ducks vs. sun devils
Emerald
ONE TO WATCH
After a long wait, tailback Derien
Latimer will get his chance against ASU
A NEW DESERT SWARM
ASU’s defense has led the team to a 3-0
record, including a shutout of Nebraska
SPORTS EXTRA
September 27, 1996
U
He has great eyes.
He sees things
better than most
QBs and makes
great things
happen. That’s
what makes
average QBs,
great QBs. Every
quarterback has
the arm and foot
speed, but most
don't have the
eyes to play the
game.
— Rich Stubler
UO Defensive
Coordinator
-55
Arizona State’s
Jake Plummer
makes his 32nd
career start Satur
day as the No. 6
ranked Sun Devils
look to go 4-0 on
the season.
Driven to
In his fourth season at Arizona State, Jake
Plummer has vaulted his team to a No. 6
ranking and a win over Nebraska. Now
he has his eyes on a rosy New Year.
By Ryan Frank
Sports Reporter
Jake Plummer is on a mission.
After starting every Sun Devil contest since the
sixth game of his freshman season, the senior quar
terback is determined to leave Arizona State with
nothing less than a trip to Pasadena.
“His main goal is to get to the Rose Bowl and he
doesn’t want to be denied,” Arizona State offensive
coordinator Dan Cozzetto said.
After spring practice early this year, Plummer
wanted his offense to make the same commitment
to winning that he had.
“He demanded that the offensive team stay here
in the summer,” Cozzetto said. “We had 75 guys
here in the off-season.”
Three games into the 1996 season, it appears the
hard work turned in by Plummer and company has
paid off. The Sun Devils hold a 3-0 record, includ
ing a 45-42 win over No. 21-ranked Washington
and a 19-0 win over defending national champion
Nebraska.
While Plummer’s career statistics are not overly
impressive — an average of 204 yards passing per
start in his career — he has collected his share of
accolades.
As a junior he was voted first-team all-Pacific-10
Conference and honorable mention all-America
from Football News.
And according to Cozzetto, there is more to
Plummer than his accomplishments on Saturday
afternoon.
Turn to PLUMMER, Page 3
Arizona State riding high as Oregon looks to bounce back
■ PREVIEW:
Oregon not in
awe of the the
Pacific-10
Conference’s
best team
By Chris Hansen
Sports Reporter
Facing an Arizona State team that is fresh off
the college football upset of the season, a 19-0
shocker against then No. 1-ranked Nebraska, Ore
gon head coach Mike Bellotti could not be more
pleased with the timing.
“That was a great win for Arizona State and a
great victory for the Pac-10,” Bellotti claimed.
“We are excited about the opportunity to go play
the No. 6-ranked team. I’ve got to hope that they
are still celebrating in Tempe.”
The logic being that the Sun Devils will over
look a Duck team that got embarrassed last week
end in their 55-44 Pacific-10 Conference opener
against Washington State.
A theory backed up by Oregon junior corner
back Kenny Wheaton.
“Everyone down there is going to be on a high.
Looking at their score [against Nebraska] and at
what happened in Pullman, I am pretty sure that
they will be looking past us.”
This is, of course, not reiterated by the Arizona
State coaching staff.
"We’re not looking past the Ducks, nobody is
looking past the Ducks,” promises offensive coor
dinator Dan Cozzetto. “We are probably more
wired for this game then we have been all sea
son.”
Oddly enough, this game has a do-or-die feel to
it for the Ducks, even though it is still early in the
year. But the fact remains that if Oregon loses,
they will be 0-2 in conference play and hopes of
a third consecutive New Year’s Day bowl game
could be all but shot.
But Bellotti is quick to remind that it is not rare
for a team with a loss or two to still win the con
ference and right now is not a time to panic.
Turn to PREVIEW, Page 12
Key Player
;j Oregon senior quarter
back Ryan Perry-Smith ^
took over for Tony Graziani
when he went down against
Nevada. Perry-Smith has
since completed 54-of-102
passes for 819 yards, one
interception and five
j touchdowns.
ummm wmmnwm
Arizona State University University of Oregon
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 20
1. Florida 3-0
2. Florida St. 2-0
3. Penn St. 4-0
4. Ohio St. 2-0
5. Notre Dame 3-0
6. Arizona St. 3-0
7. Michigan 3-0
8. Nebraska 1-1
9. Tennessee 2-1
10. Miami 3-0
11. UNC 3-0
12. Colorado 2-1
13. Texas 2-1
14. Alabama 4-0
15. USC 3-1
16. Kansas St. 4-0
17. LSU 2-0
18. Virginia Tech 3-0
19. Virginia 3-0
20. Kansas 2-0