Game four preducktion: Oregon at Arizona

Any time a team starts conference play on the road, particularly a night game before a raucous crowd in the desert heat, there's reason to be nervous. The game's on national TV and has a late start (7:15 on ESPN2, Comcast channel 36 in Portland and the Willamette Valley).


Add that Arizona is a dangerous opponent for the Ducks. The two schools have played some memorable games in Tucson, a 44-41 double overtime Duck victory that set up a Civil War for the Rose Bowl in 2009, Dennis Dixon and Kellen Clemens going down with season-ending injuries in 2007 and 2005. The Ducks haven't lost often in conference play over the last few years, but the road trip to the desert has overheated their engine a couple of times. Bad things happen in terrain nature meant for snakes and predators, particularly after dark.

photo right: Cliff Harris reportedly had his best week of practice, and is poised for a bigger role against Arizona. The Ducks will need him to contain Arizona's potent aerial attack (photo courtesy FootballsFuture.com).

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