Oregon vs. No. 5 Washington Time: 4:30 p.m. PT, Saturday Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene Records: Oregon (2-3, 0-2 Pac-12); Washington (5-0, 2-0) Coaches: Mark Helfrich, fourth year at Oregon (35-11); Chris Petersen, third season at UW (20-12 at UW, 112-24 overall) Latest line: Washington by 9 On the air: TV on FOX, radio on radio on KXTG (750 AM, 102.9 FM), KUGN-AM (590), Sirius 137, XM 197 Live stream: Fox Sports Go What's at stake: Oregon's 12-game winning streak against the Huskies, the longest such streak by either team in a series that dates to 1900. In the bigger picture, however, a win for UO would keep the vultures surrounding coach Mark Helfrich at bay entering a bye week, while Washington's College Football Playoff hopes rest on its sixth straight win to start the season. UO offense vs. UW defense: No matter whether Dakota Prukop or Justin Herbert starts, a quarterback's best friend will be a pressure-relieving, yardage-eating rushing attack. Without All-American Royce Freeman's 75-yard touchdown against Washington State, Oregon would have averaged 3.9 yards per carry. As it was, that long touchdown is one of Oregon's 15 rushes of 20 or more yards this season, which ranks third-most nationally, behind Louisville and Pittsburgh's 19 apiece. Backup Kani Benoit (222 rushing yards) left practice early this week with his left arm in a sling after taking a hard hit vs. Washington State last week, and position coach Gary Campbell said Benoit "is preparing to get back but we'll see how he is on Saturday." Freeman has averaged 153.5 yards in his career against Washington. Though coaches have refused to name a starter, teammates have indicated Herbert is the starter Saturday. "He gets the ball out quick," safety Juwaan Williams said, and fellow safety Khalil Oliver said the true freshman from Eugene "reads the defense well and he knows where to put the ball." Washington leads the country with 11 fumble recoveries and 6-foot-1, 221-pound Keshawn Bierria is the FBS leader with four of his own. Linebacker Psalm Wooching (6-4, 231) was the national defensive player of the week after his three sacks against Stanford. Wooching is multi-talented: According to UW, he is a "professional fire dancer who performs at luaus" in his off-time. Another linebacker, Azeem Victor, has been a full-time force with a team-high 27 solo and 42 total tackles. The Huskies rank No. 2 nationally with 4.2 sacks per game and eighth in fewest points allowed. UO's Helfrich said simulating the UW defense has been the team's biggest challenge this week. UO defense vs. UW offense: Washington has outscored opponents 134-17 in first halves this season and two key reasons why are quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin, both sophomores. Browning followed his 16-touchdown, 10-interception true freshman season with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions this fall and the country's second-highest quarterback rating. His 70.7 completion percentage is sixth-best in FBS, too. With his maturity, and the return of speedy receiver/return specialist John Ross (see: Individual Matchup To Watch) that has forced defenses to stretch the field, Washington has increased from 30.6 points per game in 2015 to 45.4 through five games this season. Gaskin, the first true freshman to rush for at least 1,000 yards at UW, is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 80.4 yards per game. Kicker Cameron Van Winkle is on the Lou Groza Award watch list but is 4 of 7 on field goals with all three of his misses between 40-47 yards. Ross averages 35 yards per kick return, while Dante Pettis averages 14.3 yards per punt return, and each has scored a return touchdown so far. The Ducks' porous defense is has allowed 4.9 yards per rush, the 105th-highest average nationally, and let opponents convert first downs 46.3 percent of the time on third down, which also ranks lower than 100th. The Ducks say they do not have a timeline on a possible return of linebacker Johnny Ragin III, but he will not play this week due to a leg injury suffered against Washington State. Linebackers coach Don Pellum said missed tackles and blown assignments within his position group vs. WSU boiled down to "guys trying to do too much and not just settling down and doing their job." Ragin's absence hurts in several ways. "Johnny was good at seeing a real big picture and being like a coach," Pellum said. "Everyone has to grow up faster now." Freshman linebacker Troy Dye will play, coaches confirmed, after missing the last game with what sources told The Oregonian/OregonLive was a concussion. Did you know: Washington's eight-game winning streak is tied with Houston for third-longest in the country. Individual matchup to watch: UW receiver John Ross vs. UO cornerbacks Arrion Springs or Tyree Robinson. Ross, UO coach Mark Helfrich believes, is the single-biggest factor for UW's improvement from modest to explosive offensively, after Ross returned this season from a knee injury that knocked him out all of 2015. Ross has scored on five plays of at least 90 yards in his career, including a 92-yard kick return touchdown in the season-opening win against Rutgers. Ross has caught six touchdowns this season, tied for fourth-most nationally, and is coming off a four catch, one-touchdown and 82-yard game against Stanford. Key stat: Oregon's defense has allowed a touchdown on 76 percent of opponents' drives inside the red zone, the 12th-highest TD percentage in the country (one spot above Oregon State). Overall, opponents have scored points on 21 of 25 drives (84 percent) that reach the UO 20-yard line. Key stat part II: Which team can rush for 200 yards first? Breaking that rushing barrier is a good omen for both schools. The Huskies are 86-16-1 since 1990 when doing it, while Oregon is 105-10 since 2000. They said it: "I feel like they're going to come in here and see us as Oregon and expect us to fall over, but it's not going to be that easy" -- Rex Manu, defensive tackle. Prediction: Washington 42, Oregon 21 The last time these teams met: The return of once-injured quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. sparked Oregon's offense in a 26-20 win in Husky Stadium that was the first of six consecutive victories for UO to close the regular season. http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/ind..._vs_no_5_washingto.html#incart_river_home_pop
I got a feeling that this game will end up like that old Jack Dempsey saying.... "Honey, I forgot to duck." (No pun intended.) I hope that they stay competitive. But I have no confindence in anything Mark Helfruch is involved with.
I'm surprised they have not replaced him, his fumbled and muffed a lot of kicks, and hasn't really had many good returns.
It's amazing how Helfrich and Co. single handily ruined this program in such a short time span. I wonder who will hire this bum as an OC after he gets canned.
This game is really the last interesting thing about this abysmal season. If we can knock off the Huskies at home...but it looks like we're in store for a spanking.
I mean it's a win-win. If we win, we continue the domination of Washington, if we lose, Helfrich is 100% gone by December.
I don't think I've liked one uniform combination this season. Maybe it's just time to hang this Mickey Mouse bullshit up and ONLY wear a combo of green, yellow, and white.
