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Quarterback Mustain hits highs, lows in short stint

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Times Staff Writers

Mitch Mustain was elevated to the No. 2 quarterback for Saturday’s game, and the sophomore transfer from Arkansas had his ups and downs in a brief appearance.

First, the down. Mustain entered the game with less than four minutes left in the third quarter after Mark Sanchez was helped off the field following a sack by Nick Reed.

Mustain scrambled for eight yards on his first play, but Oregon cornerback Jarius Byrd intercepted a pass intended for tight end Anthony McCoy two plays later.

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However, Mustain returned in the fourth quarter and connected with David Ausberry for a touchdown covering 59 yards. He finished five of eight for 111 yards.

Bradford sits out

USC tailback Allen Bradford was not in uniform because of a lingering hip problem, according to an announcement by the team.

Bradford, a junior from San Bernardino, told The Times last week that he was frustrated with his limited role in the tailback rotation with sophomores Joe McKnight and C.J. Gable and junior Stafon Johnson.

Bradford did not carry the ball in the Trojans’ 27-21 upset defeat against Oregon State. He met with Coach Pete Carroll the day after speaking to The Times to discuss his situation.

Bradford has rushed for 57 yards in 14 carries this season.

Looking . . . OK

Oregon isn’t just about making football statements; it’s also about making fashion statements.

So which uniforms did the Ducks break out for their visit to Hollywood?

Thankfully, you didn’t need 3-D glasses to watch the game at the Coliseum, as the Ducks opted for pretty basic outfits: white pants and jerseys with green helmets.

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No neon-yellow, mosquito-attracting helmets or alien-looking green jerseys.

For the season opener against Washington, the Ducks wore all green: jerseys, pants and helmets.

Against Utah State, the Ducks wore green jerseys, black pants and yellow helmets.

The school boasts nearly 400 uniform combinations, and last year the Ducks had a different look in every game.

The team might want to stay away from the combination of yellow jerseys, black pants and yellow helmets.

Those were the outfits worn during a Sept. 20 home loss to Boise State.

Major contributor

Oregon senior Patrick Chung is one of the top defensive backs in the Pacific 10 Conference, but he also played a contributing role in one of the greatest games in college football history -- Boise State’s overtime win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Yes, you read that right. The story goes that Boise State coaches were watching film of Chung when he was playing for Rancho Cucamonga High against La Verne Damien.

Boise State obviously didn’t land Chung, but Broncos coaches asked the defensive back if he would recommend the running back for Damien.

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He did. The back Boise State signed was Ian Johnson, who scored the winning touchdown against Oklahoma on a Statue-of-Liberty play and then proposed marriage to his girlfriend.

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gary.klein@latimes.com

chris.dufresne@latimes.com

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