PACIFIC 10 FOOTBALL / DAN HAFNER : Cal, Oregon Have Air of Contenders

There is more than mere passing interest in Oregon’s invasion of Berkeley on Saturday. True, the battle of the unbeatens features two of the nation’s outstanding passers, but much more is at stake.

Each team has won its only conference game and the winner establishes itself as a contender for the Rose Bowl. Cal, slowly climbing, is ranked 17th in the Associated Press poll. Oregon, little appreciated, isn’t in the top 25.

The Bears are a solid favorite to win their fifth in a row. In this series, though, that hardly inspires optimism. In eight of the last 11 meetings, the underdog has won. Last season, Cal was a three-point favorite, but the Ducks, after the Bears had driven to an easy opening touchdown, fought back for a 33-17 victory.

The Bears, impressive in winning four in a row, are No. 1 in the conference at running the ball, but they also have, in junior Dave Barr, the No. 4 passer in the country. Oregon, which did not run the ball well in winning its first three games, has the conference total offense leader in quarterback Danny O’Neil, who is averaging 285 yards per game. O’Neil, also a junior, is eighth in the national rankings.

“We have to run the ball against the Bears to give Danny a chance to throw the ball,” Coach Rich Brooks said. “But that’s where we’re hurting.

“Both tailbacks, Sean Burwell and Ricky Whittle, will play, but they aren’t 100%. Burwell has a persistent ankle problem and Whittle has a groin problem.”

The Ducks have averaged only 92 yards rushing, and that has put a big burden on O’Neil.

“This is a big test,” Brooks added. “We will be going up against the best offense we’ve seen this season. In the running of (Lindsey) Chapman and the passing of Barr, they have a magnificent 1-2 punch.

“We will find out whether we’re capable of stopping such a powerful offense. I think we are, but it remains to be seen.”

The running of Chapman gives the Bears a balanced attack.

“We’ve come a long way, and I think we’ve improved every week,” Cal Coach Keith Gilbertson said. “The difference in last year is that we haven’t stumbled or fumbled, and we’ve been focused on every game.

“We’ve been scoring points, and we’ve been holding teams down. But everything has to be turned up another level this week. The caliber of the competition, the intensity, everything picks up.”

The Bears have moved the ball so well they have had to punt only three times in the last two games.

Last week they held San Jose State’s Jeff Garcia, who had been No. 1 in the nation in total offense, to 182 yards on 14-for-25 passing.

“Their defense didn’t have to gamble the way they have in the past,” Garcia said. “They have some tremendous talent, especially on defense.”

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There doesn’t seem to be a better way to open the conference race than to play Oregon State. Washington State thought it had a pretty fair team when it trounced the Beavers, only to find out otherwise against USC. Last week Arizona, which had shown no offense in winning its first three games, looked like a powerhouse against Jerry Pettibone’s outmanned team, gaining almost 500 yards.

Saturday at Corvallis, it figures to be Arizona State’s turn to get a morale booster. The Sun Devils have a 2-1 nonconference record, and quarterback Grady Benton and tailback Mario Bates have recovered from minor injuries. Bates carried 30 times for 94 yards in the 12-10 squeaker over Oklahoma State. Benton completed 13 of 26 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

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Stanford might be ready for a strong finish if it can escape with its life against unbeaten Notre Dame.

The Irish have some extra incentive. Bill Walsh’s team stunned Notre Dame last year at South Bend, 33-16, handing the Irish their only defeat of the season.

The young Stanford team is 2-2, having shown brilliance every other week. Two weeks ago, the Cardinal rallied to beat Colorado, but last Saturday couldn’t handle UCLA.

After playing the Irish, the Cardinal, with one of the toughest schedules in the nation, has a week to recuperate. Then, it plunges into six consecutive conference games. Stanford will probably need a sweep to even have a shot at the Rose Bowl.

Pac-10 Notes

Washington hopes to get the rest of its offense untracked Saturday when it plays host to San Jose State (0-4). So far, running back Napoleon Kaufman has represented most of the offense. He is No. 2 in the nation in all-purpose running with 190.7 yards and is 10th in rushing with 129.3. The Spartans have yielded at least 31 points in each game and 144 in four. . . . Washington State (2-2), hoping to recover from the humiliation at USC, will try to take it out on Pacific. . . . The two Washington schools will try to improve on the Pac-10’s 17-7-0 record in nonconference games.

Quarterback Steve Stenstrom has Stanford sixth in the nation in passing offense with an average of 323 yards per game. Oregon is averaging 303. . . . Defensive end Shante Carver of Arizona State continues his bid for the Lombardi and Outland awards. In three games, Carver has 13 tackles, including five sacks for minus 25 yards. He also has a pass deflection and a blocked field goal.