The key to Saturday's game will come down to two words for Arizona: rushing defense.

Coming off a game in which the Wildcats' defense surrendered 282 yards on the ground to North Texas, the unit can't be happy to know that Onterrio Smith, arguably the top back in the conference, will be in Arizona Stadium this weekend.

Smith's numbers haven't been as spectacular as expected so far this season ÷ 116.8 yards per game and seven touchdowns ÷ but he's still the most dangerous weapon on what is generally believed to be the best offense in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Head coach John Mackovic knows first-hand how damaging Smith can be. Last season, as the No. 2 back on the depth chart behind Maurice Morris, Smith ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries, an average of over eight yards per carry. Smith would finish the season with 1,058 yards, making him and Morris the only tandem in the conference to rush for 1,000 each.

He also broke Ahmad Rashad's (Bobby Moore, when he was at Oregon) 30-year-old school record for rushing yards in a game, when he went for 285 against Washington State.

This season, Smith doesn't have anyone to share the carries with, which could spell trouble for Arizona ÷ and provide the runner an opportunity for a breakout game.

"Smith is a hard, tough runner, and he had a very good game against us last year," Mackovic said. "We know he's going to get the ball, so we have to gear up and go after him."

This game was originally billed as a showdown between two of the top backs in the conference, with Smith going head-to-head against Clarence Farmer, last season's leading rusher in the Pac-10. But Farmer went down last week with a knee injury and won't play this weekend.

Smith entered the season with a lot of hype surrounding him. He was featured on the cover of ESPN the Magazine's college football preview, and the story that ran on him centered around the belief by many around the country that not only could Smith be the country's leading rusher, but he could also make a run at Barry Sanders' NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season, a mark considered almost untouchable.

While it appears impossible for Smith to make a serious run at 2,000, never mind Sanders' record, the Oregon tailback is still dangerous.

He began his college career five years ago at Tennessee, where, as a true freshman, he scored four touchdowns and averaged 6.1 yards per carry in limited action. But before the start of his sophomore season, Smith tested positive for marijuana and was kicked off the team.

Smith was welcomed with open arms by Oregon, who had promised Smith a spot on the team if anything ever came up at Tennessee.

But it took two years ÷ and a two-game suspension for a DUI last season ÷ for Smith to earn the coaching staff's confidence as the featured back.

Now, teammates and coaches alike are referring to Smith as a "team leader," and have openly admitted the only way the team can make another run at the national championship is on the legs of Smith. And the running back doesn't mind a bit.

"I like pressure," Smith said. "These past five years there's been pressure, hectic moments. I like to be the one with the load on my back. I call it fighting off the ropes."