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As Oregon flies through its final season in the Pac-12, The I-5 Corridor pays respect to the opponents the Ducks face for the final time as conference foes.
The rivalry is with Washington — that’s what we seemingly haven’t shut up about for the last three weeks. So here, nearly a week after that game, it’s almost fitting that Washington State comes to Eugene with little pomp and circumstance.
Washington State? The Cougars gave it a go early in the year, spent a few weeks in the headlines for their spat with College GameDay and now come to Autzen a shell of where they were a month ago. Their Pac-12 race is uphill after two consecutive losses, while Cam Ward’s status in the, “Those friggin Pac-12 quarterbacks” conversation, has been muted after three interceptions in the last two games.
GameDay isn’t coming. Nor is Big Noon. And a week after being a part of the most watched game in America, the Ducks return to the 12:30 p.m. time slot to compete with Tennessee/Alabama, in a game that won’t really help them but sure as hell could hurt them.
In other words, look out. The Cougs got the Ducks right where they want them.
Goodbye, Washington State
A great moment for Oregon
The Ducks have had thrillers against the Cougars.
In 2004, Oregon erased a 35-21 deficit in the fourth quarter to down the Cougs 41-38 in Pullman. In 2014, the Ducks needed every one of Marcus Mariota’s five touchdowns to keep their national title hopes alive with a 38-31 win. Even last year’s 44-41 win on the Palouse registers, when the Ducks scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to shock the fans in Martin Stadium.
But I’m going to go with 2019’s 37-35 win at Autzen, which ended Washington State’s four-game winning streak against the Ducks.
That game featured:
CJ Verdell setting the single-game Autzen Stadium rushing record with 257 yards.
Pac-12 refs so bad even Softy up in Seattle was defending the Ducks.
A late Washington State score to put the Cougs up with a minute remaining.
A final Oregon drive that featured two big Juwan Johnson catches and a 26-yard field goal from Camden Lewis as time expired for the 37-35 win.
From the camera roll:
A great moment for Washington State
After the fireworks had exploded at Martin Stadium and the fans had rushed the field and Minshew Mania saw itself ramp up into full-on hysteria after the Cougars’ 34-20 upset of No. 12 Oregon in 2018, a Palouse radio station played over the speakers inside of the stadium. A caller, reflecting on a day that began with College GameDay on campus for the first time, broke out into a Palouse rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
“GameDay,” he sang the chorus, “came for Cougs like you and me.”
Honorable mention
Even though it came in a loss, there is no way the late Mike Leach didn’t love the ever bejesus out of this press conference diatribe Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti went on following Washington State’s record-setting 89 pass attempts 10 years ago today.
“I don’t care if I’m a diplomat. I really don’t. All I care about is winning games and if the kids get better and we play hard. I thought we did that in the second half. And that’s total bullshit that he threw the ball at the end of the game like he did. And you can print that and you can send that to him and he can comment, too. I think it’s low class and it’s bullshit to throw the ball when the game is completely over.”
They don’t do pressers like they used to.
From the other side
Alex Brink grew up going to Oregon games when 15,000 people sat inside of Autzen Stadium. He lived through the come up. The 1994 Rose Bowl. The Phil Knight infusion. Captain Comeback.
He was a child of Eugene and wanted every bit to be a part of it.
Of course, that never happened for the Sheldon High School quarterback who passed for 3,946 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior in Eugene.
“I lived in these great eras of early Duck football, and then when I got to high school it was more about recruiting and I wasn’t being recruited by the Ducks,” Brink said.
Now, don’t start playing the violins. Brink went on to Washington State and proceeded to torch a league the mostly overlooked him. Brink finished his career as the third leading passer in Pac-10 history behind only Carson Palmer and Derek Anderson. He threw for 10,913 yards, 76 touchdowns and did get to beat the Ducks in a 34-23 2006 victory.
“That was a big moment for me being a kid from Eugene and not being recruited,” Brink said. “The downside is the next year we went into Eugene and I had a really tough game and it was when Oregon was peak Oregon with Dennis Dixon. They were rolling and they got after us.”
53-7, for those keeping score.
Brink went on to play four seasons in the CFL and now, 38, lives in Portland and owns EForce Training. He works with former Ducks like Anthony Newman, he mentors Oregon high school athletes and is every bit a part of the football community in the state of Oregon as he was when he left for the Palouse 20 years ago.
But when he watches Saturday’s game, the finale between the two, he carries with him an experience few can relate to.
“My wife is a Duck fan. She’s from Eugene and went to school there. But my son is three-and-a-half, and we’re making an effort to take him to this game because it’s like, this may be the last one right?”
Pain scale: 4/5
This is a breakup Oregon won’t feel until it gets into the teeth of the Big Ten schedule. Sure, Oregon fans will rave for games against Penn State and Michigan and Ohio State and Wisconsin, but when those lackluster, mid-tier Big Ten games come through — we’re talking Iowa and Nebraska and Northwestern and Minnesota — don’t be shocked when you’re pining for the days when a non-national game of the week could have you glued to your seat because you just weren’t sure what the hell those Cougs had up their sleeves.
Breakup song: Always on my Mind — Willie Nelson
Maybe I didn’t hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I am so happy that you’re mine
If I made you feel second best
I’m so sorry I was blindYou were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
