Like the four previous times Arizona has played on the road this season, the Wildcats came home from Saturday's game with Oregon a loser.

It is a trend that has eaten away at head coach Dick Tomey and players alike all year. It was a trend that, until Saturday's 49-31 nightmarish performance, Tomey could at least look back in defeat and be proud that his team played with everything it had.

But not this time.

"We didn't spill our guts on every play and that is discouraging," Tomey said. "It's just not happening right now. Whether they will be there Saturday, we will have to wait and see."

The 49 points surrendered to the Ducks and the 56 given up to California the week before are the worst consecutive losses since 1991, when the Wildcats were beat 54-0 by Washington and then crushed a week later 54-14 by UCLA.

Arizona went winless on the road for only the second time in its 19 years in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Wildcats also had a 0-5 road record in 1991, when they finished 4-7.

"We are not good enough to beat anybody if we don't give it our all," Tomey said.

"I can't forget it (the Cal game and Oregon game)," UA inside linebacker Chester Burnett said. "Every time I think about it, it puts me in a bad mood. We want the chance to show to everybody that we still want to play."

Before the Cal game, Arizona's defense was tops in the conference.

At that time, Tomey was hesitant to compare this defense to that of years past, knowing the team still had to face some the league's best offenses.

His fear came true. The Wildcats are now sixth in total defense, giving up an average of 368 yards a game. They are eighth in pass defense and dead last when it comes to stopping opponents on third down (44 percent).

"I had no idea we were going to be talking about the kinds of numbers that have come in the last two weeks," Tomey said. "We have gone entire seasons without giving up 100 points."

In 1992, the Wildcats allowed only 98 points in 11 games, but the team finished 6-5-1, losing to Baylor in the John Hancock Bowl.

Players agreed with Tomey.

Burnett is arguably the defense's best player. His 100 tackles lead the team and he's one of the most active players in the Wildcats' speed-oriented defense.

"It was very frustrating," he said. "Usually I get into the locker room and I am exhausted, but after the game I didn't feel satisfied. I play on special teams, too, and they were a bust. I don't know why I didn't let it all go."

If anything could possibly infuriate Tomey more, it could be poorly played special teams.

"Special teams was a disaster," Tomey said.

The Ducks' average starting field position was their own 40-yard line, allowing their offense to open up without the fear of being trapped on their own end.

The poor coverage was a result from the change in kickoff placement. In weeks past, Tomey had kicker Matt Peyton attempt to pin the ball in the left corner, constricting the lanes on the run-back. But Peyton kept kicking the ball out of bounds, automatica lly giving the receiving team the ball at its own 35-yard line.

So Tomey had Peyton kick it deep. That didn't work either.

"Consistency in defense and special teams are the key to winning games," Tomey said. "Look at any football team that is successful, and those areas are going to be good. We are going to go back to the left and restrict their lanes, and if it goes out, I d on't give a damn."

While Tomey is not likely to forget what has happened in the last couple of weeks, some players are trying to put it behind them.

"We left that game in Oregon. We are trying to forget it," cornerback Chris McAlister said. "UCLA is next and that is all we should focus on."

UCLA head coach Bob Toledo hopes the team doesn't dwell on it, either.

"I know that Dick Tomey was upset after their loss and they are going to play extremely hard when we come to town," Toledo said. "So it would have been a lot better if they had beat Oregon and saved us a little bit of agony, too."

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