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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1988)
Duck defense has some big shoes to fill in '88 By Aaron Knox Emerald Editor How does n football team replace two first-team all conference performers, both of whom are now playing their trade in the National Football League? If it is the Oregon football team in 1988, it doesn’t. At least not with just two players, accor ding to defensive coordinator Denny Shuler. Strong safety Anthony Newman and nose guard Rollin Putzler were two key reasons for the Webfoots’ overall improve ment from ninth to fifth defen sively in the Pacific-VO Con ference in 1987, Both were named Pac-VO first team all-stars. Both were drafted into the NFL, with Newman going to the Los Angeles Rams and Putzier to the Green Bay Packers. Both are now gone, and Shuler said they will be missed. He also said the Ducks as a team should be able to compensate for their loss this year. 1 don I Know Wat you can replace players of their caliber." Shuler said. "I'm hop ing the level of play at the other nine positions will raise to more than offset their loss, and I think that will he true." For the record, there are able athletes to replace the Ducks’ former dynamic duo. All they lack, according to Shuler, is ex perience. Newman's shoes will be filled by junior Derek Hor ton, while junior David Cusano and senior Devin FitzPatrick will probably split duty at the nose. Shuler said Horton shares Newman's athletic skills. "It’s just a matter of experience before he becomes a really good football player,” he said. Horton will team with veteran cornerbaoks Chris Oldham and Brett Young, and weak safety Thom Kaumeyer to form what Entire squad must compensate for losses Thom Kaumeyer Shuler called the best starting defensive backfield he’s had at Oregon. ”1 feel real good about our starters." Shuler said. "Across the board, these guys are as good as I’ve had since I’ve been here." Oldham started four games at corner last year and made 23 tackles spelling Young. Young led the team with five intercep tions and started nine games at both corner positions. Kaumeyer was an honorable mention all-Pac-10 at weak safe ty, where he started 10 games and tied for fifth on the team with 68 tackles. The real question mark arises once Shuler looks beyond the starters, although he said he is comfortable with Daryl Reed as the third cornerback. “He’s an NFL-type athlete. Right know he doesn’t have the experience to go along with that," Shuler said. There are no proven backups at the other backfield positions, however, and Shuler admitted some concern. He listed several players who could challenge for that role, but said, “someone has to emerge and give us some depth.” Before spring drills, head coach Rich Brooks said he need ed a dominant nose guard to step forward. That never really happened, but Shuler said he is satisfied going with two solid regulars. “You would ideally like a guy to step in there and be so dominant and so much better than the others that he'll play most of the downs," Shuler said. “This year that may not be the case, but the other people along the line are better than they were last year, and they will compensate.” The 3-4 defensive scheme demands a great deal from the nose guard, so Cusano and Fitz Patrick will be hard-pressed to match the performance of Put Matt Brock zier, especially against the run. His 84 tackles and his presense will be missed, but Shuler is optimistic. “I envision both those guys playing a great deal. They're very similar-sized guys {Cusano Turn to Defense, Page 22 DUCkS Continued from Page 20 Football Preview writes, ‘‘The Ducks, after years of only muted quacking, may be about ready to make some real noise;” and from Lindy's Pac-Ten Football, ‘‘Armed with the confidence that only winning can bring, plus the passing of quarterback Bill Musgrave, the Ducks could have plenty to quack about.” Some things never change. But the Ducks aren't laughing, or quacking for that matter. A look at almost any preseason prediction, and it’s easy to tell that more than just a winning record is expected from Oregon this season, and the coaches and players agree Musgrave has received his share of hype during the off-season, gracing the cover of a few magazines, but Brooks said the 20-year old sophomore is taking it all in stride. “He’s handled it very well; it hasn’t bothered him at all," Brooks said He showed last year as a redshirt freshman that he has a lot of poise. He’s a bright young man.” Through a team vote just prior to the end of spring drills, Musgrave was selected as the team captain for the of fense. the first underclassman selected as captain since junior Lew Barnes in 1984. Musgrave also knows it could be a tight race in the Pac-10 this year. USC and UCLA are the two best bets for the 1989 Hose Bowl, but Washington, Oregon, and Arizona all have legitimate shots. It's a hard league,” Musgrave said. "1 think last year we just got our feet wet. We found out we could beat three or four of the top teams. This year we have to be more consistent and stay at that high level.” Brooks added. "It's going to be a very1, very good conference this year. USC and UCLA are going to be strong, and 1 think everybody but Washington has their star ting quarterback returning. We'll be a lot stronger in certain areas, but it's im perative that we have more depth at tignt end and in the defensive secondary'." Brooks is also excited about the addi tion of junior college standout Dondre Bausley from Los Angeles. Bausley led California junior colleges in rushing and scoring last season, carrying 189 times for 1.454 yards (a 7.7 yards per carry average) with 22 TD's and 134 points. “He’s a breakaway threat," Brooks said. "The addition of Dondre Bausley and Ngalu Kelenreni (the Colorado Triple-A state high school Player-of-the year) should make tailback a deep and talented position." If good things do come to those who wait, and if The Sporting News is any kind of prophet, the Ducks could be bowl ing in January. "That's our goal." Brooks said. "There were some good things that happened last year. We got our foot in the door and some sniffs from bowl people. I think we just let it slip away." Bvbka’i> «££« 5 reasons for lunch or dinner at Bubba’s 1. Big Charbroiled Burgers 2. Thick Homemade Malts 3. Cool and Tasty Salads 4. Charbroiled Chicken Sand. 5. 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