‘Air Oregon’
Ducks’ new air attack brings
back memories of Dan Fouts
Their speed and grace sets
them apart from the other
players on offense. They must
be able to float downfield, yet be
certain that their hands will work
like glue.
They are the wide receiver.
On teams such as Oklahoma
and Nebraska, which are run
oriented, wide receivers are not
as prominent as they are on
pass-happy teams like Brigham
Young and Stanford.
At Oregon, where the passing
game hasn’t been a big part of
the game plan, wide receivers
have tended to end up as
nothing more than downfield
blockers for the rushing game.
But this season, footballs are
routinely flying through the air
on Saturday afternoons.
Oregon coach Rich Brooks,
for the first time in his seven
year stint in Eugene, has used
the run as a means of setting up
the pass instead of vice versa,
as in years past. Brooks has
done so with the expertise of of
fensive coordinator Bob Toledo,
shipped in from the University of
the Pacific to run “Air Oregon.”
This fall, Brooks has assembl
ed possibly the finest corps of
wide receivers Oregon fans have
seen during his tenure in
Eugene. For starters, there is
returning three-year lettermen
Osborn Thomas, who caught a
team-leading 30 passes last
season, including a game
winner against Oregon State.
There is sophomore Kwante
Hampton, who has 13 recep
tions this season; and finally
there’s Lew Barnes, perhaps one
of the biggest finds Brooks has
made in the junior college ranks.
Barnes leads the Ducks with 15
catches this season, including
three which have gone for
scores.
Barnes, in particular, has
given the Ducks some things
they have desperately longed for
in recent years:
•Speed on the outside. For
years the Ducks have had wide
receivers with medicore speed,
but with Barnes, Oregon has a
viable outside speedster.
•A threat from a wide receiver
to run with the ball. Against
California, Barnes proved that
he can take a pitch from the
quarterback and run for big
yards.
•A punt and kickoff returner
who is a viable threat to break a
long touchdown run on nearly
every return.
“It’s great to have someone
with the talents of a Lew Barnes
on your team,” says Brooks. “He
can do a lot of big things with
the football.”
Through five games this
season, Barnes has latched onto
two Mike Jorgensen aerials for
long scores and one from'tight
end Dave Christensen. The first
bomb came in the Houston
game from 53 yards out; the se
cond against San Jose State
from 67 yards; and the third,
from Christensen, a 48-yarder
against California.
“We (Barnes and Jorgensen)
worked over the spring," says
Barnes. “At first I was wonder
ing how I would fit in. Now, we’re
getting used to each other and
we are pretty settled and sure of
what we are doing.”
Hampton, who spent a year of
learning last season with the
Ducks, has finally fit into the
role of an Oregon wide receiver.
“Last year was really
frustrating for me,” admits
Hampton. “I wasn’t used to be
ing used as a blocker.
“Now what we are doing on
offense is similar to what we did
in high school."
A year ago, Hampton was us
ed sparingly as he caught five
passes. But this season, his role
is more defined. He has latched
onto a starting job through hard
work in spring and fall drills and
has no desire to give it up.
"I would like to think I came
here to catch the ball,” says
Hampton. “With the offense we
have now, it keeps me very in
volved. And that’s what I like to
do.”
Brooks likes Hampton’s style,
but like with all young receivers,
indicates there is still work to
do.
Life on the offense is fun again at Oregon, thanks to the likes of wide receivers Lew Barnes (82), Osborn
Thomas (18), Kwante Hampton (88), and Mike Jorgensen. The quartet have combined to provide Oregon
with its most potent passing attack since then-future NFL star Dan Fouts blitzed the conference with his
passing in the early 1970's.
“He still has to work on his
routes,” says Brooks. “But he is
a good receiver over the
middle."
With the presence of two
young receivers, Thomas lends
an aura of experience. Thomas,
who has proven over the years
he is one of the Pac-10s better
receivers, hasn't seen a lot of
passes come his way this year
— he has caught just a pair so
far, with one going for a
touchdown against San Jose
State.
“Things change," says
Thomas. “It is a different role for
me this year because of Barnes.
He has the speed and has earn
ed his shot. I’ll just have to take
what they give me.”
But Thomas is a team player.
If he can’t be the one to catch
the big scoring passes, he would
like to see one of his
stablemates do the honors.
“It’s really fun for us all,”
Thomas says. “We all want to
see each other catch the passes.
It also gives me a lot of joy to
see the younger players do
well."
Brooks isn’t about to phase
out the sure-handed Thomas.
“I’m sure he will be a major
factor for us as the season goes
on,” says the Oregon mentor.
The league may not see a bet
ter trio of receivers on one team.
Barnes, Hampton and Thomas
all have the hands and speed
which go into the making of a
good receiver.
“I would think that we are one
of the better receiving crews in
the league,” says Hampton. “We
have Oz with his experience and
Lew with his speed.”
“I feel we are good but it is
just a matter of proving it," says
Thomas. “I feel we are a very
solid and consistent group."
The camaraderie between the
three and Jorgensen is good. It
has to be. Once that goes, the
connection most likely will fizzle
and so will the Ducks passing
game. But so far, it has not, and
the statistics bear that out.
This season the Ducks have
thrown for 994 yards, which
translates to 198.8 yards per
game. As evidence of the Ducks
improved passing game, here's
passing statistics for the past
couple of years:
•In 1982, the Ducks threw for
just 1,036 yards — 94 yards an
outing.
•Two years ago, Oregon threw
for 1,561 yards — about 142
yards a game.
•In 1980, the year Reggie
Ogburn led Oregon to a 6-3-2
record, Oregon passed for 1,830
yards — 166.3 a game.
If the Ducks can keep up the
1983 passing pace, it will be the
best throwing team at Oregon
since the Dan Fouts days in the
early 1970s.
At the helm of “Air Oregon” is
Mike Jorgensen, who has
undergone numerous injuries
and criticisms about his arm in
three years at Oregon. Even
though he hasn’t thrown at a
staggering percentage this
season (.454, 55-121), he has
shown, when given time to
throw, that he can complete
both long bombs qpd short
tosses.
“Jorgensen is doing an ex
cellent job," says Hampton. “He
has been rushed a bit but has
been able to get the ball away
when he has to.”
Toledo, who has seen great
quarterbacks and receivers
come and go at Pacific, in
dicates the Ducks have the in
gredients to be a successful
passing team.
“Speed is what gives you the
ability to make the big play,”
says Toledo. “It’s the difference
between getting tackled from
behind and making a
touchdown. You can't coach it
and you can’t recruit without it.”
By Steve Turcotte
Photo by Mark Pynes
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