If there’s one thing that Duck and Husky fans can agree on, it’s that the most bitter week on the college football calendar has officially arrived.
Every year, the matchup between Oregon and Washington is highlighted as a game that not only gives one fan base year-long bragging rights over the other, but it also serves as the game that likely dictates which program has the edge over the other in the chase for the Pac-12 Championship. This year is no different, despite the fact the Ducks have a two-game lead on the Huskies for first place in the Pac-12 North division. Both Oregon and Washington are nationally ranked (12th and 25th, respectively) and both are led by quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and Jacob Eason who have generated no shortage of NFL draft buzz heading into next spring.
Indeed, as they are every year when the Ducks and Huskies clash, the storylines are rich and the stakes are high.
No player on either side likely realizes this more than Herbert, a Eugene native who grew up in the shadows of Autzen Stadium and was a staple at Duck home games throughout his childhood.
Saturday marks Herbert’s third and final start against the rival Huskies, who, ironically enough, served as the opponent for his first career start in 2016. It was a game that Duck fans no doubt remember – begrudgingly so – for the 70-21 pasting Washington put on Oregon en route to the Huskies’ march to the Pac-12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Herbert would miss the Ducks’ 38-3 loss in Seattle the following year as he was sidelined with a collarbone injury that cost him five games in 2017. Yet, he was on hand and available last season in his opportunity to avenge the back-to-back drubbings served up by Washington, leading the Ducks to a thrilling 30-27 overtime victory over the then no. 7-ranked Huskies.
In that game, Herbert notched what currently stands as his most signature win to date in an Oregon uniform, though it was far from a masterful performance. With limited receiving options at his disposal, and facing a Washington secondary that what was one of the most talented in all of college football a season ago, Herbert was simply steady, completing 18-of-32 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He did, however, produce arguably his most impressive throw of the year in that game; a nine-yard seed to a tip-toeing Jaylon Redd for a touchdown which tied the game at 17 a piece heading into halftime.
Still, the performance was far from dominant compared to the kinds of games we’ve seen from Herbert throughout his Oregon career. In fact, a dominant performance against the very best competition on the Ducks’ schedule is something we have yet to see from Herbert, in general. The closest we’ve seen was back in 2016, when Herbert led Oregon to an improbable 30-28 win over then no. 12 Utah in Salt Lake City. That game saw the then true freshman complete 30-of-43 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Admittedly, though, the magnitude of that win hardly compares to what’s at stake for the Ducks this week, and what has been at stake for the Ducks this season. Especially when you consider Oregon’s 4-8 finish in 2016, not to mention the presence of a coaching staff that would be gone within a month of that game.
The season opener vs. Auburn was an opportunity for Herbert to emphatically announce himself to the country as a bona fide Heisman contender against one of the nation’s most talented defenses. It was painfully clear, however, that the Ducks didn’t have the healthy supporting cast at the skilled positions to add life to an efficient and composed 242-yard, two-touchdown outing from Herbert.
With Washington serving as the biggest test on the schedule since the Auburn game, it’s true that Herbert will be forced to manage without his preferred go-to target in tight end Jacob Breeland, who Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal announced Monday would miss the remainder of the season due to injury. But that excuse won’t fly given the full complement of receivers and running backs that Herbert will otherwise have at his command.
In other words, the bill is due on the Herbert hype.
Of course, the burden of paying that tab will be shared by Oregon’s receivers and the Ducks’ offensive brain trust. Both groups have shown marked improvement since last season, though similar to Herbert, both groups need to also prove that they are capable of rising to the moment and passing the test. The Auburn game was an encouraging opening salvo for the team as a whole, but Saturday’s game – given the quality of the opponent, the nature of the rivalry, the stakes at hand, and the degree of difficulty on the road – will require even more, beginning and ending with the elevated leadership and play of Justin Herbert.