Know your enemy (for this week, anyway)

Boise State will have their hands full this weekend in Eugene, OR when they have their first-ever (hard to believe) tussle with the Ducks. The Ducks survived a double overtime game against Purdue last weekend whilst the Broncos beat the Bowling Green Falcons. Most fans, like me, know little about the University of Oregon outside of Dennis Dixon, Mike Belotti and all that Nike moolah. Needless to say, there is a lot to be learned about our week 4 foe (don't worry, Kellen Moore already knows their defense intimately)...so let's explore through the magic of factoids and childish jokes. For the mutual benefit of the Duck faithful, I will let you get to know us a little bit too...so take notes.

Ten things Bronco fans might not know about the University of Oregon

10. The University of Oregon has been playing football since 1894. It would have been cool to see all those Dayglo Nike leather helmets, huh?

9. The Ducks, while enjoying great success as of late under coach Mike Belotti, have only won 52% of their football games all-time. The Broncos are hovering around 70%...neener neener.

8. The University of Oregon has won 7 conference championships since 1919 and are 52-3 against the University of Idaho. That last bit wasn't really related, but I thought it was hilarious.

7. The Ducks football venue, Autzen Stadium, is named after it's chief financial contributor and lumberman Thomas J. Autzen...an Oregon State alum.

6. Oregon's first home game at Autzen Stadium was a 17-13 loss to Colorado in 1967—their first win at Autzen? A 31-6 victory over, you guessed it, Idaho (it was the only home victory that year for Oregon)

5. David Ogden Stiers, who played Winchester on M*A*S*H, attended the University of Oregon as did Ann Curry, current host of The Today Show. Also: a lot of hippies.

4. Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight is a University of Oregon alum and remains a huge donor. He enlisted a Portland State University student to design the famous Nike "swoosh" logo...she was paid $35 for her effort.

3. The Oregon Country Fair is held every year in Veneta, Oregon about 15 miles outside of Eugene. Boasting an attendance of over 45,000, it is a great place to hear folk rock, jazz and slam poetry...it is also a great place to see a naked hippie playing a cello.

2. During half-time of the 2002 game against Stanford, the Donald Duck-like Oregon mascot hatched a terrifying and extremely ill-advised roundhouse-kicking new mascot known affectionately as "Robo Duck". Wow...just wow.

1. The cult-hit comedy Animal House was shot on and around the University of Oregon's campus. They say that John Belushi's ghost still haunts the Lillis Business Complex

Ten things that Duck fans might not know about Boise State University

10. Boise State started out as a junior college in 1932 and became 4-year Boise College in 1968. Hal Zimmerman was the starting QB for BJC in 1967 and in 1968 was the starter for Boise College. How many can make that claim?

9. The first U.S. commercial air flight was an airmail flight in 1926 from Pasco, Wash., to Boise on Varney Air Lines, predecessor of United Airlines. The dirt landing strip was where Bronco Stadium is now. Prior to the campus being built, it was Boise's first airport...and before that: a landfill.

8. Boise State offers the nation's only masters of science in Raptor Biology. We're assuming, the kind from Jurassic Park.

7. Boise State's mascot, Buster Bronco shares his name with Western Michigan's mascot. Extra fun fact: Did you know that Idaho's "Joe Vandal" is the first openly gay mascot in the NCAA? Talk about progressive!

6. Boise State's legendary coach, Lyle Smith was an amazing 153-25-6 at the helm of the Bronco program from 1947-1967. He could still beat you in arm wrestling too.

5. Prior Boise State's coaches that have gone on to not be as successful at their next school: Houston Nutt, Dirk Koetter, and Dan Hawkins (this ain't intramurals, Dan).

4. Boise State's famous Statue of Liberty play that they used to defeat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl (or at least their particular version)was notoriously RIPPED OFF by none other than the Oregon Ducks when they played in Ann Arbor last season.

3. Current Defensive Coordinator, Justin Wilcox, is an Oregon alum who played for the Ducks from 1995 to 1999. His father, Dave Wilcox is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame...and played his college ball for Boise State...and Oregon.

2. Boise State head coach, Chris Petersen, is 25-3 as the Broncos' head honcho...he won Bear Bryant coach of the year honors in 2006 and was nominated several times prior to that for the Frank Broyles award...given to the nation's best offensive coordinator. Petersen played college ball at UC Davis, as did Oregon HC Mike Belotti. Petersen served as Belotti's wide receivers coach at Oregon from 1995 to 2000.

1. Boise State, since moving to Division 1-A in 1996, has been one of the most successful teams in the nation...but still have not won a road game against a BCS opponent. *Sigh*

Well, now you know some things about your foe, Ducks and Broncos...and knowing is half the battle.