They call it the “Decade of Darkness” in Washington, a streak of Oregon football wins over the Huskies that stretches back to 2004. The 11 straight wins have cut into the all-time Huskies lead of 58-44-5 in the series.

In the preseason, the narrative would have predicted that history would repeat itself. But, with Oregon reeling from a 45-38 double overtime loss to Washington State last week, the streak may finally come to an end.

Washington (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) enters the game on the heels of a stunning 17-12 upset over No. 17 USC, a game in which its defense looked stifling. The unit held the Trojans to 346 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers and limited them to just 1-for-13 on third down conversions.

Oregon (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12) is still searching for answers after its loss to the Cougars. Large questions remain at quarterback and defensive big, while the running game continues to flourish.

Here are the matchups to watch on Saturday:

Oregon passing attack vs. Washington defensive backs

The Ducks have to find a way to get the ball to their talented receivers if they want to get back in the win column. Currently, the team ranks 83rd in the nation in passing yards, which reflects more on the quarterback situation than anything else. The deep ball  isn’t an option for this team right now. Keep in mind that this is a Huskies defense that kept the potent Trojan passing attack out of the end zone, while picking off Cody Kessler twice. Oregon isn’t even close to that skilled through the air this season.

Washington running backs vs. Oregon defense 

The Huskies won’t be looking to run up the score, content to grind out the clock and keep the Oregon offense off the field. They’ll turn to emerging freshman Myles Gaskin to carry the ball and try to play the field-of-possession game. He is coming off of one of his best games, running for 134 yards and one touchdown against the Trojans. Expect the Ducks to stack the box and stop the Huskies rushing attack, forcing quarterback Jake Browning to take control of the game.

Players to watch:

Oregon:

Charles Nelson

Nelson was asked to do pretty much everything against Washington State and the sophomore ended up being one of the few bright spots in the game for the home team. The wide receiver continued to play on the offensive end, but suited up as a safety for his first career appearance on defense and took the field on special teams.

Devon Allen

So far this season, Allen has been quiet, not making much of an impact since recovering from his knee injury last year. He has six receptions for 53 yards. Look for him to break out this weekend with the Huskies’ defensive focus directed towards more obvious Ducks threats.

Washington:

Budda Baker

Baker is a name Duck fans may remember as he was linked to the program in recruiting before ultimately choosing the Huskies. The sophomore defensive back returned from an injury to play against USC, collecting eight tackles in the contest. He also makes an impact on special teams, serving as a returner.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

It’s not the best time to be an Oregon wide receiver right now. With the quarterback situation still in flux there aren’t a lot of passes going around.

The Ducks average 210 passing yards per game, which ranks them 83rd in the country. In the 45-38 upset loss against Washington State last Saturday, they mustered just 123 yards through the air.

Most of those attempts were short passes to the likes of Bralon Addison and Royce Freeman, who combined to account for 11 of the 13 catches against the Cougars.

The lack of a passing attack has left talented wide receivers like Dwayne Stanford searching for ways to contribute on offense. On the season, Stanford has eight catches for 158 yards and one touchdown — though most of that came early in the year.

Stanford took the time after practice to discuss Oregon’s offense and the upcoming showdown with rival Washington.

Looking back at Washington State, what were the things that stood out?

We left too many points on the board. We had a couple of drives where we didn’t get any points — field goals or touchdowns. The defense got multiple stops for us, and as an offense we’ve got to score.

Do you feel like the inconsistency at quarterback has hurt the passing game?

That is just an excuse. We have to deal with and make plays with whoever is out there, whether that’s Lockie, Vernon, Taylor, Bralon, one of the o-linemen — we just got to make plays.

How big is this rivalry game against Washington?

Anytime you play Washington it’s a big game, but it’s just the game this week. Last week, it was Washington State. Now, its Washington. Next week it will be whomever we play.

The Huskies’ defense is number one in the Pac-12 in points allowed. What have you seen from them?

They do a good job of rallying to the ball; don’t miss too many tackles. Once we get out there we just have to make plays and make guys miss once we get out into the open field.

Are there things you can do specifically to get open as a receiver?

Run crisp routes with speed, just the same things I’ve been doing.

What is the key to staying positive even if balls aren’t coming your way very often this year?

