03:12 PM PST on Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Oregon got Christmas Day off and then a trip to the famed San Diego Zoo, giving the Ducks a bit of a holiday at the Holiday Bowl.

KGW graphic

"It's definitely a different bowl. Not as much time at night in the film room. But it's good. It's fun," said injured quarterback Kellen Clemens, who is still recovering from a broken ankle as he tutors the team's young dual QBs, Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf.

 "The weather has been awesome, especially today. The activities are great. It's by far been the best bowl--except for the crutches," he said.

 As Thursday's game against Oklahoma approached, however, the focus turned from fun back to football.

 "We gave the kids Christmas off, and they hopefully had a great Christmas. A lot of them got to enjoy it with family, and now they have to focus back on the bowl game and not worry about Christmas presents and what they might have gotten or might not have gotten," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said.

 The sixth-ranked Ducks play Oklahoma for the first time in the postseason. The Sooners are undefeated in the five regular-season meetings between the two teams.

 Oregon went 10-1 during the regular season, winning seven straight games after its lone loss to the top-ranked USC Trojans.

 The Ducks were ranked No. 5 in the final BCS standings, and openly lobbied for a BCS bowl bid. However, Notre Dame, which finished sixth in the BCS poll, and Ohio State, which finished fourth, were invited to the Fiesta Bowl. The Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes each finished the regular season 9-2.

 This is Oregon's second appearance in the Holiday Bowl. Led by quarterback Joey Harrington, the Ducks beat Texas 35-30 in the 2000.

 The Sooners, who are making their 39th appearance in a bowl game and are playing in their 12th different bowl, have never played in the Holiday Bowl.

 Oklahoma finished the regular season 7-4 and 6-2 in the Big 12 South.

 Early last season, the Sooners beat Oregon 31-7 in Norman. Oklahoma will make its first ever trip to Eugene on Sept. 16, 2006.

 "We're in good shape and the guys understand the plan. It just gets down to making plays and handling the different wrinkles," coach Bob Stoops said Monday.

 The Sooners, who also visited the zoo as part of the Holiday Bowl festivities, are led by running back Adrian Peterson, who finished the season with 1,024 yards. Quarterback Rhett Bomar threw for 1,789 yards passing and nine touchdowns, with nine interceptions.

 Dixon and Leaf have been splitting time at quarterback for Oregon since Clemens was lost for the season. Leaf took over in an overtime victory over California and Dixon put together a late drive for a game-winning field goal over Washington State.

 Clemens was named a special undergraduate assistant.

 "I easily could have been (forgotten), and I think they've tried extra hard to keep me a part of it, and keep me feeling like I belong here," he told the Register-Guard newspaper.

 The game at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium starts at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.