Oregon at WSU

When/where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Martin Stadium

TV: ESPN

Records: Oregon (3-0); Washington State (1-2)

Last time: Oregon defeated WSU 62-38 in Eugene (2013)

What it means for WSU: The Cougars don’t need to knock off the No. 2 team in the country to have a successful Pac-12 opener. As long as WSU plays up to its ability and keeps it close it will set itself up for badly needed wins at Utah and at home against Cal in coming weeks. A win would be a program-changer and make another bowl game seem like a certainty rather than a long shot.

What it means for Oregon: The Ducks are in position to make it to the four-team playoff at the end of the season, now they just have to avoid title-killing upsets. Every team is going to give its best shot against the Ducks and every win is one more hurdle passed.

Key matchup: Connor Halliday vs. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Erick Dargan

Halliday threw for 557 yards in last season’s game at Oregon but he also threw four interceptions. Oregon’s cornerback duo makes it tough for teams to avoid those costly turnovers that make it impossible to keep pace with the Ducks’ offense. Ekpre-Olomu is a popular first-round choice in NFL mock drafts and Dargan is tied for the national lead with three interceptions. They’ll challenge WSU’s receivers at the line of scrimmage and make it tough for Halliday to make quick passes and offset UO’s pass rush. For the Cougars to spring the upset, Halliday needs to put up similar passing numbers to last season’s game while keeping the ball out of the hands of Ekrpe-Olomu and Dargan.

Look ahead: Washington State’s game at Utah on Sept. 27 will kick off at 5 p.m. and air on the Pac-12 Networks.

Jacob Thorpe