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Friday, October 20
 
Chalk Talk: Both QBs are leaders and playmakers

ESPN.com

The Matchup:
Arizona QB Ortege Jenkins vs. Oregon QB Joey Harrington.

The Question:
Who will win the QB matchup: Jenkins or Harrington?

Ortege Jenkins   Joey Harrington
 
By Bill Curry
Special to ESPN.com

In this era of mind-boggling stats for QBs, neither Ortege Jenkins nor Joey Harrington has registered on the Richter scale of Heisman tremors. Their modest numbers have been good enough to lead good teams to surprising results, but that is a miniscule part of their stories. The real story here is that they each bring magic to the huddle. It is called "belief," and it is the stuff that wins again and again.

So this week it's magic on magic in Oregon, and I think the Jenkins mixture is a little more potent than the Harrington brand.

Now tested by the rigors of time, platooning, winning big, losing big, and fighting back over and over, Jenkins has won the respect of his team. He has even caused the normally reserved Dick Tomey to sing his praises in a most un-Tomey melody.

To paraphrase: "O.J. has become gut tough. I have watched him get blasted, and then come back with a positive demeanor to perform well. I have seen him throw an interception for a touchdown, then return to form immediately. He has become a clear eyed, positive leader for our team. I am so proud of him."

You almost never hear Tomey say such things about an individual. But I believe him, and Oregon will as well after this Saturday.

  By Rod Gilmore
Special to ESPN.com

Very few people know Joey Harrington has played piano for 17 years. But everyone at Oregon knows that since last season, he's been playing sweet tunes as the Duck's starting quarterback. He's 9-1 as a starter, and the band leader for this team. Last week he led the Ducks to an important road win over USC.

Even though Harrington isn't among the Top 25 in passing efficiency and had not put up great numbers prior to the USC victory, he will still be the key for the Ducks against Arizona this week. Simply put, Harrington makes plays when the Ducks need him to make plays. He did it against UCLA when the Ducks needed to mount a second half drive. He did it last week when USC put 8 and 9 men near the line of scrimmage to stop Maurice Morris from running wild. Harrington responded with 27 of 42 pass completions for 382 yards and 4TD passes in his best passing day as a collegian -- giving the Ducks a leg up in the Rose Bowl race. He was subsequently named the Pac-10 offensive player of the week.

I spoke with Harrington earlier this week and he knows he doesn't have the strongest arm or the quickest feet. But he also knows no one is more competitive, and no QB in the Pac-10 gets it done when needed more than he does. Harrington is great at play action passes and can put the ball on the money. He also has a quick release and reads defenses well. He wasn't asked to do much earlier in the season because Morris was carrying the load and the defense played so well. But make no mistake, Harrington is the leader of this team and exudes the confidence one expects to find in a leader.

Arizona has a very good defense and will try to rattle Harrington. They may load up to stop Morris just as USC did. But Harrington has great composure and can bounce back from sacks and incomplete passes. In that sense, he is like Joe Montana, one of his idols, in his ability to focus and play the next play. And after his performance against USC last week, Harrington is in perfect rhythm.







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AUDIO/VIDEO
Video
 USC vs. Oregon
Joey Harrington lays it in nicely for Josh Line on a 23-yard TD pass.
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 Oregon vs. Washington
Joey Harrington fires the ball 13 yards to Justin Peelle for a TD.
Standard | Cable Modem

 Arizona vs. USC
Arizona QB Ortege Jenkins takes care of things on his own with this 4 yard TD.
Standard | Cable Modem

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