EUGENE -- Don't think this "Webfoots" thing is going to catch on again.

They walked away. Maybe you did, too. With Washington throttling Oregon on Saturday night, Ducks fans formed long, sad, winding lines and marched out of Autzen Stadium with their backs turned on whatever it is you want to call this mess.

It was Huskies 70, Ducks 21. The ticket takers should have handed out blindfolds to the first 54,000 fans. Hold up. Should have given them to the recruits as well. Ear plugs too. So they didn't have to hear Oregon coach Mark Helfrich apologize for the lopsided score after the game and say, "It's different than a normal loss, no question."

Except there are questions. As in, can this Oregon mess be fixed in a reasonable time frame? Also, by Helfrich? I cringed watching the Huskies dominate on offense and defense while also looking more reasonable and stylish in the fashion department.

That used to be Oregon's act. As much as Helfrich attempted to deflect after the game and preach process over result with, "We never talk about winning," we all know better. The Ducks used to talk about winning on a daily basis. As in, "Win the Day." Also, they happened to win with regularity. So much so that Oregon made success look boring.

I could dwell on the 682 yards of offense the Huskies managed against Oregon's defense. Or how disinterested the Ducks appeared at times in competing. But this was pretty much Groundhog Day. It would be a waste of time to dwell on the particulars because the real focus for Oregon must be on determining the damage that has been done to the brand and the program, and figuring out whether Helfrich deserves a vote of confidence from his athletic director.

Rob Mullens? Might be time to emerge from the burrow and look for your shadow. But I'm not sure he can see it with all the clouds forming over this football program. Mullens was in the UO post-game news conference, but used a side exit and didn't field questions from the media.

While we wait to see where the athletic department stands on this matter, let's agree Ducks fans have been spoiled rotten. Especially those who have only been with the program a decade or less. So when the masses gather their belongings in the third quarter and head for the exits it gets dismissed and discounted as bandwagon stuff. It's the future that Oregon needs to move to protect now.

Because the Ducks had a couple of five-star recruits scheduled for visits on Saturday; the nation's top inside linebacker and top receiver presumably watched all those UO fans walk out. Also, two of the top in-state recruits (West Linn High's Elijah Molden and Alex Forsythe) were slated to be present. Saturday had the potential to be a big night for the 2017 and 2018 recruiting classes, and best-case scenario, the recruiting pitch devolved during the evening to: "See? You can play right away here." But we all know better.

The takeaway: Washington cool, Oregon not cool.

Even while the Ducks were still winning games in piles the Huskies managed to flip Budda Baker, remember? Baker, now a junior, started at safety for UW on Saturday, and intercepted Ducks freshman Justin Herbert on the first pass of the game. Earlier this year, Chris Petersen landed a commitment from Marlon Tuipulotu, a U.S. Army All-American and the best high school defensive tackle in the state of Oregon. So yeah, when things cave in, they can really cave in.

There was no such thing as National Signing Day in Feb. 1942. We were busy with World War II. There was no star-rating system anyway. Also, nobody with a bathrobe and a domain name had dreamed up such a thing as recruiting rankings then. But if they had we might have some valuable context for the uphill climb that Helfrich faces should Mullens emerge and see his shadow.

Oregon lost 71-7 to Texas on Dec. 6, 1941. That's the most points anyone ever put on Oregon. Saturday was the second most, and the most at Autzen Stadium. Coincidentally, UO went by "Webfoots" in 1941. Again, I think everyone would be thrilled if UO retired it. But should Helfrich go with it?

That's the question to ask. Given that Oregon isn't the kind of university that fires its head coach, let alone during a season, what Helfrich has left is six games to demonstrate vision, imagination, energy and progress. Because there was a total absence of any of these things on Saturday.

Herbert has a big arm. He looks capable of developing into something special. But he's going to need special pieces around him, and that's what the next six games become about for Oregon football.

The Ducks aren't going to play in a bowl game. Who would watch anyway? But right now, it's all eyes on Helfrich. He'll need to instill confidence in what he can build. He'll need to prove that Herbert is the real deal. He'll need to recruit, and sell the future, because right now, there's reasonable doubt about whether Helfrich can fix this.

I don't see it. Ultimately, it's not about fans or sports columnists, but about whether Mullens and chief booster Phil Knight still believe in Helfrich.

After the game, Washington defensive end Vita Vea turned his back on the thing, too. He walked off the field, and went up the tunnel at Autzen Stadium. But not before taking a glance up at the scoreboard -- 70-21. He said, "I enjoyed that."

Per his contract, Helfrich will be paid a base salary of $3.3 million this season. He'll get the use of two courtesy cars, a membership at the Eugene Country Club, another at The Downtown Athletic Club, and 12 tickets to every Oregon Ducks home football game.

In return, he's supposed to avoid embarrassing moments and instead provide great ones. He's now lost four straight games, and Saturday wasn't just the end of a 12-game winning streak to a rival, it was a generational low.

Helfrich said: "I apologize for that score."

I doubt the recruits cared to hear it.

-- @JohnCanzanoBFT