Kalen DeBoer opens up on back-and-forth nature of Oregon rivalry

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer knows the significance of the Oregon rivalry, but this is a series that’s gone back and forth lately.

Once owned by either side, and we mean long streaks of winning, the gap closed and Washington and Oregon continually traded wins. From 2004-15, Oregon won 12 straight games, but Washington’s bounced back since.

Since that streak, it’s 3-3 and DeBoer opened up on the significance of the game, which headlines this weekend.

“I wouldn’t know all the ebbs, the flows of, you know, how it’s gone, but I certainly know where it’s at, you know, most recently,” DeBoer said. “You know, just the hype that surrounds it. It’s fun to be a part of the excitement, you know, and then just what it means to not just the fan base, but what it means to our team and our season right now with what we have going on now. It’s a big game for sure.”

Overall, the series is in favor of Washington, 61-48-5, since the first game on December 1, 1900.

Washington-Oregon set up for epic clash

Before the 12-game winning streak by Oregon earlier this century, Washington owned the series from 1965-93. Of those 29 games between Washington and Oregon, the Huskies won 22 times.

“The thing for us, is we wanted to make sure this weekend was big. So I’m proud of the way our guys have, every week, gone about taking care of business,” DeBoer said. “You know, you saw this as hopefully inevitable. It came to this point. Just a lot of respect for what Oregon’s doing with their season too. So I’m happy that this is a big week, because we’ve done everything to make it that.

“If we slipped up anywhere along the way, it wouldn’t be what it is. So excited for this opportunity. That’s what it is. It’s a challenge, but it’s an opportunity. That’s what our guys came here to do, be a part of games like this and moments like this. Build the program to this point. So you know, embracing it is how we look at it.”

Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix highlight the Washington-Oregon matchup in a battle of Heisman-worthy quarterbacks. Both offenses are nearly unstoppable.

Is this a playoff eliminator? Not necessarily. But the winner gets the inside track to the Pac-12 title game and boosts the resume.

Washington and Oregon square off Saturday at the home of the Huskies at 3:30 p.m. ET.