These Ducks Now Receive Top Billing

Oregon has always been green, but once upon a time it was from envy. UCLA had the recruiting pool, the fan base, the big-dollar donors and, of course, perpetual sunshine.

But the Ducks raided the recruiting pool, matched the attendance and found their own big-dollar donors to take facilities to a sparkling new level.

Sunshine might be beyond their control, but all that Northwest rain is only one reason the grass looks greener on the Oregon side of the state line.

Envy runs the other way these days, although no one at UCLA will acknowledge it.

Fear and loathing, however, are acknowledged in great abundance.

“They are considered the premier team in the conference and there’s that whole Northwest thing going on, where everybody says the balance of power is up there now,” Bruin senior cornerback Ricky Manning said. “That’s the perception, and the only way to change it is to win.”

Seventh-ranked Oregon (5-0) visits UCLA (4-1) today in a Pacific 10 Conference game that will set the course for the season. Both teams won conference openers last week. Both believe a victory will provide the springboard to greater glory.

“It makes or breaks the season,” Bruin junior receiver Tab Perry said. “My freshman year, they won when we were 4-0. Last year, if we won, we would have gone to a bowl game.

“Their coaches do a good job of preparing them. They execute like a machine. We usually play them close and I expect another close game.”

In Coach Mike Bellotti’s previous seven seasons, the Ducks have played UCLA at the Rose Bowl four times. Each game was decided on the final play and the combined score was 126-126.

Oregon won, 21-20, last season when a 50-yard field goal try by Bruin Chris Griffith fell short on the last play. The Ducks went on to the Pac-10 title, a Fiesta Bowl berth and a No. 2 ranking. UCLA collapsed, losing to USC, 27-0, the next week and did not play in a bowl game.

In 1999, UCLA held on to win, 34-29, by tackling Duck receiver Marshaun Tucker at the one-yard line as time expired.

In 1998, UCLA won in overtime, 41-38, on a field goal by Chris Sailer after quarterbacks Cade McNown of UCLA and Akili Smith of Oregon had traded blows for four quarters. The victory was the 15th in succession for No. 2 UCLA and spoiled a 5-0 start for the No. 11 Ducks.

In 1995, Terry Donahue’s last season as UCLA coach, Bellotti was in his first with the Ducks. The rookie won his first conference game by beating the Bruins, 38-31. And that time, it was UCLA stopped at the one as time expired.

“The games have been close and that’s what has made this a great rivalry of late,” Bruin Coach Bob Toledo said. “Every game is down to the wire.

“It’s important for us to play well. The team that wins is in a good position in the conference. It is very meaningful.”

Toledo is 4-2 against Oregon since replacing Donahue, but the losses were dealt him in the last two years. The pendulum has swung in more ways than one.

Oregon has won its last 10 games and 32 of its last 35. Crowds at Autzen Stadium are averaging beyond capacity for the seventh time in eight years. Nike founder and alum Phil Knight donated $30 million to expand the stadium from 55,000 to 64,000 by next year.

The Ducks can schedule nonconference home games against weak opponents because Autzen would sell out even if Oregon played Division I-AA Portland State. In fact, the Ducks did play Portland State two weeks ago, winning, 41-0, before their 20th consecutive capacity crowd.

Meanwhile, UCLA must schedule strong opponents to guarantee that enough of its fickle fans will show up to generate revenue. So the Bruins played Colorado State and Colorado instead of, say, Mississippi State and Idaho--two other patsies the Ducks demolished this year.

The difference in schedules is the primary reason UCLA is favored by 2 1/2 points. There is also the Bruins’ stellar play the last two weeks.

Quarterback Cory Paus has never played better, having thrown for 594 yards in victories over San Diego State and Oregon State. The Bruins scored 43 points in each game, utilizing an array of receivers and last week unleashing redshirt freshman running back Tyler Ebell, who rushed for 203 yards in three quarters.

Receivers Craig Bragg and Perry, as well as tight end Mike Seidman, will draw man-to-man coverage. It will be up to Paus to find them.

“I think we have a chance to put up some numbers,” Perry said.

So does Oregon, which averages 402 yards a game. Quarterback Jason Fife has thrown for 1,124 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception.

Running back Onterrio Smith has five consecutive 100-yard games and is coming off his best game, a 145-yard effort against Arizona.

“He can change the game in the blink of an eye,” UCLA safety Matt Ware said. “We have to know where he is all the time.”

The only edge the defenses have is familiarity.

“The offenses are so similar it’s amazing,” Toledo said. “I can call every play on their film.”

There’s the common ground--the playbooks of UCLA and Oregon are nearly identical. Everything else about these programs is different enough to make this a rivalry game.

“It’s become more of a rivalry every year because the games mean so much and they are always close,” Manning said. “We’re kind of playing for Southern California. They shouldn’t come down here and beat us. That shouldn’t happen.”