It’s hard. Those are my teammates, so I can’t get down on them. Those are my brothers, so I can’t go crazy on the sidelines. That wouldn’t be a good look. It’s just being mature about the whole situation.

What would it mean to get Vernon back onto the field?

I think it would be good for us, as long as he comes out, plays well and does what he is capable of doing. I think the other two quarterbacks have been doing the best that they can — we just have to rally around whoever is playing quarterback.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

Oregon soccer held on for most of the match against No. 6 Stanford, but eventually dropped 1-0 on the road Sunday night.

After keeping the game tied at zero through the first, Stanford finally broke through with the only goal of the contest, an Andi Sullivan redirected header to the side of the net.

Assisted by teammate Tegan McGrady, who tore down the left sideline before whipping the cross in, the score marked Sullivan’s team-leading fifth of the season.

Oregon midfielder Marlo Sweatman had a chance at the dying moments of the night to tie the game, but watched as her shot sailed wide of the goal.

The score was closer than it should have been, as Stanford had 22 shots on goal. However, they had trouble getting them on frame, only forcing Oregon sophomore starting goalie Halla Hinriksdottir to make five saves. That was the second most saves she has made this season in a single game.

Sweatman posted the most shots for Oregon, with two, but as a team, they were never able to generate much offense of their own. They ended with three shots — only one on goal. The main problem was the midfield was forced to sit back and defend the aggressive Stanford attack, not being able to support the forwards.

Stanford spread the attack around, ending with 10 players recording at least one shot in the game.

Oregon will look to snap its three game losing streak as they return home to host USC on Saturday. Opening kickoff is scheduled at 6 p.m.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

One thing became apparent by the end of Oregon’s 41-24 victory over Colorado last Saturday: this team wants to run the ball.

With the quarterback situation in flux, the focus of the offense turned towards the running backs, giving sophomore starter Royce Freeman 27 carries against the Buffaloes.

Freeman, who has racked up 613 yards and seven touchdowns this season, leads the group. Steadily growing into a featured back is freshman Taj Griffin, who had a season-high 110 yards to go along with a touchdown against Colorado.

Tony Brooks-James and Kani Benoit have also contributed this year, helping the Ducks collect 1,502 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.

With such a talented backfield, Oregon running backs coach Gary Campbell talked with the media after practice to discuss his plans for the group going forward.

Emerald: How many times can you give Royce Freeman 27 carries?

Gary Campbell: I don’t know; we will find out. When we started the game I asked if he could carry it 35 times, and he said, ‘yeah.’ My plan was to see if he could carry it at least 30, and I think he carried it 27 and caught three passes, so he touched it 30 times. I think he proved he can do that.

E: So you factor in the receptions?

GC: Well, no. That was just a number I thought would be good for him. 25-30 I think is feasible for him.

E: Are you worried about the long-term effects of giving Freeman the ball that much?

GC: No, we got three other backs that I think can carry it too. So if need be for him to carry it that many times, I think he can handle it. He is a big, strong, physical kid — he is a lot more mature this year. I look around the country at guys that run the ball and those guys are carrying it 25-26 times.

E: It seems like since Tyner went out, you have been looking for that number two back.

GC: I don’t care who it is and there isn’t a certain style that I am looking for. I just want a guy who can go in, produce and run the offense. There’s not a particular body type or anything. Obviously Royce can do some things that Taj can’t do, and Taj does some different things. That may be good as a change up, I don’t know. Just the same, it may be good to have a guy just like Royce, another guy like Tyner to come in and continue that same style of running. But as long as the guy is productive, that is what counts.

E: Are Tony and Kani competing with each other for that other Tyner look, whereas Taj is the change-of-pace back?

GC: No, they are all competing to start. That is the way I want them to practice and think every day. Nobody is competing to be second or third, they are all competing for the number one spot.

E: How do you decide who is going to be number two in a given week? Is it based on practice or on the defense you are going to face?

GC: It is based on practice. Obviously there are always some things we would like to do in a game, and we factor those things into practice. The guy who does it best is usually the guy who is going to be in that role in the game.

E: What do you like about Taj so far this season?

GC: I like what I’ve seen from him this season. The whole holdback for him has been the learning process, him really getting the offense down, lining up in the right spots and being able to protect the passer.

