GAME: Washington (3-1 overall, 1-0 Pac-12) at Oregon (4-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-12). WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.. PT, Autzen Stadium, Eugene. MEETING: 105th (UW leads 58-41-5). COACHES: Chip Kelly, Oregon; Steve Sarkisian, Washington. RANKINGS: Oregon 2 AP, 2 USA Today; UW 23 AP. LINE: Oregon by 24 1/2. TV: ESPN. RADIO: KJR-950 AM, 102.9 FM
Given that Oregon averages 52.8 points per game, the Ducks generate a lot of ancillary stats on which to chew. But this one best summarizes the task facing Steve Sarkisian’s Washington Huskies when they tee it up against the nation’s No. 2 team Saturday night in the House of Loud (Autzen Stadium): Of Oregon’s 33 drives resulting in touchdowns, 18 have lasted less than two minutes and 11 have taken 60 seconds or less.
Washington’s inclusion in The Associated Press rankings this week (No. 23) may not last long when up against the following:
- Oregon has lost only one home game during the Chip Kelly era (2009-12), that 38-35 to USC last year.
- Since Kelly’s arrival in Oregon in 2007 (as an assistant coach), the Ducks average 46.7 points per home game.
- Oregon has scored 30 or more points in 18 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the FBS behind Oklahoma State (19). The Ducks are 37-2 when scoring 30+ points in the Kelly era.
- Oregon has 15 offensive plays that have gone for 25 yards or longer, seven of them for touchdowns.
- The Ducks have never lost a game from Week 2 through Week 8 (25-0) during Kelly’s tenure as head coach.
- Oregon’s eight-game winning streak is the longest among Pac-12 schools. The Ducks have scored 42 or more points in each. In seven the Ducks have scored 49 or more, including 51 last week against Washington State at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
- Washington reached the Top 25 (Associated Press) this week for the first time since 2010. Oregon is 8-1 against Top 25 teams at Autzen Stadium.
- Through the first two Pac-12 games, Oregon has allowed just one touchdown in 11 opponent trips to the red zone.
In Washington’s last eight games against Oregon, all losses, the Huskies have been brutalized 339-137, an average score of 42.4 to 17.1. UW is improved, especially defensively, but has not demonstrated that it has enough offense to hang with the Ducks.
“You hit them and they just slide right off you,” Washington State’s Steve Hoffart said after the Cougars lost to the Ducks.
Main Oregon player to watch is senior RB Kenjon Barner, who popped an 80-yard touchdown run on Washington State last week. That marked his fourth score of 80-plus yards in his career (84 and 80 by rushing; 100 kickoff return; 80 punt return). Barner ranks 10th nationally in rushing yards at 121.0 yards per game.
SERIES: Dates to Dec. 1, 1900, when Oregon won 43-0 defeat. Oregon has won the last eight in a row (longest winning streak by either team in the rivalry), including 34-17 last year at Husky Stadium. Washington has not won a game in Eugene since Nov.9, 2002, when Casey Paus, subbing for an injured Cody Pickett, and Reggie Williams led the Huskies to a 41-29 victory.
UW HEAD COACH: Steve Sarkisian (22-20-0) is in his fourth season. After a 5-7 record in his first year (2009), Sarkisian guided the Huskies to a 7-6 record in 2010, which ended with a 19-7 victory over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. That marked Washington’s first postseason game since the 2002 Sun Bowl. Sarkisian coached the Huskies to another 7-6 record in 2011, including a berth opposite Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Prior to joining the Huskies, Sarkisian served as a USC assistant under Pete Carroll (2001-03, 2005-08). He also worked as an Oakland Raiders assistant in 2004. Sarkisian played quarterback at Brigham Young University and later played in the Canadian Football League.
UW STATS / NOTES
- SEASON SUMMARY: Record: 3-1. Home: 3-0. Road: 0-1. Neutral: 0-0. Vs. Pac-12: 1-0. Vs. Pac-12 North: 1-0. Vs. Pac-12 South: 0-0. Vs. Non-Conference: 2-1. Points For: 93 (23.2). Rushing Yards Per Game: 119.2. Passing Yards Per Game: 194.0. Total Offense Per Game: 313.2. Points Against: 79 (19.8). Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game: 147.2. Opp. Passing Yards Per Game: 167.8. Total Defense Per Game: 315.0.
- PAC-12 RANKS: Scoring Offense — 10th (23.2); Scoring Defense — 4th (19.8); Total Offense — 11th (313.2); Total Defense — 2nd (315.8); Rushing Offense — 9th (119.2); Rushing Defense — 7th (148.0); Passing Offense — 11th (194.0); Pass Defense — 2nd (167.8); Passing Efficiency — 11th (115.6).
