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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, January 24, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 31, 2004 Boo birds prove just how bitter rivalry is between Oregon, Washington By DON HUNT Mail Tribune EUGENE — Oregon football fans jammed into a rainy Autzen Stadium Saturday afternoon hoping to rout the team many view as their most hated rival. It didn’t matter that the Washington Huskies came into the game with a 1-6 record. Or that Rick Neuheisel hasn’t been their coach for two years. The Duck faithful wanted their team to put their boots on the Huskies’ neck and stomp. They were out for blood. And maybe that explains why, with the Ducks leading 17-6 in the fourth period, the fans booed when coach Mike Bellotti got a little conservative with his play-calling and didn’t go for the jugular. The Ducks ultimately did put the hammer down, 31-6, after senior defensive end Chris Solomona ran back an interception 10 yards for a touchdown with 4:12 remaining in the game and junior tailback Terrence Whitehead followed with a 30-yard touchdown run a couple of minutes later. Advertisement Asked about the booing following the game, Bellotti was incredulous. "I am embarrassed and ashamed of our fans," he said. "It’s irresponsible and disrespectful to our players. "Call and boo on my telephone, but don’t boo the players." Bellotti added that in his 14 seasons at Oregon, including the last 10 as head coach, he could never recall the Autzen fans booing when the Ducks were ahead. But that’s the nature of this bitter rivalry. In each of the past two seasons, when the Huskies waltzed to 42-14 and 42-10 victories, Washington players danced and pranced on the "O" at Autzen and the "W" at Husky Stadium. Few players shook hands after either game. Saturday, the Ducks held their own celebration after the win, first showering Bellotti with Gatorade and then doing their own version of the two-step on the "O." And at the west end of the stadium, Duck fans taunted a small gathering of Husky fans dressed in purple by chanting UW’s updated record: "One and seven! One and seven! One and seven!" This game may have lacked the electric atmosphere of many of the previous matchups simply because the Huskies are so bad. But a healthy amount of animosity still exists. Oregon junior linebacker Jerry Matson, who hails from Edmonds, Wash., was among those who cherished the romp. "I just wished it would have happened earlier in the game," he said, "but it feels good to get the monkey off our back against that team." Asked about the booing, he smiled and said: "I understand what our offense was doing, but personally, I would have been greedy and gone for the jugular." This win belonged to the defense. The Ducks held Washington to just 45 yards rushing and 211 yards of total offense, and they picked off Husky quarterback Casey Paus four times. Solomona’s interception for the touchdown was the back-breaker, but senior linebacker Ramone Reed’s theft of a Paus pass at the Oregon 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter was probably even more important. Trailing 17-6, the Huskies had driven from their own 32 to the Oregon 7 and, with a touchdown, might have made things really interesting. But Reed spoiled the plan when he stepped in front of Washington receiver Bobby Whithorne and snatched the ball near the sideline. "I looked at the quarterback the whole way and just jumped the route," Reed said. The Ducks have now held three straight opponents — Arizona, Stanford and Washington — to 14 points or less. Their defensive line, anchored by 345-pound Haloti Ngata, has been dominant. The linebackers, led by Matson, are blossoming into some of the best in the Pac-10. And a once woeful secondary, where freshman cornerback Jackie Bates looks like a star in the making, has improved considerably since the start of the season. At 5-3, the Ducks can still salvage a very good season, but their remaining schedule isn’t easy with games at California next Saturday, at home the following week against UCLA and at Corvallis on Nov. 20 against Oregon State. "We’re playing a very hot team next Saturday (California) that has lost only to the No. 1 team in the country (Southern Cal)," Bellotti said. "What we have to do is play our best football game of the season." Bellotti wouldn’t mind hearing some boos in Berkeley, because that would signify the Ducks were having their way with the Golden Bears. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers