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."
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