Washington State a Test for Oregon

Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti’s biggest fears this week are a laid-back Hawaiian, a transfer who caught only 14 passes last season and a soft-spoken basketball point guard.

Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser and wide receivers Nakoa McElrath and Mike Bush have given the Cougars (7-0, 4-0) the most potent offense in the Pacific-10 Conference this year.

The 14th-ranked Cougars play host to the No. 11 Ducks today at Martin Stadium in Pullman.

Bellotti said Washington State offers the best opponent the Ducks (6-1, 3-1) have played so far.

“Look at the Pac-10 statistics,” Bellotti said. “Washington State is first in three of four major offensive categories. They are 1, 2, 4 and 5 in all defensive stats.

“By far, they are statistically the best team in the conference and certainly the best team we have played to date.”

Gesser, a junior from Hawaii who’s thrown for 19 touchdowns, leads the conference in total offense and passing, averaging 265 yards. The Cougars lead the Pac-10 in scoring, averaging 44 points, and in total offense, at 492 yards.

Bush, the top scorer on the Cougar basketball team, averages 87 yards receiving, just behind McElrath, the conference leader and junior college transfer who caught only 14 passes for 303 yards last season.

McElrath leads the conference in receptions per game (seven) and receiving yards per game (112).

So what causes Bellotti sleepless nights? “Jason Gesser and the big receivers,” he said. “It’s a combination of those two: Jason’s elusiveness, his creativity, his daring, because he will put the ball up for those guys and he has great confidence in their ability.”