E: How is he doing in the protection phase of the game?

GC: He is getting better. He still has some glitches now and again, but as I said, he is improving in all areas.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

The Ducks and the Buffaloes line up to play during the third quarter. The Oregon Ducks play the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, on October 3, 2015. (Taylor Wilder/Emerald)

The football game between Oregon and Colorado Saturday night in Boulder had as bizarre a start as you could imagine. Lightning pushed an already late start even further back, resulting in the players and fans in the stadium twice having to evacuate for safety reasons.

While the rain poured down and the student section — who refused to leave their first come — first serve seats, sang with the PA system. Both teams tried to stay loose and focused.

“I thought our mindset was good going into it,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said of the delay. “We just tried to manage it like it was halftime.”

Over an hour after the scheduled start, the game finally got underway at 9:08 MT. For Duck fans, it was worth the wait, as Oregon (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) was able to complete a 41-24 victory at Folsom Field.

The Ducks overcame a slow start, perhaps in part due to the delay, where the issues exposed by Utah last week in an ugly 62-20 loss reared their heads once again. The secondary was porous, allowing the Buffalo (3-2,0-1) to move the ball through the air at will. They finished with 231 passing yards.

Quarterback play was shaky as well, with redshirt junior and starter Jeff Lockie and redshirt sophomore Taylor Alie playing musical chairs throughout the game to see who would end up under center. It was a system put in place by the coaching staff going into the game, as they were hoping to have both guys see the field as part of a rotation. Lockie ended 8-11 for 54 yards and an interception, while Alie was 4-9 for 83 yards and a touchdown.

These issues led to a 17-17 tie game at the halfway mark.

“Offensively we had a couple of adjustments that we made,” Helfrich said.

Those adjustments were to focus on the running attack, which ended up being the difference in the contest. Royce Freeman got the lion’s share of the attempts, posting 27 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while Taj Griffin added 11 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown. It was the first time Oregon has had two running backs pick up 100 yards in the same game this season.

“I definitely think it was a cool duo thing,” Griffin said. “I got them with the speed and Royce got them with the strength.”

As a team, Oregon completely honed in on the run, dialing it up twice as much as it did in the first half. The Ducks ended with 60 total attempts, averaging six yards per carry as a team.

Oregon also cleaned up its defense in the second half, taking advantage of the simplification the coaches stressed this week, by flying around as a unit.

“The great thing about defense is if I miss a tackle there are 10 other guys running to the ball,” redshirt senior linebacker Rodney Hardrick said.

The defensive line was able to put pressure on Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau, forcing him out of the pocket, while applying several big hits. Senior defensive lineman DeForest Buckner stood out, forcing the Buffalo to send multiple blockers his way to slow him down.

Oregon came into this game wanting to build confidence in the players, to help them bounce back mentally from a tough loss last week. The end result is a step in the right direction.

“It’s a win,” said Helfrich. “We’re not the worst team in the history of football, and we’re certainly not the best team in the history — we are working toward the latter.”

The next step in that goal comes next Saturday as the Ducks play host to Washington State.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @ChrisKeizur

The Oregon Ducks were in search of a bounce-back game and they found it against Colorado.

Things didn’t start out well for Oregon. It struggled on both sides of the ball through most of the first half, settling for a 17-17 tie. Uncertainty remained with the play of the secondary and at quarterback, where the Ducks rotated Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie all night.

In the second half, the passing game took a backseat to the run, as the Ducks focused on the ground game. Royce Freeman was the workhorse, while Taj Griffin came in to bring a nice change of pace with his speed. Together, the Ducks totaled 361 yards on the ground.

Colorado kept things going through the air, with the Sefo Liufau-Nelson Spruce connection coming up big, time and time again. Colorado’s Phillip Lindsay and Shay Fields also were able to shake free from defenders too easily.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Buffalo were scoreless on their last five drives. Oregon was able to score on four of its last five. A touchdown on a nine-play, 45- yard Buffalo drive cut the Oregon lead to a single score.

Oregon was able to answer just one possession later, connecting on a deep touchdown pass to clinch the 41-24 victory.

Second Half Key Plays:

– Oregon’s Royce Freeman powered his way up the middle three yards for the touchdown to open the second half. Aiden Schneider makes the PAT to take the 24-17 lead.

