SEATTLE (U-WIRE) -- Sure, there are too many bowl games.

The Seattle Bowl is Example "A." The game at the bottom of the bowl barrel. The lowest of the low. For many around the country, it is merely a blip on the bowl radar.

But for the Oregon Ducks, the Seattle Bowl is an opportunity.

An opportunity to end the season on a positive note instead of a negative Civil War drubbing. A chance to work on things for next year. Most of all, an opportunity for a win. Wins have mostly eluded the Ducks in the latter part of the season.

"The reality of having an opportunity to end the season on a positive note is the overwhelming factor in this game," Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said from the sideline of Seahawks Stadium on Sunday.

Not that Wake Forest, Oregon's opponent in the Seattle Bowl, will simply roll over and hand the Ducks a win. The Demon Deacons have the nation's eighth-ranked rushing offense, and Bellotti said he expects Wake Forest to stick with the run, despite Oregon's susceptibility to the pass.

The Ducks have the nation's 115th-ranked pass defense, but the Deacons -- who have the nation's 97th-best passing offense -- may not be able to take advantage of the weakness.

"I expect them to stick with what's gotten them here," Bellotti said. "They're committed to the run."

In bowl games, what happens off the field is often as exciting as what happens on the field. The Ducks arrived in Seattle on Thursday and have been participating in "bowl week" events since then. They attended a Seattle Supersonics game and threw fish at Pike Place Market on Saturday.

But far from receiving a warm welcome in Seattle, the Ducks have been booed and heckled by local Washington fans as they participate in their special events. At one practice last week, a local radio personality ran half-naked through the Oregon practice carrying a placard with the score of the Washington-Oregon game.

"Personally, I'm challenging all the Pac-10 fans to embrace the Ducks," Bellotti said. "But obviously, it's hard in Seattle with the rivalry."

Despite the animosity they're facing, the Ducks are taking many positives from the bowl week. Perhaps the most positive thing, Bellotti said, is getting a chance to practice in Seahawks Stadium.

"There's more excitement in this locker room than any bowl locker room we've ever had," Bellotti said, pointing towards the bowels of the stadium. "Knowing this is a pro stadium, that this is where the Seahawks play, has been a real thrill for them."

On Monday, the Ducks will take the field at the stadium in an attempt to end the season on a positive note. Even if the bowl isn't the best in the country, it's the best situation for Oregon. Kickoff for the Seattle Bowl is at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

(C) 2002 Oregon Daily Emerald via U-WIRE.