I was excited to broadcast the Oregon-Arizona game this past weekend. I had studied all the facts and was convinced that it would be a close game.
After all, Arizona had beaten Oklahoma State and put 59 points — yes, that’s right, 59 points — on the Cowboys! On the flip side, Oregon had played a weak non-conference schedule. Despite the fact they had won all three games, they were giving up 24 points a game on defense. The Ducks were ranked 66th in the NCAA in total defense. Surely, the Wildcats would put up a bunch of points and make a fight of it. Surely!
I was expecting the “blur offense,” but what I got instead was the “blur defense.” Oregon shut out Arizona for the first time since 1964. That was when I was in college. Trust me, that was a long time ago!!
Sure, Arizona missed some opportunities (inside the 20-yard line six times with nothing to show for it), but it was way more than that. The Oregon defense was as scary as their offense. MAYBE it was just a blur. Maybe I didn’t see what I thought I saw. The rest of the Pac-12 better hope so because, if you give the blur offense a blur defense, the whole year will be a BLUR for the 11 other teams in the Pac-12.
— Terry Donahue
Former UCLA head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Terry Donahue is an NCAA Football analyst for Westwood One. This weekend Terry will be alongside John Tautges in Lincoln as the Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Wisconsin Badgers. Coverage begins at 7:30 PM Eastern on Westwood One Sports.
