Friday, 5:48 p.m., from foggy, teeth-chattering Eugene, Ore.

The 100-mile drive from Portland to Eugene was made in bright sunshine but nothing was more attractive than the red, gold and yellow leaves that have fallen and are in the process of tumbling onto the very soggy Oregon ground.

My camera phone couldn’t do justice.

But by 4 o’clock in Eugene, the sun had vanished, fog had taken its place and the temperature seemed to drop to Alaska-like levels.

Expect Saturday’s game to be played in similar conditions. No rain expected.

All the local hotels/motels are full (with football weekend price-gouging at its best/worst). You can feel and sense a football weekend in Eugene more so than any other place in the league.

Must be like this in the Big 10.

First thing I always do in Eugene is pick up the Register-Guard, which for 35 years has established a reputation for excellence among mid-size dailies, especially when it comes to coverage of the Ducks.

No newspaper in this league has been more diligent in covering the home team than the R-G. It began in the ’70s with Blaine Newnham, Bud Withers and John Conrad. The torch has been picked up and carried by Bob Clark, Ron Bellamy and the new guys, George Schroeder and Rob Moseley.

If you want to know about the Ducks, the R-G never disappoints.

Withers, now at the Seattle Times, for my money, is the Pac-10’s career leader in coverage, commentary and insight. Clark is similarly outstanding. The recently retired Newnham was superb.

Moseley picks the Ducks to win a one-point game Saturday. What more can you ask than a tight finish in a game of November contenders?