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FRESH
START
An apparently untroubled
O’Neil looks ahead to (JSC
By Jake Berg
Emerald Sports Editor
The sports anchors untl cam
eramen wouldn't endure a 90
dogroo oven for Just anything.
And they aren't.
As they stand outside the en
trance to Oregon's football
practice field, the only thing
that the newsmen are getting is
sun, not interviews.
Hut when the first of the foot
hull players begin to file across
the street that divides their
looker rooms from the field, the
cameras am hoisted onto shoul
ders and the tripods are drug
onto the grass, where the glass
eye of sports fans across the
state try to get u quote from the
latest media darling of the
Ducks, quarterback Danny
O'Neil.
O'Neil arrives on the field in
full uniform ubout halfway
through the emigrating pack,
and the cameras prepare them
selves for the smiling No. 16.
Upon his arrival, O'Neil is es
corted to the front of a camera
What happened in the loss at
Utah? ono newsman asks.
"I've learned a lot from
Utah." O'Neil says, looking ut
the blue sky "1 learned how to
prepare bettor."
A few questions later, the 20
year-old redshirt freshman is
moved into the view of another
camera.
How should you prepare for
a team like USC? the newsman
asks of the Saturday night
game.
"I don't think there's a spe
cial way to approach USC," he
says Into the microphono
Cameraman #3 stops into the
picture next, focusing on
O’Noll.
How important Is the game
against USC? the newsman in
quires.
“It's a big game." O' Noil
says. “Obviously the biggest
one so far "
Cut. Threo-o-r.lock. Time for
practice.
And come 8 p in Saturday,
the biggest game of O’Neil's
young career. More than just
three local nowstatlons will
have him in their sights. The
nation will be watching ESPN's
live broadcast from Autzen Sta
dium and a projected record
crowd will be on hand to watch
the evening contest
All this for a redshirl frosh
man.
Hut his whole plan coming
out of high school was to play
four years at a major college,
and that major college was al
most not Oregon, out USC,
nonetheless.
O'Neil, a native of the Los
Angeles area, was recruited
heavily by the Trojans during
his senior year at Mater Dei
High and was No. 2 on their re
cruiting list. That was when
O'Neil visited Eugene.
What O'Neil had to say fol
lowing his trip might have boon
a shock to his parents, who
wore leaning toward USC.
"I came home (from Oregon),
and 1 told them 1 had commit
ted." O'Neil said. "They urn
very happy now with (my divi
sion)."
Who isn't? Considering his
Listeners of the Oregon Sports Network will still hear Todd McNim.
who switched from KEZI-TV to KVAL-TV KVAL acquired the rights
to Oregon sporting events from KEZI this year
2B Oeqon Daitv Emerald Oregon Football Friday Soptember 27. 1991
■JM_J
PncrtO by Andre Ran ten
freshman quarterback Danny O'Neil says he's put last week 's defeat in Utah behind him. O'Neil and the
Ducks face USC Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.
lack of experience at the col
lege! level, O'Neil did a terrific
job of filling in for departed
god Hill Musgravo in the Ducks'
first two wins.
"Danny O'Neil has matured
very quickly," USC Coach Lar
ry Smith said.
O'Neil looked like anything
lull a freshman In leading Ore
gon to two straight wins to
upon the season, over Washing
ton State and Texas Tech. His
numbers in the two contests
were Impressive us he complet
ed exactly half his passes for
421 yards, had only one inter
ception, and threw for six total
touchdowns, I n c I u d i n g a
school-record-tying four ut Tex
as Tech.
Then cumo last weekend's
loss ut Utah
O'Neil's performance in the
Ducks’ 24-17 downfall at Utah
is hardly one anyone would
want before such u game us
USC O'Neil saw nine of 23
passes completed for only 103
yards He threw an Intercep
tion, und had a fumble that
ended the Ducks’ fourth-quarter
comeback.
He was sacked eight times
and left the pocket 18 limes, for
a net gain of nine yards.
"You never know how a
young quarterback will react in
a game," Oregon Coach Rich
Brooks said. "I was fooling pret
ty confident that ho wusn't go
ing to have those freshman jit
ters.’’
He did have the shakes, but
at least he got It out of his sys
tem.
"Individually, I think I
played poor," O’Neil said. "I
don't know what happened,
but it's going to bo on exciting
game (against USC), and I think
everybody will bo ready to
play."
O'Neil better bo ready be
cause Brooks says the weight of
tin; win sits on the freshman's
Turn to O'NEIL. Page 7B
OSN broadcasts available on KVAL
By Jayson Jacoby
Emera 1 Sporls Reporter
Oregon football and men's
basketball funs needn't worry
when they can't find Oregon
Sports Network broadcasts of
the Ducks on the television sta
tion KEZI. They just need to
turn to KVAL.
Thai's because earlier this
year the OSN signed u new
contract with Eugene’s COS af
filiate station to broadcast Ore
gon athletics.
The OSN's thrue-your con
trait with KHZ! ran out at the
end of last year, said Dave
Heeke, Director of Broadcasting
and Marketing for the i, liversi
ty's Department of Athletics.
Because the OSN fulls under
the administration of the state's
higher education system, every
local television station was giv
en the opportunity to submit a
bid for the next throe-year deal,
and KVAL won the bidding
process.
At present, KVAL is sched
uled to show only one football
game this season, the Arizona
Statu game at Tompe, Ariz. on
Novombor (). Heeke said four
Pacific-10 Conference men's
basketball games will be aired
us well.
This University is unusuui in
that it has it's own self-support
ing broadcasting network,
Hooke said.
"The OSN is really a strong
benefit, not only financially but
also promotionally." said
Hooke. "It's a grout public rela
tions tool for die entire univer
‘It’s been great
Everybody’s been
real cooperative.
We’re picking up
where we left off.’
— Todd McKim,
KVAL sportscaster
sity.”
Because the OSN broadcasts
on 23 radio stations across Ore
gon, us well as on affiliates in
Anchorage. Alaska and Mt.
Shasta. Calif., many university
alumni can also follow the
Ducks iivo, said Hooke.
Some women's busketball
games will also be aired by the
OSN on radio, although those
games will be carried only by
the; liugene AW station Kl’NW.
b'von though the OSN is re
stricted as to the games It can
broadcast because of competi
tion from much larger net
works, Heoko said the cable
sports channel Prime Sports
Northwost often uses OSN
broadcasters Todd McKim and
Mike O'Brien in its own tele
casts. Prime Sports shows Ore
gon football games on tapo de
lay, and plans to show Oregon
men's and women's buskulball,
volleyball, wrestling and track,
as well as golf und tennis pre
view shows.
Television viewers shouldn't
expect any major changes In
OSN coverage this yoar, as
McKim also made the move
from KbZl to KVAL. Hooke said
because of McKirn's experience
covering Oregon uthlotics, the
move is logical.
“It's boon greet," said
McKim. "everybody's boon real
cooperative. We're picking up
where we left off.”
Heeke, who started work in
his current position in mid
July, said the OSN is commit
ted to broadcasting Oregon
sports. "We would love to do
us many Oregon sports as possi
ble." he said.