Duck and cover

Associated Press

PULLMAN – Two of the best quarterbacks in the Pacific-10 Conference bring their high-scoring offenses to a game today that could bolster their already impressive statistics.

Jason Gesser and 14th-ranked Washington State hosts Joey Harrington and No. 11 Oregon at Martin Stadium in a regionally televised contest.

Gesser, a junior, leads the conference in passing and total offense and is 11th nationally in pass efficiency. He averages 265 passing yards per game and has thrown 19 touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Harrington, a senior whose 10-story likeness on a Manhattan billboard anchors a Heisman Trophy campaign, is third in passing and fourth in total offense in the conference. He averages 239 passing yards per game, has thrown 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Cougars (7-0, 4-0) lead the conference in scoring, averaging 44 points per game, while the Ducks (6-1, 3-1) average 38.6.

“A lot of times, these games have been shootouts, but there have been some defensive struggles,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said, adding weather conditions will determine which strategy prevails. Rain showers are forecast for Pullman.

The Ducks are coming off a 49-42 defeat by Stanford – an upset that ruined Oregon’s chances to play for the national championship. The Cougars are coming off a sloppy 53-28 win over Montana State.

Harrington is eager to take the field again after the loss to Stanford, noting the disappointed Ducks have “had to wait a whole week with that taste in our mouths.”

A WSU victory would set up a battle of conference unbeatens Nov. 3 at Pullman should No. 4 UCLA beat No. 20 Stanford today.

Cougars coach Mike Price said he told his team the keys to beating Harrington and the Ducks are to concentrate on the things that have kept WSU undefeated: “Keep the turnovers to a minimum, keep the penalties down, to play disciplined football and play just a bit better than we have.”

Gesser throws to Nakoa McElrath and Mike Bush, the leading receivers in the conference with eight touchdowns each. McElrath averages nearly seven catches a game for 112 yards.

Ducks’ linebacker Seth McEwen said Oregon must have a strong pass rush to keep Gesser contained.

“They pose a lot of problems, they have a great offensive line and a really strong running back that hits the holes strong and hard,” he said. “They also have big wide receivers and a very mobile quarterback. That right there is a lot to handle.”

The Cougars are also a concern defensively, Bellotti said.

“I think the improvement in the Washington State team has been more in the defense,” the Ducks coach said.

The Cougars have a veteran secondary in senior safeties Billy Newman and Lamont Thompson, who have combined for 86 tackles, and defensive end D.D. Acholonu, who has eight of Washington State’s 26 sacks.

Oregon will have to use the run to keep Joey Harrington out of harm’s way, Bellotti said.

“They’re talented,” Harrington said of the Cougars’ defense. “They have their own certain scheme they like to run. They bring some heat, they sit back in a zone, it’s nothing different than what we’re going to see the rest of the year. Everybody’s going to show us something new, and we’re going to be ready.”

John Tippins, who scored four touchdowns and combined for 194 yards last week, will start in place of Dave Minnich, the Cougars’ leading rusher who underwent knee surgery two weeks ago. Minnich could play, but the decision won’t be made until game time, Price said.

What could make the difference for the Ducks are special teams, particularly Onterrio Smith, who averages 31 yards a game in kick returns and nearly 112 all-purpose yards per game.

Then there’s Keenan Howry, who returned a punt for a touchdown and caught two touchdown passes from Harrington last week.

After last year’s 27-24 overtime win at Pullman, Oregon leads the all-time series 36-35-7.

“Its a tremendous series,” Bellotti said. “There is tremendous rivalry and passion involved in every Pac-10 game, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, where we tend to recruit the same kids.”