During the 2014 college football season, Oregon senior inside linebacker Derrick Malone is writing a weekly journal for The Oregonian -- published each Monday -- a space where the two-year starter, Colton, Calif., native and advertising major will chronicle what life as a linebacker on one of the nation's top teams is like.

EUGENE -- Saturday's win against Washington State was filled with excitement, poise and toughness. I can honestly say that it was the most fun I've had playing for the Oregon Ducks.



I've been in plenty of games where we totally blew teams out of the water, which is enjoyable, but I find it more rewarding when we come out victorious against a team that causes us adversity throughout an entire game.



I need a challenge because I'm a competitor.



The travel back to Eugene was long. I desperately desired the soft touch of my bed. The game took so much out of me, that all I could think about was sleep. I attempted to sleep during the plane ride, but I was awaken by a sudden agonizing pain in my hamstring, better known as a cramp. Cramping is definitely one of an athlete's worst post-game fears. I franticly kept consuming Gatorade until I had to literally run to the bathroom.



Once the plane landed, the anticipation of finally getting home was overwhelming. I opened the door to my bedroom around 4 a.m., flopped on my bed, then paused. I wasn't tired anymore — it was the strangest thing.



I looked to my left, grabbed my iPad, and started watching film of the game I just played six hours prior. I didn't fall asleep until 5:30 a.m. because I was still amped from the experience at WSU. It's hard to win on the road in the Pac-12, where crowds are hostile, environments are foreign and stakes are high.



We handled our first business trip with diligence; it's great to earn a victory by executing and sticking together as a team.



"We can smile when facing a challenge, if we believe in ourselves that we won't back down." -- Ellen J. Barrier

-- Derrick Malone | Follow Malone on Twitter at @poeticsoul__. Read his personal blog here.

***

Malone started at inside linebacker and recorded five tackles, four solo, and broke up a pass in No. 2 Oregon's 38-31 victory against Washington State on Saturday. The Ducks now have a bye before hosting Arizona on Oct. 2.