• GRID PROFILE*
Reitzug model of consistency at wide receiver
Small-framed senior able to make
big plays with acrobatic catches
By Ashley Conklin
Emeiaid Sports Editor
Few people can stretch a 5
foot-10, 170-pound body to the
limit like )oe Keit/ug can.
As Oregon's starting senior
split end. Keitzug has earned a
reputation for stretching his
body to catch anything thrown
to him. In his three years at Or
egon. Keit/ug has caught pass
es deep in the end zone, on the
corner of the sideline or over
the middle.
It seems like any pass quar
terback Hill Musgrave has
thrown in his direction.
Keitzug has caught by twisting
his body in someway or anoth
er. His small frame even with
stands a punishing hit from a
defensive back.
It's a trait that has set Keit/ug
apart from other receivers
throughout the Pacific-10 Con
ference.
“His ability to make the
clutch catch, the difficult
catch, the acrobatic catch, has
been well chronicled over the
last three years.” Oregon Coach
Kich Brooks said. "He can get
hammered over the middle and
still hang on to the ball."
The competitive nature in
Keitzug is a big reason for his
ability to make the tough catch,
wide receivers coach John
Ramsdell said.
“I think it's his competitive
spirit in that it's an upper-eche
Inn competitive spirit." Rams
del I said "He goes up them for
balls, and when he goes up
there he comes down with it "
Two touchdown catches in
Reitzug's career particularly
stand out as ones few other re
ceivers could have made.
In last season's opener
against California. Musgrave
lofted a ball deep into the end
zone where Reitzug leaped
amid two Golden Hear defend
ers. caught it and dragged one
foot down for the touchdown
Two weeks ago it was a little
different as Reitzug was wide
open in the end zone against
Arizona State, but he had to
stretch as far as a 70-inch l>ody
would allow to catch Mus
grave’s touchdown toss
Reitzug has made a living
making those types of catches,
and after three years of putting
himself to the limit, he knows
what it lakes to be a key weap
on in one of the nation's high
est powered offenses.
"I think it's just a matter of
positioning." Reitzug said. "I
just try to make it clear to the
officials that I got one fool in.
It's (also) a matter of concentra
tion because when seeing the
ball, you have to do it and not
be distracted."
Although Reitzug has made
it a habit of catching anything
Musgrave throws to him. nei
. .....
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Wide receiver Joe Keitxuft has overcome injuries to teammates and himself to help power the
Duck offense.
ther Keil7.UK nor Kamsdell l>e
lieves the senior quarterback
looks to him just because of his
ability to make the tough catch.
"I don't see him back them
picking and choosing."
Keitzug said. “All great quar
terbacks do the things that are
best for the team."
With Oregon having plenty
of other receiving weapons
such as tailback Sean Hurwell,
fulltmck Ngalu kelemeni and
tight end |«ff Thomason. Rams
dell said it's not a case where
Musgrave zeroes in on just one
receiver.
"Those other guys give us a
lot of firepower, and certainly
|oe is a part of that." Kamsdell
said. "Hit's it dependable guv
that makes tint clutch play that
httlps (hit offense move the ball
Kill's going to throw for the
open receiver and take whatev
er the defense gives him."
Keit/.ug has also stretched
himself to the limit in other
Turn to REITZUQ, Page 10
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