Oregon Ducks vs. Colorado Buffaloes

Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff (1) stretches across the goaline to score in the second half as the Ducks beat the Colorado Buffaloes, 57-16.

(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- In two of Marcus Mariota's last three games he's thrown for 456 yards in one and five touchdowns in another. But now he gets to face a pair of cornerbacks in Marcus Peters and Gregory Ducre who are "the best tandem we’ve played against, certainly this year and maybe in a long time," coach Mark Helfrich said.

That matchup, especially when they face Oregon wideouts Josh Huff and Bralon Addison, will be a highlight of Saturday's 1 p.m. game between No. 2 Oregon and No. 16 Washington at Husky Stadium.

The corners are linchpins in UW's pass defense that allows just 146.4 yards per game, third-fewest in the nation. Ducre's four pass break-ups lead the team, to go with an interception, and Peters has two interceptions with his 20 tackles.

Oregon has been talking up the talents of the pair all week, most notably how they "cancel the perimeter." In layman's terms, it means their skill in limiting an offense's ability to stretch a field with the speed to run to the sideline. UW's passing defense and passing efficiency defense rank No. 3 in FBS this season facing offenses that weren't close to UO's level of efficiency.

"They're outstanding," Helfrich said.

But just as UO practices against two potential All-American cornerbacks each day yet hasn't faced that quality in a game setting, UW's defense might find practicing against its improved offense isn't quite a carbon copy of Saturday's test. At least, that's what UO hopes.

Last week, Oregon was able to get Huff and Addison each loose for a 100-yard game. Their emergence this season -- Huff as a consistent star after past injuries, and Addison as a million-moves nightmare to tackle -- is one of the most evident trends about this UO season. Huff has 21 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns. Addison has 19 receptions for 345 yards and four touchdowns. One of those TDs last week silenced Colorado's home crowd during the time it took him to sprint 75 yards.

Johnny Mundt's 162 receiving yards are the next highest on the team.

"They’re a really aggressive secondary, really well-coached," Addison said Thursday. "They run really well sometimes but their over-aggression kind of bites them in the butt sometimes.

"… They’re going to rough you up the whole game. It’s kind of a toughness thing this week. You’ve got to be mentally tough because it’ll be a long game. They’re going to rough you up, they’re going to hold you, they’re going to beat you up during plays so I think you just have to be mentally tough this week."

To the links:

those cornerbacks and returning kicks in this Molly Blue video.

More Blue video:

against Colorado, and how to fix that lack of energy in warmups.

Thursday about that slow start (that ended with 29 points in the first quarter anyway). One UO coach called it "really quiet."

with Friend of the Rundown Adam Jude.

Where are they now?

by Portland's Arena Football Team, according to John Canzano.

Ryan Thorburn of the Register-Guard writes about UO's connection

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UW's campus newspaper

why the Huskies will prevail.

KEZI

with Tyler Johnstone, Addison and more here.

What must Oregon do against that fast Husky offense?

writes Jake Tabor of Addicted to Quack.

More links, courtesy of

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Thursday's in-house practice

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