WSU Hobbles Into Game Against Oregon
It was just over a year ago that Oregon hobbled into Martin Stadium in Pullman and fell victim to a mugging.
The wounded Ducks, who were missing several starters because of injuries, were clubbed by Washington State 21-7.
Since then, however, they have thrown down their crutches and walked on their own - all the way Pasadena, Calif., where they represented the Pacific-10 Conference in the Rose Bowl last January.
And WSU is suddenly scrambling to gather up UO’s discarded crutches as the two teams prepare to meet again in Saturday’s 7 p.m. Pacific-10 Conference rematch in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
The Cougars, coming off a bruising 26-14 road loss to Southern California last weekend, have three starters listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game against the 12th-ranked Ducks, which will be televised live on Prime Sports Northwest.
Middle linebacker James Darling has a hip pointer, running back Derek Sparks has a sprained ankle and free safety Derek Henderson has bruised ribs.
“We’re beat up,” WSU coach Mike Price said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m concerned about our health. Any time you have three starters out when you’re going in to play the 12th-ranked team in the country, you should be concerned.”
In essence, the roles are reversed from last season when Oregon came in missing several starters, including leading rusher Ricky Whittle.
In addition, backup quarterback Tony Graziani, who was making only his second career start, and wide receiver Cristin McLemore were knocked of the game early by injuries.
Danny O’Neil, a three-year starter at quarterback, was forced into action after having missed the previous two weeks with an infected finger on his throwing hand.
O’Neil was awful, completing only 4 of 20 passes.
This time, though, Oregon is healthy. Graziani has taken over for the departed O’Neil and is leading the Pac-10 in total offense, and Whittle is tearing up opposing defenses with his slashing running style.
The Ducks are 2-1 in the Pac-10 and 5-1 overall.
“This is a much different team that we’re facing in Oregon than we faced last year in Martin Stadium,” said Price, whose Cougars are 2-1 and 3-3. “Last year we were facing an Oregon team that was beat up and discouraged, probably, and we defeated them.
“This club is a different ballclub. This team is healthy, this team is spirited, this team has a winning attitude. This team has done nothing but have success since they were in Martin Stadium, so it’s a lot more confident and upbeat right now.”
Moos salute
After heaping praise upon the job Mike Bellotti has done in his first year as Oregon’s head coach, Price couldn’t help by throw a friendly oral jab at the Ducks’ first-year athletic director Bill Moos, a longtime friend of Price’s and a former associate athletic director at WSU.
“I think (Oregon) is really an up- and-coming program,” Price said, “unless Bill Moos somehow steps in and screws it up unmercifully.
“He’s got a lot of Cougar in him. He can’t help himself.”
Healthy but not happy
When Mark Butterfield walked off the field last Saturday after Stanford’s 38-28 loss to Washington, he became the Cardinal’s first starting quarterback to complete a game against the Huskies in four years.
Prior to that, UW’s defense knocked Jason Palumbis out of the game in 1991 and Steve Stenstrom out of the last three meetings between the two schools.
And Butterfield’s endurance was not the result of the Dawgs letting up.
During the second quarter, Butterfield was leveled by a vicious hit from UW free safety Lawyer Milloy while trying to scramble.
“Yes, I did know about that quarterback thing,” Milloy said. “I gave him a pretty good shot, but he’s a strong competitor. My hat’s off to him.”
“He stepped in and played an important role for Stanford this year. Without him, it would have been a different team.”
, DataTimes