(Editor's note: Oregon running back Reuben Droughns will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season. For more information on the Ducks, visit the official Oregon site.)

Nov. 3, 1999

I've had two fairly busy games against the Arizona schools. I'm still catching up to speed, so I've been a little sore afterward. But if you're giving it your all, I don't think it's possible not to get sore. If you get the ball, whether it's 20, 30 or however many carries, you want to run the ball as hard as you can, and that's part of your job.

At the same, you don't really feel it once you're in the game, it just kind of flows. You're not thinking about how you feel, you're more focused on carrying the ball. I think as the game progresses, running backs tend to get better as they get their rhythm. I know I do.

Some of that rhythm is also that I've had some games under my belt. If you add it up, this is my 13th game, so I would be finishing off my first season if I hadn't missed the second half last year. It felt like I got a slow start to the first half of the season, but the second half is going well so far. I want to continue to pound this season and hopefully things will continue to go right for the team. When the season is over, then I can look forward to some rest.

It would have been nice to have J.R. Redmond from Arizona State here last week because he's a great running back, and it would have nice to go up against him (ASU team officials suspended Redmond for the game). But I can't worry about that, and need to instead look at the big picture, which was the game. We wanted to win the game just like they did, and one individual can't win it for either team. It takes 11 on each side, and sometimes even the crowd. I might have been a little sad that he didn't make it, but then I realized that I couldn't worry about that, I had enough to worry about myself.

We have Washington State now this weekend, and I think we definitely have to play tough and be more aggressive, to show them that we're not going to let down. We can't have the slumps in the first or second quarter. We just have to continue to work hard in practice and get the things down. Last year the Cougars limited me to 63 rushing yards, and I think that they're going to come even harder this year, to stop the running game. But then again, we went to the air last year, and as long as we win the game, I'm happy.