anything right in the first half, well, that was the case. Oregon turned the ball over seven times, had two punts blocked, and allowed Washington State to collect 240 yards of total offense.
The Ducks threw five interceptions in the first half — three of Clemens’ four came in the first two quarters while Fife turned the ball over twice. It was the first time this season the Ducks had even one pass picked off.
Oregon also fumbled twice, the first coming by wide receiver Demetrius Williams after the completion of a 47-yard pass that would have found Oregon at the Washington State 21. The other came on a kickoff return by Justin Phinisee with 16 seconds left in the first half.
“They were just ready to play,” Mitchell said. “We had some breakdowns on the defensive side and we just didn’t play the way we should have played.”

The only highlight of the first half for the Ducks came on a punt block by safety Keith Lewis. The senior broke through the Cougar offensive line and easily blocked Kyle Basler’s kick.
It was Lewis’ third straight game in which he blocked an opponent’s punt. However, he blocked it with so much force he knocked it out of the end zone, giving Oregon just two points on a safety.
Oregon pounced on two Washington State fumbles in the first
half, both times coming after Kegel fumbled the snap.
The Ducks scored their first touchdown of the game with 9:28 to play in the third quarter. Terrence Whitehead crossed the plane after a 4-yard run.
Clemens connected on his only touchdown of the game eight minutes later, finding Williams for a 26-yard reception.
The game marked the first time since 1999 the Cougars visited Autzen Stadium, and the win was the first time Washington State won in Eugene since a 24-13 defeat of the Ducks in 1997.
Oregon wide receiver Jordan Carey left the game in the third quarter due to a concussion, while Williams had to be carted off the field after the game with an ice pack on his knee.
Williams led the Ducks with nine catches for 175 yards.
The Ducks must now turn their attention to Utah as Oregon travels to Salt Lake City on Friday.
“We have to watch the tape, learn from this, and get ready for Utah next week,” Clemens said. “They aren’t going to cancel our season because we lost to Washington State.”

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