– Oregon linebacker Rodney Hardrick forced Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau into committing a fumble early in the third. As Liufau tried to extend the play by escaping the pocket, Hardrick and a host of Ducks chasing the play hit him from behind, before he could bring the ball forward for a pass. Oregon’s Henry Mondeaux was able to recover the loose ball, giving the Ducks possession on their own 46.

– On the following drive Oregon was able to again punch it in on the ground, this time courtesy a twisting Taj Griffin for two yards. Schneider makes the PAT to extend the lead to 31-17 Ducks.

– Colorado opened the fourth quarter with a big defensive stand as Freeman was stuffed on a fourth-and-one. The Ducks turned the ball over on downs at their own 45.

– Liufau ran the ball through a gap up the middle on a quarterback draw, fighting off Duck arm tackles to capitalize with a seven-yard touchdown run. Diego Gonzalez made the PAT to cut the Oregon lead to single digits, 31-24, with 10:29 left on the clock.

– On the answering drive, Oregon’s Taylor Alie found redshirt freshman Jalen Brown for a 43-yard touchdown pass while moving out of the pocket. It was the first score of the year for Brown, and the Schneider PAT extended the Ducks’ lead to 38-24.

Three things we learned:

– Sometimes, Oregon needs not to throw the ball. In the entire third quarter, the Ducks threw the ball just twice and completed one pass. They also scored 14 points with over 100 yards rushing in the quarter.

– The defense can, indeed, make an adjustment in the second half. Against Utah, the Oregon defense allowed 28 unanswered points in the third quarter and the game became a rout. This time around, Oregon kept the opposition scoreless in the same time frame, with two three-and-outs and a turnover.

– Royce Freeman isn’t alone. Although the sophomore led the team on the ground, he got tremendous support from Taj Griffin, who ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Griffin, a faster, more agile back, showed he can complement the heavy-running Freeman when the passing game is nonexistent.

Game stats:

Oregon passing

Jeff Lockie: 8-for-11 for 54 yards and one interception

Taylor Alie: 4-for-9 for 83 yards and one touchdown

Bralon Addison: 1-for-1 for 39 yards and one touchdown

Colorado passing

Sefo Liufau: 25-for-42 for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception

Oregon rushing

Royce Freeman: 27 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns

Taj Griffin: 11 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown

Colorado rushing

Christian Powell: 10 carries for 30 yards and one touchdown

Phillip Lindsay: 12 carries for 37 yards

Oregon receiving

Charles Nelson: two receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown

Taj Griffin: three receptions for 41 yards

Bralon Addison: two receptions for 9 yards

Jalen Brown: one reception for 43 yards and a touchdown

Colorado receiving

Nelson Spruce: six receptions for 87 yards

Phillip Lindsay: four receptions for 60 yards

Shay Fields: five receptions for 31 yards and one touchdown

Total yards

Oregon: 537

Colorado: 308

Turnovers

Oregon: 1

Colorado: 3

It was a late start to the game in Boulder, and Oregon was looking to bounce back from a tough 62-20 loss against Utah last weekend. The contest was delayed twice due to severe weather warnings, pushing kickoff back over an hour to 9:07 MT.

The delay may have had an adverse impact on the game, as the first three possessions all ended in turnovers.

Oregon struggled to throw the ball, relying on running the ball with their powerful back Royce Freeman. He had success early, though the Buffalo were able to stack the box against him, stifling the run at the line.

On the Ducks’ third possession they turned to redshirt freshman Taylor Alie to lead the team, relegating Jeff Lockie to the sideline after he completed just 2-of-4 passes for 11 yards and an interception. Alie looked strong in the read-option, using his speed to draw in defenders, although he too struggled to open up the passing game. The Ducks then decided to bring back Lockie late to close out the half.

On the other side of the ball Colorado took advantage of the porous Duck secondary, slinging the ball to open receivers across the field. They threw for 192 yards in the first half.

Both teams began trading scoring drives, but neither was able to pull away from the other. They went into the locker room tied after Oregon was able to cap a six-play, 68-yard drive with a field goal.

Key Plays:

– Oregon’s Joe Walker intercepts Sefo Liufau on Colorado’s first possession, giving the Ducks the ball on the Colorado 17 yard line.

