Ducks Stop Huskies 34-17
Don Smalley

In what could have been a trap game, the Ducks did what they needed to do to defeat the Huskies.

Oregon sacked Washington quarterback Keith Price six times and forced three turnovers en route to a 34-17 Pac-12 victory over their Northwest rivals.

The Duck win, coupled with Stanford's win over the Beavers, sets up the conference game of the year next week in Palo Alto.

Stanford is 7-0 in conference and Oregon is 6-0 and the winner will have the inside track to advance to, and host, the Pac-12 conference championship game.

But before the Game of the Year was to happen, No. 8 Oregon had to defeat a much improved Washington team.

In front of a sold out and emotional Husky Stadium, it was Oregon's defense that was the star. The Ducks not only put Price on his back numerous times, Oregon held running back Chris Polk in check. Polk gained just 80 yards on 24 carries.

Meanwhile, LaMichael James torched the Husky defense for 156 yards and a touchdown, most of those yards coming in the second half.

Oregon jumped on Washington early. Eddie Pleasant picked off Price on an overthrow and returned the interception to the Husky 38-yard line.

The Ducks didn't waste any time getting the ball in the end zone taking only three plays to score - James getting the honors from 18-yards out to give Oregon a quick 7-0 lead.

Washington cut the lead to 7-3 after Darron Thomas turned the ball over when the ball slipped out of his hands.

The Ducks looked poised to strike again when De'Anthony Thomas returned the kickoff 69 yards, but Oregon was forced to settle for Alejandro Maldonado's 40-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead.

In the second quarter, the Ducks gave themselves a two-possession lead when Pleasant picked off Price for the second time, returning it to the Washington 34. Darron Thomas ended the drive by finding tight end David Paulson in the end zone.

Trailing 17-3, the Huskies drove the field and closed within points when Keith Price found Michael Hartvigson for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds left in the first half.

As they have all season, the Ducks came out after the break and took control of the game, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions, opening up a 31-17 lead.

The opening drive was 12 plays and 90 yards capped by a one-yard score for Kenyon Barner.

Price answered back for the Huskies, connecting with Kasen Williams from 10 yards out but Oregon sealed the Huskies' fate with a six-play, 70-yard drive, De'Anthony Thomas taking the option pitch from Darron Thomas the last nine yards.  

Oregon added a field goal right before the third quarter ended to finish the scoring for the night.

The last field goal was set up when Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian rolled the dice, going for a 4th-and-4 at midfield with six minutes left in the third.

But the strategy backfired as Price's pass to Polk was incomplete.

The win was the eighth straight for Oregon in the series against the Huskies, the longest of the series.

Now Oregon will go to Stanford, the site of Chip Kelly's only conference loss.