Oregon Ducks take on rival Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium

EUGENE – It’s the final game of the regular season for the No. 1 Oregon Ducks, and what better way to cap off what has been a perfect season than by challenging the Ducks’ biggest rival in the Big Ten Conference: the Washington Huskies. There’s a lot at stake in this game, as a win would make Oregon the only team in the country with a spotless postseason record. Ducks coach Dan Lanning has yet to defeat northern opponents during his tenure, with last year’s losses to the Huskies still fresh in the minds of the Oregon athletes.

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The Ducks enter this contest with a bye week and a thrilling 16-13 win on the road at the Wisconsin Badgers the week before. Senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel had his worst game of the season, going 22-31 passing and accumulating 218 yards with one interception. For the first time this year, Gabriel didn’t throw a passing touchdown. Oregon’s only touchdown came on an 11-yard rush by senior running back Jordan James, but the rest of Oregon’s points depended on senior kicker Atticus Sappington. Senior wide receiver Tez Johnson was sidelined due to injury, and his absence was noticeable in the fact that Gabriel’s mid-range and deep balls rarely reached their target.

On defense, Oregon appears to be unstoppable. Senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher led the team in tackles with nine total tackles, seven individual tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. Boettcher spoke to the media earlier this week about what this rivalry means to him.

“This game has a little something extra and for those who say it doesn’t: don’t worry about the opponent, I think that’s a bit nonsense. I hate the huskies.” I’ve never liked them. So I’m going to play my butt off when the ball kicks off. “Yes, it’s time to go,” Boettcher said.

Linebacker Teitum Tuitoti and defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei are also players to keep an eye on after their standout performances against the Badgers. Both athletes recorded sacks and tackles for loss, with Uiagalelei having a crucial interception late in the Wisconsin game that pushed Oregon over the finish line and secured the “W.”

As for the Washington Huskies, they are 6-5 on the season after former head coach Kalen Deboer left for Alabama, while former Arizona coach Jedd Fisch takes the reins and pushes a team of players into the transfer portal. They come into this game with a 31-19 home win over the UCLA Bruins with Will Rogers and Demond Williams Jr. coming in at quarterback. Rogers went 13-for-21 passing for 115 yards and two interceptions. Washington’s biggest strength is its rushing game with running back Jonah Coleman, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing during his UCLA contest this season, likely to be relied upon heavily in this game.

The injury report will be published two hours before kick-off.

The first time Oregon and Washington played each other was on December 1, 1900. Washington currently leads the standings with a 48-63 win record, with Oregon’s home series at 30-24-4. Over the past 10 years, the series has been evenly split, with both teams winning five games each.