EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Top-ranked Oregon has extra work this week, trying to figure out exactly what caused the Ducks' first-half malaise against Washington.
Nearly all the Ducks admitted that while the outcome might not have shown it, Oregon's 53-16 victory over the Huskies was nowhere close to the team's usual standard. | Photos from the Game
The Ducks had 107 yards in penalties and four fumbles, two of them lost. Oregon's normally prolific offense was held scoreless in the first quarter, and the team led by just 18-6 at half something that no one foresaw against Washington.
"We score a lot of points. That's what we're out there to do," center Jordan Holmes said. "It was a sloppy game."
The lapse, if it can be called that, appeared to put the Ducks on notice: anything less than the best is unacceptable if they want to play for the national championship.
Oregon (9-0, 6-0 Pac-10) visits California next weekend, before hosting Arizona and wrapping up the season in the annual Civil War game at Oregon State.
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Many had anticipated that the Beavers who normally surge in the second half could foil Oregon's title hopes in that final regular-season game. But Oregon State fell 17-14 at UCLA on Saturday for a second Pac-10 loss and Stanford, which Oregon already beat, is the only remaining one-loss team in the conference.
The Ducks are at least two games ahead of the rest of the pack with three games left.
So the Rose Bowl is clearly within their grasp barring total disaster. But that isn't what the Ducks are aiming for.
"If we lose a game, we'll be out of the race," Thomas said.
The national championship race.
And that's exactly why Oregon needs to correct those nagging errors.
"We want to get back to the drawing board, eliminate the mistakes that we made and make sure we don't bring them down to Cal," running back Kenjon Barner said.
Barner returned to the Ducks Saturday after sitting out the past two games because of a serious concussion against Washington State back on Oct. 9.
Barner, who complements running back LaMichael James, ran for 60 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown against the Huskies.
But his return was tempered by the loss of quarterback Nate Costa, a fifth-year senior who has backed up Darron Thomas this season after the duo battled for the job during fall camp.
Costa, a stalwart leader of the Ducks, was hurt Saturday when he bobbled a field goal attempt he also serves as the holder and was tackled as he tried to scramble with the ball.
Costa was taken from the field by a cart with what looked to be a serious injury to his right knee. There was no word Sunday on his injury or condition.
The possible loss of Costa poses a dilemma for the Ducks, who seem to have a recent history of inopportune quarterback knee injuries. Oregon was hoping to redshirt freshman Bryan Bennett, who was impressive during fall camp. The team also has redshirt freshman Daryle Hawkins, who serves as a reserve quarterback/receiver/running back.
The lack of a clear backup for Thomas is a concern. Oregon saw a chance to compete for a national title crumble in 2007 when Dennis Dixon went down with a knee injury in the third-to-last game of the regular season.
That season, backup Brady Leaf was also knocked out with a knee injury.
Costa has thrown for 286 yards and a touchdown this season. He threw for 151 yards against Washington State when Thomas left with a shoulder injury.
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