Defense may be flavor of the day
PULLMAN – Two months ago, a prognosticator looking forward to today’s Oregon-Washington State football game would have guessed that both teams would have walked into Martin Stadium with a high-powered offense, ready for another shootout.
After all, these same two teams have met on the same field in each of the last two seasons, with Oregon winning 41-38 in 2004 and 34-31 last season.
With gobs of offensive talent back on each roster, a similar affair wouldn’t have seemed like a stretch to predict. Things have played out a little differently, however.
Oregon has held up its end of the bargain, bringing in an offense that averages nearly 36 points a game. It’s the Cougars, though, that could turn the tables on the once-anticipated fireworks.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be a high-scoring affair,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. “I tend to think it’s going to go the other way.”
That’s because WSU has a surprising recent history of keeping the score low, and in more than one way. Its defense held high-powered California to three touchdowns last week – far better than expected – while its offense scored just a field goal – far worse than expected.
Together, the Cougars’ defensive might and their offensive misses could add up to a more physical, defensive battle.
“I think guys come to the huddle and we want to score,” Cougars wide receiver Jason Hill said of his team’s offensive woes. “For some reason it’s just not crossing that line.”
Today’s game could also go a long way in determining how the Pac-10 will shape up top to bottom. The 16th-ranked Ducks have designs on a top-three finish in the conference standings, with their lone loss in six games coming to Cal.
“We’d like to be 6-0, obviously,” Bellotti said. “But I think we’re probably at where we would have said, ‘Yeah, this is a decent place to be.’ “
WSU has much to prove without a conference win at home to its name since the 2004 Apple Cup. The Cougars, however, would love to put a dent in those Oregon plans, and a win today – in addition to getting them within a victory of bowl eligibility – would have many looking at them as the surprise team in the conference this season.
At 4-3, WSU finds itself in the midst of a decisive stretch of games. Be it by shootout or shutout, it knows how important a win would be.
“(Oregon) in some ways is as good as Cal and as good as USC,” WSU coach Bill Doba said. “You don’t build a lot of confidence in finishing if you don’t build it through that first part of the season.”