– Oregon’s Jeff Lockie throws an interception in the end zone on a third and five. Colorado’s Ahkello Witherspoon made the diving grab to keep the Ducks off the scoreboard.

– Royce Freeman finds the edge and uses a burst of speed to score a 29-yard run, capping a two-play, 34-yard drive Oregon drive that lasted just 0:41. Aiden Schneider makes the PAT to give Oregon the 7-0 lead in the first.

– Using tempo, Colorado answered the touchdown late in the first on the shoulders of running back Christian Powell. With the offensive line collapsing to the middle, Powell was able to slip in for an easy two-yard score. Diego Gonzalez makes the PAT, tying the game 7-7.

-To open the second half Liufau threw a pass down the sideline to Nelson Spruce, who made an over the shoulder grab for 42 yards to the Oregon nine yard line. Liufau followed that up with a well-timed fade to the right corner, this time to Shay Fields for the touchdown. Gonzalez makes the PAT to give Colorado the 14-7 lead.

– Oregon turned to a nifty reverse pass early in the second quarter, letting Bralon Addison toss it to Charles Nelson for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Schneider makes the PAT to tie the game at 14.

– Colorado kicker Gonzalez nails a 52-yard field goal, finishing an eight-play, 40-yard drive midway through the second quarter. Buffalo lead 17-14.

– Oregon’s Schneider answered with a field goal of his own from 39 yards, tying the game 17-17.

Three things to watch for in the second half:

– Who will play quarterback in the second half? Jeff Lockie, who ended the first half as the man behind center, or Taylor Alie, who entered in Oregon’s third drive. Or, perhaps, someone else?

– Will the defense make an adjustment? Last week they didn’t, and Utah scored 28 unanswered points in the third quarter to push the game out of reach.

– Can Oregon stop Colorado on third down? The Buffaloes are 4-for-9 on third downs in the game, while Oregon has completed just one of its own.

First half stats:

Oregon passing

Taylor Alie: 3-for-6 for 40 yards

Jeff Lockie: 6-for-9 for 47 yards and one interception

Colorado passing

Sefo Liufau:17-for-27 for 192 yards, one touchdown and one interception

Oregon rushing

Taj Griffin: four carries for 74 yards

Royce Freeman: 10 carries for 61 yards and one touchdown

Colorado rushing

Christian Powell: eight carries for 22 yards and one touchdown

Phillip Lindsay: eight carries for 28 yards

Oregon receiving

Charles Nelson: two receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown

Taj Griffin: three receptions for 41 yards

Bralon Addison: two receptions for 9 yards

Colorado receiving

Nelson Spruce: four receptions for 69 yards

Shay Fields: four receptions for 27 yards and one touchdown

Total yards

Oregon: 259

Colorado: 233

Turnovers

Oregon: 1

Colorado: 2

It was about as good as it could get for Oregon cross country. The Ducks capped their trip north with a sweep of the Washington Invitational Friday afternoon.

The men won with 52 points, followed by Stanford (69) and BYU (70). The women looked even more impressive, taking it with 36 points. Washington placed second (59) and Stanford came in third (60).

Edward Cheserek was the top finisher for Oregon, claiming his 10th win in 11 races by finishing in 23:15.39. He pulled away from the rest of the field, making use of his blistering kick as he neared the finish line with a five-second gap.

Highly touted freshman Matthew Maton finished eighth (23:27.19), fellow freshman Tanner Anderson took 12th (23:32.0) and Sam Prakel finished 14th (23:34.6).

On the women’s side, Oregon was able to dominate, going 2-4-6 with Alli Cash (19:44.6), Maggie Schmaedick (19:50.2) and Waverly Neer (19:56.8). All three were able to maintain contact with the lead pack, working together well to stay in the race.

The sweep signifies a big win for the Ducks, as the field at the Invitational featured several talented programs. Coming in, Stanford was ranked higher than Oregon, while both BYU and host Washington represented serious threats. All three are programs the Ducks can expect to meet later when Championship season rolls around.

Click here for a complete list of race results.

The next race on the schedule isn’t until October 17, when Oregon will participate in the Pre National Invitational at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

It can be tough to reload each year as a club sports program where recruiting is limited to word of mouth and fliers. Yet hopes remain high for Oregon men’s rugby as it looks to build upon their successful past few seasons.

