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--> --> Oregon State's Ken Simonton will be counted on heavily as OSU battles Oregon in the 105th Civil War Saturday afternoon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. AP Both teams plan to run Oregon, Oregon State coaches say running game will be key to victory EUGENE (AP) - Four talented running backs will take the field Saturday when No. 4 Oregon plays Oregon State in the 105th Civil War, but only one of them might be playing the final game of his career. Ken Simonton, playing in his fourth game against the Ducks, needs 113 yards to become the first Pac-10 player - and fifth player in the NCAA - to run for 1,000 yards in all four seasons. More important for Simonton, the Beavers (5-5, 3-4 Pac-10) need a victory at raucous Autzen Stadium to become eligible for a bowl game and give the best running back in the school's history a chance for one final bow. "I want to go to a bowl game to say that the last three years I went to a bowl game," Simonton said. "I don't like being home for Christmas." Simonton and his backup, redshirt freshman Steven Jackson, are the key to beating Oregon (9-1, 6-1). If they can pick up yards consistently, something they've been doing the past two games, it will make life easier on quarterback Jonathan Smith. "Our philosophy is, you have to stop their running game first," said Ducks coach Mike Bellotti. "You have to stop Ken Simonton and Jackson and Patrick McCall, and then you have to contain and keep pressure on Jonathan Smith." The Ducks already have secured a spot in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day, but they badly want to win Saturday. They were beaten soundly in Corvallis last year, 23-13, and a loss would put a damper on the bowl game. Also, Oregon still has a slim chance of rising from No. 5 in the Bowl Championship Series standings to second and advancing to the Rose Bowl for the national title game. While most of the attention will be on Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, a Heisman contender who had five interceptions and lost a fumble in last year's Civil War, the Ducks' talented tailback tandem could be the real key to victory. Sophomore Onterrio Smith has 977 yards, while senior Maurice Morris has 858, giving Oregon a chance to have two 1,000-yard rushers for the first time in school history. Smith might be the most dangerous ball-carrier on the team, but he and the rest of the Ducks have said all along that Morris is the featured back. Still, the opportunity is there for both to have strong performances. "The way that we've got things going, we switch every series, so if they want to key in him, then they can," Smith said. Bellotti said having Smith has been invaluable to the health of Morris, who broke down toward the end of last season from wear and tear. "Maurice is our best running back, in terms of everything that we do," Bellotti said. "He wouldn't be the first to admit that, he'd try to give the credit somewhere else." Smith, who was kicked off Tennessee's team for testing positive for marijuana use and sat out last year after transferring, will be playing in his first Civil War. Simonton, however, knows the rivalry well. It was his fourth touchdown in the second overtime that won the 1998 game 44-41. The next year, he gained just 63 yards in a 25-14 loss, and then came back with 113 yards and a touchdown in last year's win. Simonton wants that 1,000 yards, and his teammates want it for him. "It'd be really nice," Jonathan Smith said. "If Ken does get his 113, that gives us a great opportunity to be in the ballgame. If he's running for that amount, we're right in the ballgame. Ken deserves everything possible that he can get." "Ken Simonton is a true winner, a true competitor, a tremendous person," Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson said. "He's what athletics should be all about, because he's had to deal with some adversity." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing