Luck, Ducks' QB renew rivalry

EUGENE, Ore. - Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oregon's Darron Thomasare two very different quarterbacks, indeed two very differentpeople, yet they share an enduring bond as high school competitors.

Both played prep football for opposing teams in Houston, whereLuck grew up and his dad, West Virginia Athletic Director OliverLuck, once played for the Oilers.

"Oh yeah, that's my boy," Thomas said.

The two face off for the first time as college athletes onSaturday night when the No. 4 Ducks host the No. 9 Cardinal in agame that Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh has called "monumental."

While Stanford (4-0, 1-0 Pac-10) is fighting for national statureafter several down years, Oregon (4-0, 1-0) is looking to prove itbelongs among the elite after several oh-so-close seasons. Thomasand Luck will be at the center of the storm at Autzen Stadium.

There was definitely some mutual admiration being tossed aboutbetween the two as both teams prepared this week.

"There have been some very good quarterbacks to come out ofHouston and Darron Thomas is definitely one of them," Luck said.

Luck started at Stratford High School, where he was also classvaledictorian, while Thomas played at Aldine High.

The last time the two met on the field was on Oct. 5, 2007.Luck's Spartans defeated Aldine 34-24. Thomas, a dual-threatquarterback who originally committed to LSU before switching toOregon, completed 14 of 25 passes for 168 yards and he ran foranother 101 yards.

Luck, a pro-style quarterback, completed 13 of 25 passes for 149yards.

"We played three years against each other on varsity. We'd seeeach other at Houston recruiting functions and things like that,"Luck said this week. "He's a great guy, a great competitor and aheck of a quarterback. He's definitely exceeded expectations in thefirst four games with Oregon."

While Luck is cerebral (he's studying architectural design atStanford) with a "natural humility," as Harbaugh once said, Thomasis brash and confident.

Thomas took over as starter for the Ducks this season afterwinning the job over fifth-year senior Nate Costa in fall camp. Lastseason's starter, Jeremiah Masoli, was dismissed from the team afteroffseason legal trouble.

Thomas has exceeded expectations so far, throwing for 10touchdowns in Oregon's first four games. He put together a completegame in Oregon's 42-31 victory over Arizona State last weekend,passing for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for ascore.

Coach Chip Kelly said he's "excited" about Thomas' performance.Kelly knows his quarterbacks: he developed Dennis Dixon whileserving as Oregon's offensive coordinator and helped Masoli thrivein the team's innovative spread-option offense.

"I think Darron is managing the game very well. I think he'splaying with great poise," Kelly said. "We've been down 10 atTennessee, we were down 10 at Arizona State, and there's no panicfrom the quarterback. I think other players on the offensive thriveoff that."

Luck made his splash last season, when Stanford relied heavily onpowerful running back and Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart. Thisseason Stanford looks to Luck.

Luck has completed 64 of 102 passes for 912 yards and 11touchdowns this season. He leads the Pac-10 and is ranked 11thnationally in passing efficiency (169.5). He's also shown somescrambling ability - he ran 52 yards for a score in Stanford's 68-24 victory over Wake Forest two weeks ago.

"The guy can pass," said Oregon defensive lineman Brandon Bair."He's got an unbelievable arm and he's just an awesome quarterback.He's going to be a challenge for us and we have to make sure wehandle it well."

Last year the Ducks were ranked No. 7 when they visited Palo Altoand lost 51-42. Gerhart ran for a school-record 223 yards and threetouchdowns, while Luck passed for 251 yards and two scores.

This season the game couldn't get any bigger, nationallytelevised Saturday evening after an early morning visit from ESPN'sGame Day.

A win would mean so much more than last season, Harbaugh said,because of Oregon's status as the defending Pac-10 champions.

"They're the champs," the Stanford coach said. "As one of thegreat philosophers of the 20th Century, one of my favoritephilosophers of the 20th Century, Ric Flair would say, 'If you wantto be the man, you have to beat the man.' "

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS