Fans rate new Oregon uniforms 'dope combo but it's time to win the game'

Oregon's style choices often reflect a keen sense of the program's history, and that element was played up Wednesday when Akili Smith Jr. was chosen as one of the uniform models.

Twenty-eight years ago on November 8, 1997, his dad Akili Smith Sr. faced third and 20 with 2:39 to go in the fourth quarter, trailing the Huskies in Seattle 28-24.

Smith to Johnson connect on iconic play against a jailbreak blitz

The Huskies sent six, with single coverage on the outside. Smith Sr. hung in there and threw a pass to speedster Patrick Johnson in the right corner of the end zone. Johnson laid out for the catch and a 30-28 lead.

The point was good and the Oregon defense held on for the win in Husky Stadium. They took their third game in four seasons in the series, dominated by the Huskies 17 games to three in the 20 years prior to The Pick.

The Ducks' road uniforms that day were yellow helmets with the interlocking UO, white jerseys and green pants. A little over two decades later, they'll go into Husky Stadium in the same colors, a look that bows to tradition, and Smith Jr. paid tribute to "The Catch" in the uniform announcement.

Smith's target in the photo shoot is Noah Whittington, a senior playing his last regular season game. A true freshman from Lincoln High in San Diego, Akili Jr.'s Oregon heroics are ahead of him. The 6-6 quarterback was an Elite 11 finalist and a four-star prospect, the No. 15 quarterback in the country in the 2025 class.

He threw for over 6,900 yards in three seasons as a high school starter, 43 touchdowns in two seasons with the Hornets.

Oregon travels to 8-3, unranked Washington for a game this Saturday, 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS. A win secures a first-round playoff game in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are favored by 6.5.