SF Chronicle: Bears expect tough test at noisy Autzen

Bruce Adams, Chronicle Staff Writer

Eugene, Ore. -- Though it hasn't quite reached the proportions of the old jinx of Husky Stadium, Oregon's Autzen Stadium has been anything but Bear territory in recent years.  No. 23 Cal (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10) plays No. 15 Oregon (7-1, 4-1) today in a venue that for the Bears has been as dismal as the weather. Cal hasn't won here since a 20-6 victory in 1987 under then-first-year coach Bruce Snyder.  Maybe it does have something to do with that cold, gray Northwest weather. The Bears went 26 years without a win in Seattle -- in fact, without a win, either home or away, against the Huskies -- until snapping the streak with a 34-27 victory at Husky Stadium in 2002.  That was coach Jeff Tedford's first year. He didn't put much credence in such streaks then and doesn't now, saying each team is different.  "What matters is how we prepare to go play this Cal team against that Oregon team right now," Tedford said.  He points out that he was only a part of one Cal loss at Oregon, a 21-17 defeat in 2003. He was, however, present for a 25-17 Oregon win in 2000 when he was the Ducks' offensive coordinator.  Oregon coach Mike Bellotti say he goes into today's game relishing Autzen's burgeoning reputation as "a very difficult place to play."

And a wet place, with rain forecast for today.  Autzen holds 54,000 fans that are close to the field and loud.  Bellotti even boasts that Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, whose Wolverines routinely play in front of 110,000 boisterous fans, told him Autzen was the loudest stadium he'd ever played in.  But, Bellotti added, "noise level never made a tackle."  A much bigger factor will be the Bears' ability to defend Oregon's new offense, the Utah spread-option.  It is a scheme based on trickery, with equal doses of run and pass, unlike the conventional spread run by Texas Tech, which relies on creating mismatches in the passing game.  It was a perfect fit for quarterback Kellen Clemens, who leads the Pac-10 in total offense. However, Clemens is out for the year after breaking his ankle on Oct. 22.  He will be replaced by sophomore Dennis Dixon, a product of San Leandro High who is making his first start today.  "He poses a lot of the same issues Kellen Clemens would pose," Tedford said. "The only difference is the experience."  Bellotti called Dixon "an electric runner (who can) start and stop, make people miss and finish plays."  Dixon will try to take advantage of talented wide receivers spread from sideline-to-sideline ("Athletes in space," in Tedford's words). Two of those receivers are De La Salle High products Demetrius Williams and Cameron Colvin.