Arizona faces No. 2 Oregon tonight in a battle of 4-0 teams in prime time on national TV.
The Wildcats (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12 Conference) look to beat the Ducks for the second season in a row at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN in Eugene, Ore.
The Ducks (4-0, 1-0) are 11-4 against Arizona at Autzen Stadium and beat the UA 49-0 in 2012, with the Wildcats’ last win coming in 2006. However, last year in Tucson, Arizona beat Oregon 42-16.
“I think they’re going to be fired up because there is a lot at stake,” football head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “It’s a home game, a Thursday night and their blackout game.”
Last season, the NCAA proclaimed that Autzen is the second-loudest stadium in the country, behind only LSU’s Tiger Stadium. The circular shape of the single deck, 54,000 seat stadium is said to amplify sound.
“Autzen is one of the best stadiums to play in, so I can say I’m excited,“ redshirt senior safety Jared Tevis said. “As a team, we’re going to need to feed off that energy and not let it get to us this weekend.”
Junior quarterback and Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota leads the Ducks. Sports Illustrated said the junior could be the best dual-threat quarterback ever.
“Unless health-wise or something else happens, which you don’t wish on any player, he’s without question one of the top three football players in the country, and was last year,“ Rodriguez said. “He’s playing at an even higher level if that’s possible right now.”
Mariota has the most touchdowns without a turnover in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He is also No. 1 in the nation in pass efficiency, tied for 10th in passing touchdowns with UA freshman Anu Solomon among others and 11th in the NCAA in total offense.
Oregon senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is on five national player of the year watch lists.
Pink is the new black
Tonight’s game will be a black out and is expected to be the 100th straight sell out at Autzen.
The Ducks will wear black helmets, black jerseys and black pants with a heavy dose of pink. Oregon’s “what to wear guide” instructs fans to wear black.
Arizona is wearing red helmets, white jerseys and red pants. Last season, the Wildcats wore all red when they beat the Ducks.
O face
Oregon’s tradition includes the old, the Duck and the new, the “O“ logo that dates back to 2001. The inside of the “O” logo is Hayward Field, the track and field stadium. The sport is so popular at Oregon that Eugene is nicknamed “Track Town.”
The circular outside of the “O” logo represents Autzen.
Oregon uses Donald the Duck thanks to a handshake deal with Walt Disney, which was later put into writing in 1973.
Oregon students used to be known as “Webfoots,” which came from a nickname for the state, “the Webfoot State.” Oregon is now known as the “Beaver State,” a nickname Oregon State uses.
The popular comedy “Animal House” was filmed at Oregon.
Oregon’s famous alumni include Nike founder Phil Knight, Kaitlin Olson of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia“ and CBS announcer Dan Fouts.
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Follow James Kelley on Twitter @jameskelley520
