Oregon Ducks Roll to 6-0

PULLMAN, Wash. '" The No. 3 Oregon football team continued its roll through the 2010 season with a 43-23 Pac-10 Conference victory over Washington State on Saturday afternoon.

Now, the Ducks get a much-needed week of rest before their next challenge '" a Thursday night meeting with UCLA at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on October 21.

The Ducks improved to 6-0 by surviving a scrappy WSU team and a scary moment that initially appeared to be a serious injury to running back Kenjon Barner.

Barner was down on the ground for nearly 10 minutes after taking a hard shot to the head on a kickoff return in the first quarter. He was eventually able to sit up and then stand before being taken away on an ambulance; postgame reports indicated that Barner had suffered a concussion but was expected to be OK.

His good friend and fellow Oregon running back, LaMichael James, was broken up on the sideline while medical personnel tended to Barner, and James '" a Heisman Trophy candidate '" carried some of that emotion onto the field, finishing with three touchdowns and 223 total yards (136 rushing, 87 receiving) while thinking of his good buddy the entire way.

"Every play I did, Kenjon was on my mind," James told reporters after the game.

Barner's injury wasn't the only serious blow the Ducks absorbed on Saturday.

Starting quarterback Darron Thomas left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. The sophomore QB later said he could have returned, but head coach Chip Kelly held out Thomas for precautionary reasons.

Backup Nate Costa made Kelly's decision an easy one, turning in an impressive performance in relief. He went 13-for-15 for 151 yards and a touchdown, and carried the ball eight times for 84 yards and another touchdown.

Jeff Maehl was Oregon's leading receiver, catching 10 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown.

The Ducks surrendered six second-half points, by way of a third-quarter WSU touchdown and a missed two-point conversion attempt, making it 13 total points Oregon has given up in the second half this season

Even more impressive is the fact that all of those points have come in the third quarter, meaning the Ducks' defense hasn't given up a single point in the fourth quarter this season.

With top-ranked Alabama losing 35-21 to South Carolina on Saturday, the Ducks are in prime position to climb the AP Top 25 ladder; they'll for sure jump to No. 2 overall in the new poll, and some football analysts around the country are saying the Ducks could leapfrog No. 2 Ohio State and land at No. 1.

Source:
Backup QB Nate Costa drives Oregon after Darron Thomas injured, ESPN