3 things to watch

1

Score early – and often: When the Cougars last ventured into Auzten Stadium, in 2003, they seemingly scored six points as they were leaving the bus. The deluge continued, the crowd disappeared and WSU won 55-16. A little of that early offense – and a forced turnover or two – would go a long way in recapturing that silence.

2

Field position: The Ducks have the conference’s top punter in Josh Syria, who has a net average of 38.9 yards. They have the Pac-10’s No. 1 kickoff returner (Jonathan Stewart, 29.5) and team (25.1). They are third in punt returns (10.2). The Cougars are eighth in net punting (30.9), fourth in kickoff returns (22.6) and last in punt returns (3.1). The yards usually hidden in the kicking game may not be so hidden today.

3

Stop the run game: You might think that with senior quarterback Dennis Dixon averaging 249 yards a game, passing would be the Ducks’ main weapon. It isn’t. Their main weapon is a running game keyed by Stewart’s 124.6 yards a game – part of a team total of 276.6 yards. If the Cougars are going to have a shot, they have to make Oregon one-dimensional – through the air.