The talent level of the departing players from the club is significant, with familiar names like Anton Matschek, Travis Cutler and Taylor Krumrei all moving on after their final year of eligibility. Most of the core scrum is gone. However, the team does see a silver lining.

 “A lot of times you are training with kids who are on the cusp and the most frustrating thing for them is they never get a chance to break out,” Connor Crossley, a veteran with the team, said. “I am hoping for a few shining stars to come out of this group.”

The opportunities are there for the younger members who may not have seen that much of the pitch in previous seasons. Playing time is to be had across the board. The coaches and team leaders are watching to see who will make a bid for more action come game day.

“There is going to be a lot of open spots come this season,” said Anthony Rodriguez, a second year player whose goal is to take over the playmaking duties.

Jess Kraus will be one of the people helping to make personnel decisions as he takes on his new role as club president.

“It wasn’t really planned. I got injured last fall, so I wanted to become more involved with the club.”

Kraus is also expected to make an impact on the field, though he is still working to rehab his injury. He is training with the team, but is only at 80 percent. A late fall return seems likeliest.

Practice started two weeks before school, though not all the players were able to make it back on campus in time. They ran two sessions a week on the turf fields, while also incorporating extra endurance sessions like a team run up Spencer’s Butte.

The Ducks have done a good job coming together during those sessions, keeping a high level of competition by pushing each other on the field in a positive manner. That speaks to the trend of this program supporting each other on and off the field, maintaining a sense of encouragement and camaraderie.

“We have the time,” said Crossley, “so if we get some bodies in here and get them ready to go, we might actually have one of our best years.”

The goal every year for Oregon rugby is to make it to Nationals. Realistically this season, with how much experience, talent and size they lost, that may be a tall order. But this team isn’t looking at what was lost — instead they continue to emphasize the future.

“What we are trying to focus on is our recruiting efforts,” Kraus said. “We have a huge pool to gather students from to get interested in our sport.”

The first home game of the season is scheduled to take place on October 24th against Chico State out on Riverfront Field.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur

It’s not surprising that when the Bill Dellinger Invitational came to a close back in mid-September, one name stood above the rest. The Ducks’ Edward Cheserek won for the ninth time in the last 10 races to lead the Oregon cross country teams to a sweep of its season opening race.

And while this group of Ducks runners is led by the junior standout, the depth of the program goes far beyond. Talented athletes litter the roster on both the men and women’s sides. Sam Prakel, Travis Neuman, Alli Cash and Waverly Neer are just some of the people who should make impacts.

Having so many experienced runners is important, especially this week as the focus shifts to the new additions to the program – many of whom will be participating in their first collegiate race of the season at the Washington Invitational.

“Cross country is one of those things where we put in a lot of miles here in Eugene,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said. “We will get the chance to see them try to put those things to play in a team competition.”

Freshmen Matthew Maton and Tanner Anderson, as well as Georgetown transfer Ryan Gil, are on the entry list. For the women, Australia’s Jessica Hull will be getting her first action as a Duck.

“They have looked solid — no issues or problems with them,” Johnson said. “They’ve come in and learned what we are trying to teach.”

At this point in the year, the races are more an extension of the three weeks of training the programs did in Sunriver before the start of school. The teams are still working to come together and get into competition fitness before the stakes become higher later in the year — with circled events like the Pac-12 Championships (Oct. 30), NCAA West Regionals (Nov. 13) and NCAA Championships (Nov. 21) commanding most of the attention.

“We have been training hard, and we are in the middle of a long training block that lasts until Pac-12s — so it will be exciting to see where we are at,” sophomore Frida Berge said.

This weekend’s race serves as a chance to preview running a course they will be returning to later for the Regionals, as both events are held at Jefferson Park in Seattle. It also provides a chance for Oregon to face several talented squads of runners. Stanford is the headliner, with its men’s team ranked No. 2 and the women No. 4. Also boosting the field are ranked teams BYU, UCLA and Washington.

“Stanford will be there, so we will be looking to compete with them,” Neuman said. “They are obviously somebody we will be seeing at the National meet.”

The Washington Invitational is scheduled to begin Friday at 3:15.

Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur