Ryan Perry Smith

It has been the story line of dozens of great Broadway musicals and hundreds of lousy Hollywood movies. The kid dreams of seeing his name in lights, so he crashes the backstage door, does any work to keep his name in, takes acting lessons until he finally gets to be an understudy, gets to work an occasional matinee and then, one glorious day, the star gets laryngitis. A star is born. In Eugene, Ore., Tony Graziani's laryngitis is nearly gone.

It has been the story line of dozens of great Broadway musicals and hundreds of lousy Hollywood movies. The kid dreams of seeing his name in lights, so he crashes the backstage door, does any work to keep his name in, takes acting lessons until he finally gets to be an understudy, gets to work an occasional matinee and then, one glorious day, the star gets laryngitis. A star is born. In Eugene, Ore., Tony Graziani's laryngitis is nearly gone.

Ryan Leaf passed for four touchdowns and ran for another and Michael Black rushed for 161 yards and a score as Washington State defeated No. 25 Oregon, 55-44, in a Pacific 10 game Saturday. Leaf completed 16 of 25 passes for 225 yards with one interception before sitting out the fourth quarter. The Cougars defense held the Ducks scoreless for more than 18 minutes in the second and third quarters.

Oregon won the game but lost its leader. Tony Graziani, the Ducks' senior quarterback, left the game with a knee injury Saturday as Oregon beat Nevada, 44-30, in an offensive shootout at Eugene, Ore. The Ducks (2-0) lost both Graziani and star defensive back Kenny Wheaton in the second quarter. But back-up quarterback Ryan Perry-Smith and tailbacks Jerry Brown and Saladin McCullough kept the offense moving against the Wolf Pack, a Big West team playing its first Pacific 10 opponent since 1947.

Incredibly, Oregon has a shot at a bowl game. The Ducks, given up for dead after five consecutive conference losses, won their second in a row by beating fumble-prone California, 40-23, Saturday at Eugene, Ore. That left Oregon one of five Pac-10 teams at 5-5 overall. Since a team must win six games to qualify for a bowl, four conference teams are assured bowl appearances and only three teams have winning records, the Ducks' season might not be over if they can beat Oregon State next Saturday.

Saladin McCullough certainly knows how to atone for his mistakes. After his fumble was returned 75 yards for an early Arizona touchdown, McCullough came back for the third-best rushing performance in Oregon history as the Ducks snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Wildcats, 49-31, Saturday in a Pacific 10 Conference game at Eugene, Ore. "It's a big relief," Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti said of his team's first Pac-10 victory.

The letdown that Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder feared was coming after last week's upset of then-No. 1 Nebraska didn't materialize Saturday night for his No. 6 Sun Devils, who again used the passing of Jake Plummer for a 48-27 Pacific 10 Conference victory over Oregon. Plummer passed for 282 yards and four touchdowns to lead Arizona State, which is off to its best start (4-0, 2-0 in conference) since 1982. The Sun Devils won their first nine games that season but finished 10-2.

Ryan Perry-Smith, starting for injured Tony Graziani, completed 27 of 46 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns as Oregon defeated Colorado State, 35-28, on Saturday at Eugene, Ore. Tight end Josh Wilcox caught the Ducks' touchdown passes, a 12-yarder to put Oregon (3-0) ahead, 28-7, eight seconds before halftime and a 25-yarder for the Ducks' lone second-half score with 4:41 remaining.

It's a scenario any coach would love: Run back the opening kickoff 98 yards for a quick and easy 7-0 lead. No, thanks. "I'd probably prefer a 10-play drive," said UCLA Coach Bob Toledo. "We don't want it easy. Not so hard we don't score, mind you, but we need it to be tough." It's been too tough so far for the Bruins, who play Oregon tonight burdened with the knowledge that they have not had a drive of consequence in a game of consequence all season.