- Washington is in the national rankings for the first time since the seventh week of the 2011 season when the Huskies, No. 22, played Stanford. Washington dropped out of the rankings after losing 65-21.
- Sophomore RB Bishop Sankey leads the Pac-12 in rushing yards, averaging 144.0 per game, although the sample size is one game.
- Junior QB Keith Price ranks 10th in Pac-12 in passing yards per game at 177.0 and 11th in passing efficiency at 95.0.
- Sophomore WR Kasen Williams leads the Pac-12 in receptions per game (10.0) and ranks fourth in receiving yards per game (129.0)
- Freshman Marvin Hall’s 13.0-yard punt return average leads the Pac-12.
- Junior Thomas Tutogi ranks third, averaging 10.0 tackles per game.
- Junior DT Lawrence Lagafuaina will miss the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury. He played in UW’s first three games.
- UW’s Oct. 13 game against USC at CenturyLink Field will start at 4 p.m. and be televised by FOX.
HUSKIES OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Rushing
| Player | G | Att. | Yards | TDs | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Sankey | 4 | 64 | 329 | 4 | 61 | 82.2 |
| Erich Wilson | 3 | 21 | 119 | 0 | 31 | 39.7 |
| Dezden Petty | 3 | 24 | 65 | 0 | 17 | 21.7 |
| Kendyl Taylor | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2.2 |
| Total | 4 | 138 | 477 | 4 | 61 | 119.2 |
| Opponents | 4 | 144 | 589 | 6 | 32 | 147.2 |
Passing
| Player | G | Att. | Cmp. | Yards | TDs/INT | Effic. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Price | 4 | 127 | 75 | 737 | 5 /2 | 117.6 |
| Total | 4 | 133 | 78 | 776 | 5 /3 | 115.6 |
| Opponents | 4 | 109 | 58 | 671 | 3 /4 | 106.7 |
Receiving
| Player | G | Rec. | Yards | TD | Long | Y/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasen Williams | 4 | 25 | 292 | 3 | 35 | 73.0 |
| A. Seferian-Jenkins | 4 | 22 | 221 | 1 | 40 | 55.2 |
| Kevin Smith | 3 | 6 | 68 | 0 | 22 | 22.7 |
| Bishop Sankey | 4 | 6 | 39 | 0 | 15 | 9.8 |
| Jaydon Mickens | 4 | 5 | 33 | 0 | 12 | 8.2 |
| D. Campbell | 4 | 4 | 38 | 1 | 20 | 9.5 |
| Kendyl Taylor | 4 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 4.2 |
| M. Hartvigson | 4 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Jesse Callier | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 8.0 |
| Totals | 4 | 78 | 776 | 5 | 40 | 194.0 |
| Opponents | 4 | 58 | 671 | 3 | 70 | 167.8 |
HUSKIES DEFENSIVE LEADERS
| Category | Skinny |
|---|---|
| Tackles | Tutogi 29, Timu 24, Thompson 20 |
| Sacks | Shirley 2, five tied with 1 |
| Interceptions | Glenn, Watson, Peters, Trufant 1 |
| Passes Defensed | Watson 4, Trufant 3, Peters 3, Glenn 2 |
| Forced Fumbles | Feeney, Fuimaono, Stevenson, Tutogi, 1 |
| Fumbles Recovered | Tutogi, Glenn, Shamberger, 1 |
Pac-12 Standings / North
| Schools | Overall | Conf. | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 5-0 | 2-0 | Saturday vs. UW, 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Oregon St. | 3-0 | 2-0 | Saturday vs. WSU, 3 p.m., Pac-12 |
| Stanford | 3-0 | 1-0 | Saturday vs. Arizona, 12 p.m., FOX |
| Washington | 2-1 | 1-0 | Saturday at Oregon, 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
| WSU | 2-3 | 0-2 | Saturday at OSU, 3 p.m., Pac-12 |
| California | 1-4 | 0-2 | Saturday vs. UCLA, 7 p.m., Pac-12 |
Pac-12 Standings / South
| Schools | Overall | Conf. | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASU | 4-1 | 2-0 | Oct. 11 at Colorado, 6 p.m., ESPN |
| USC | 4-1 | 2-1 | Oct. 13 at Washington |
| UCLA | 4-1 | 1-1 | Oct. 13 vs. Utah, 12 p.m., FOX |
| Colorado | 1-4 | 1-1 | Oct. 11 vs. ASU, 6 p.m., ESPN |
| Arizona | 3-2 | 0-2 | Saturday at Stanford, 12 p.m., FOX |
| Utah | 2-3 | 0-2 | Oct. 13 at UCLA, 12 p.m., FOX |
OREGON NOTES: Oregon has defeated Arkansas State (57-34), Fresno State (42-25), Tennessee Tech (63-14), Arizona (49-0) and Washington State (51-26) . . . Oregon ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (50.0 PPG), T2 in scoring defense (13.0), 2nd in total offense (482.0), 5th in total defense (367.0), 1st in rushing offense (264.0), 1st in rushing defense (40.5), 8th in passing offense (218.0), 8th in pass defense (326.5) and 7th in passing efficiency (121.4) . . . With four TDs against WSU (3 rush, 1 reception), RB Kenjon Barner moved to No. 6 on Oregon’s all-time scoring list with 222 points while passing Ahmad Rashad for third on the career TD list with 37. Barner is the Pac-12’s second-leading rusher at 140.5 yards per game . . . Freshman QB Marcus Mariota averages 251 yards per game in total offense . . . Oregon coach Chip Kelly is 27-2 all-time in conference play . . . The Oregon roster includes two players from the state of Washington, OL Nick Cody (Brush Prairie) and DL Nick Morrison (Everett).
OREGON HEAD COACH: Chip Kelly (38-6-0) is in his fourth season as head coach, which includes three consecutive conference championships. A native of Manchester, NH., Kelly began his coaching career at Columbia in 1990 and subsequently coached at Johns Hopkins and New Hampshire before becoming Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2007. Since his elevation to head coach, Kelly has won a variety of awards including the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year and 2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year. Kelly has coached the Ducks to two Rose Bowls (2009, 2011) and to the BCS national title game (2010).
COMING UP: The Huskies will return to CenturyLink Field to meet the USC Trojans Oct. 13.
University of Washington 2012 Schedule/Results
| Date | Opponent | UW Rnk | Opp Rnk | W/L | Score | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1/12 | vs. SD State | — | — | W | 21-12 | 1-0 |
| 9/8/12 | at LSU | — | 3 | L | 41-3 | 1-1 |
| 9/15/12 | vs. Port. State | — | — | W | 52-13 | 2-1 |
| 9/27/12 | vs. Stanford | — | 18 | W | 17-13 | 3-1 |
| 10/6/12 | at Oregon | 23 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 10/13/12 | vs. USC | — | 13 | — | — | — |
| 10/20/12 | at Arizona | — | 11 | — | — | — |
| 10/27/12 | vs. OSU | — | 14 | — | — | — |
| 11/2/12 | at California | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/10/12 | vs. Utah | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/17/12 | at Colorado | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11/23/12 | at WSU | — | — | — | — | — |
2012 RECAPS
UW 21, San Diego State 12 (Sept. 1): Keith Price completed 25 of 35 passes for 222 yards and an eight-yard TD to Kasen Williams, and Will Shamburger returned a fumble 44 yards to a touchdown as Washington defeated San Diego State in front of 53,742 at CenturyLink Field. The UW defense, maligned throughout the 2011 season, gave up 199 rushing yards but just 128 passing yards, recovered two fumbles, had three sacks and an interception.
LSU 41, Washington 3 (Sept. 8): No. 3 LSU sacked Keith Price four times, hit him an additional dozen times and romped easily to victory over Washington in the Huskies’ first trip to the Southeastern Conference since 1983. LSU outgained Washington 437 yards to 170 and held Price to 157 passing yards with one interception.
UW 52, Portland State 13 (Sept. 15): Keith Price threw three touchdown passes in the first 23 minutes, Bishop Sankey ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns, Shaq Thompson blocked a field goal that Tre Watson returned 79 yards for a touchdown, and the Huskies massacred the Vikings at CenturyLink Field. It marked the Huskies’ biggest win since a 53-3 win over Idaho in 2001.
UW 17, Stanford 13 (Sept. 27): Keith Price threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Kasen Williams late in the fourth quarter and Desmond Trufant made a game-sealing interception as Washington shocked No. 8 Stanford 17-13 at CenturyLink Field. One year after UW lost to Stanford by 44 points and a week after the Cardinal defeated national title contender USC, Washington used a stifling defense to upset Stanford, holding the Cardinal to just 235 yards and no offensive touchdowns. Bishop Sankey ran for 144 yards for UW and scored on a 61-yard run on the last play of the third quarter, sparking Washington’s stagnant offense.