.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
As much as its fans would love the day to arrive where Oregon's Chip Kelly and Washington's Steve Sarkisian are catapulting barbs across the Columbia River and adding to the vitriol already provided by fans, it's not going to happen anytime soon.
Politically correct may be boring, but it's the road Kelly and Sarkisian are traveling when it comes to the Ducks and Huskies. Those looking for public trash talking ahead of Saturday night's reunion between No. 6 Oregon and Washington in the final game at Husky Stadium before a $250 million renovation had better look elsewhere.
''The fans can get after it and do all those other things, but any coach in the country that looks at one game as more important each week than any other game, than you're not going to last very long,'' Kelly said. ''We won a lot of football games since I've been here because every game we play is the biggest game that we play. If you don't face it that way, you're going to get beat. That's been our mentality. But it's not to diminish a rivalry.''
Of course, for it to be a true rivalry it can't be one-sided. And that's exactly what the matchups between Oregon and Washington have been for most of the last decade - one giant Duck romp.
Oregon has won seven straight over its northern neighbors, all by 20 points or more. It's the longest win streak by either school in the history of a rivalry that dates to 1900.
But the Ducks' longest run of success in more than 100 years of meetings dates beyond a 31-6 win in 2004 that started the current win streak. Dominant would describe Oregon's control of the Huskies ever since Kenny Wheaton's interception return for a touchdown that clinched a 31-20 victory in 1994 and helped propel the Ducks to the Rose Bowl.
Including that famous victory and Wheaton's play that remains on a constant loop on the video board at Autzen Stadium before every home game, the Ducks are 12-4 against Washington and throttling the Huskies by an average of nearly 18 points.
If the Ducks are going to extend that win streak and win a fourth straight in Seattle, they'll do it by overcoming a mountain of nostalgia and by not looking ahead to next week's showdown at No. 4 Stanford.
Along with the Saturday night game serving as a finale of sorts at Husky Stadium before a needed update to modernize the crumbling venue, Washington will be honoring the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Huskies team that were co-national champions with Miami.
Former coach Don James will take part in the festivities and Washington is expecting its largest home crowd of the season.
''We talked about it, just because of the atmosphere we're going to go into, and our guys are excited about it,'' Kelly said. ''We love going into venues like Husky Stadium or some of the other great places in this league to play. And the fact that this is the last game, we know that the Washington fans are going to be jacked up, fired up and ready to go, and we know we're going to have to be prepared for it because it's going to be loud.''
There remains a question about who the Ducks will start at quarterback. Darron Thomas was pulled at halftime of last week's 43-28 win over Washington State and replaced by Bryan Bennett. Leading just 15-10 at halftime, Bennett sparked the Ducks to 21 third-quarter points as Oregon pulled away.
Late in the week, Kelly told a Seattle radio station that Thomas would start against the Huskies. Thomas said he didn't feel as though he needed to win back his job and didn't believe there was a QB controversy.
''Very surprised, but it's the media. ... I go out and work hard every day and I'm confident with what I do,'' Thomas said.
The optimism that Washington can finally break its losing streak to the Ducks comes from the backfield combo of running back Chris Polk and quarterback Keith Price. Last week versus Arizona, Polk became the first player in Washington history to have at least 100 yards rushing and receiving and scored five combined touchdowns.
Price made his first college start last year at Oregon when the Ducks were No. 1 in the country. Sarkisian was impressed that the moment didn't seem overwhelming to his young quarterback. Entering this week, Price has already thrown for nearly 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.
''Just adjusting the game speed and really paying attention to the looks that you are getting during the game was the biggest thing and not just playing the game blind,'' Price said of his first start. ''That's the biggest thing I took away from the game.''
While Washington may be able to score on the Ducks, the Huskies' defense will need to be better than in its last matchup against a top 10 team two weeks ago when Stanford ran for 446 yards. Oregon has averaged 315 yards rushing against the Huskies in the last five meetings.
''It's fun. We like playing these guys,'' Washington linebacker Cort Dennison said. ''It's a fun environment. It's fun on the field. There are some heated discussions on the field but that's what makes college football fun.''
---
Follow Tim Booth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth
