NOTEBOOK : Color These Offenses Pretty Well Balanced

Saturday’s Freedom Bowl matches up Oregon’s Quack Attack and Colorado State’s Battering Rams.

About the only thing the teams’ offenses have in common are their colors--green and gold--right?

After all, Oregon passes every chance it gets, the better to show off quarterback Bill Musgrave and a stable of speedy receivers.

And Colorado State runs the ball down its opponents’ throats with fullback Todd Yert and tailbacks Tony Alford and Brain Copeland.

That’s the perception many people have, but both teams feature balanced offenses. At least that’s what a comparison of the statistics show.

Oregon has a slight advantage in passing, averaging 229.3 yards to Colorado State’s 192.9. Colorado State runs more often, averaging 219.3 yards to Oregon’s 151.5.

Musgrave has passed for 2,219 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Colorado State quarterbacks Kevin Verdugo and Mike Gimenez have passed for 2,256 yards and 12 touchdowns combined.

Copeland, the Rams’ leading rusher, gained 945 yards. Sean Burwell, the Ducks’ leading rusher, gained 949 yards.

Musgrave’s hopes of a Rhodes Scholarship ended when he was not granted an interview.

On the advice of an Oregon faculty member, Musgrave applied for the prestigious postgraduate scholarship to England’s Oxford University. The paperwork was filed and the final step would have been an interview.

Oregon injuries: Peter Brantley, an all-conference linebacker, suffered a moderate knee strain during Saturday’s practice. He did not practice Sunday.

It is not known whether Brantley, a starter for 22 consecutive games, will play against Colorado State.

Burwell, a redshirt freshman tailback, practiced at full speed Saturday for the first time since injuring his lower back Nov. 17 in the Ducks’ 6-3 victory over Oregon State.

Burwell’s 949 rushing yards were the fourth-best in the Pacific 10 Conference, and he was the nation’s top freshman in all-purpose yards with a 139.9-yard average.

Ticket update: The Oregon ticket office has sold 17,500 tickets, the most by one Freedom Bowl school.

Last week, the Orange County Sports Assn. presented Oregon Athletic Director Bill Byrne with the “Babe Ruth” award.

“For calling his shot,” said Don Anderson, Freedom Bowl executive director. “He said Oregon would sell 15,000 tickets when we extended the invitation and he delivered.”

Colorado State has sold 7,000 tickets in Ft. Collins, according to school officials.