FOOTBALL
OREGON VS ARIZONA STATE
Leg injury keeps
Belden on sidelines
■ INJURY: The kicker’s
pulled leg muscle has
become a nagging injury
that may even threaten his
season
By Trovor Koarnoy
Sport* fcMvt
i-ast wmit. it appeared a* if
the Oregon footludl team was on
the verge of returning one of its
molt frequently used offensive
weapons from last year in
sophomore punter and plat e
kicker Matt Bidden
But as it has turned out.
Bidden remains sidelined with a
pulled muscle in his right leg
and the Ducks continue to rely
on two freshman to hold down
the kicking duties
BELDEN
iHHCten was
slated to
return to tho
loam as tho
placokickar
last week
against Wash
ington Statu
anil suited up
for tho game,
hut after
exponent itig
disc omfort in
p r » g a tti o
warmups. he was limited to
watching the game from the side
lines.
"It was frustrating, but I knew
ami my coaches knew that it
would be host if I didn't |duv."
Hidden said of last week's game
"It is always tough (to sit out)
when you would rather Int play
ing. It has been tough to deal
with just from the standpoint of
not playing."
Bolden has been out since he
pulled the muscle in the Ducks’
first game of the season against
Utah The muscle pull, once
thought to only threaten
Hidden’s availability for a cou
pie of games, has turned into a
n,,KK>ng injury for Hidden and a
reoccurring problem for the
turngod up Ducks as they enter a
critical stretch of games starting
this week against Arizona State.
"When we first started this
deal." Hidden said of the reha
bilitation pm ass,1 we (bought i
would be buck for I he Cal
game."
Hu! Bidden wasn't back for
the (California game two weeks
•go. and It doesn't look like he
will bn back this week, either
Despite a pain-free prat tree on
Monday. Belden is listed as
doubtful for Saturday's game
"It is kind of a game-time
decision depending on what it
feels like." Belden said, adding
that he had experienced sore
ness in hi* leg during Tuesday's
prat tit <*
Having played only five
downs this year, in which he
had one 39-vard punt and one
Reid goal. Belden would prolwi
bly be eligible to use this season
ns a redshirt year. but. he said,
he would muc h rather return,
especially since the Ducks have
become contenders to retain
their conference championship.
"This is a big week for rne,"
Belden said. "This is where I do
think we start the stretch run
and I really want to be a part of
it It is getting more frustrating
as the season winds down."
In place of Belden. the Docks
have used true freshman Joshua
Smith as a place kit.ker anil red
shirt freshman Josh Bidwell as
punter And ns of late, the Ducks
have handed the kickoff duties
over to redshirt freshman Matt
Brewer
The Ducks have made the
most of the new kicking squad,
developing several trick play* —
including a successful on-side
kic k attempt — and a pooch
kick strategy in order to solidify
their special teams unit.
"I think they have done a pret
ty good job." said Belden, who
has helped ease the transition
for the new kickers. "It is a kind
of revolving door with us As a
group, we have done a really
good job of helping each other I
c an use my experience from last
year to help Josh and Josh out 1
guess ! have kind of taken on a
role of a coach, but they are the
ones who go out and do it."
i-as! year as a true freshman,
the native of Glendale. Ariz ,
hud some big shoes to fill, as for
mer Duck and current San Fran
cisco 4‘let Tommy Thompson —
_ . EMC RAI D
Sophomor# kicker Matt Baldan pulled a muscle In hi* right lag In tha first gam* of tha saaaon against Utah
and has baan out of action avar tinea.
who twice led thu Ducks in scor
ing and ranks among the top five
Ducks in career scoring (157
points), field goals made (55)
and field goal percentage (.672)
— had just graduated.
But Belden proved to be a
consistent and dependable
member of the Rose Bowl bound
Oregon squad. His team-high 76
points last season ranks ninth
among Oregon's all-time single
season leading scorers. His three
field goals in thu Ducks’ upset
win over DSC last year earned
Beiden the honor of Pacific-10
Conference Special Teams Play
er of the Week, as did his two
field goal, seven PAT perfor
mance against Stanford.
"1 like my role,” Bolden said.
'It is a role where no one knows
who you are unless you screw up
or make a big kick I thrive on it.
I like having that responsibility."
Beiden also averaged 39 H
yards-per-punt last season, and
made 13 field goals in 23
attempts, good for a 5fS5 field
goal percentage.
After having a season like
that, being limited to the side
lines has been all the more
tough for Bolden. But Belden
said, when he does come back,
he will be ready to show that
lust year was no fluke.
"It has been tough," Belden
said "It has been really frustrat
ing I was really looking forward
to this season. I felt I was in a
position to do a lot better this
season
"But when I come back, l will
just do it all over again.”
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