Oregon daily emerald., October 04, 1996, SPORTS EXTRA, Page 2B, Image 2

GrimnTakes to the Air
The junior flanker is stepping
out of the shadows and into the
Ducks’ offensive spotlight
By Andrea De Young
Assistant Sports Editor
Before the season even started Damon
Griffin had high expectations to live up to.
The Ducks had recently lost their all-time
leading receiver, Cristin McLemore, to grad
uation, and there was uncertainty about who
could take his place.
Five games into the season, the junior
flanker is making his case to become
McLemore’s predecessor, and it is a strong
one. In his four games this season, Griffin has
scored four touchdowns, including two
against Arizona State last weekend. The
game against the Sun Devils already ranks
high on Griffin’s list of most memorable
games.
“The Arizona State game is the best game
I’ve played so far in my career,” he said. “I
really haven’t been playing much so that’s
going to stand-out in my mind forever.”
But Griffin had more than one spectacular
game. He has racked up 361 yards so far this
season and not only leads the Ducks in re
ceiving, but also ranks 26th in the nation in
per-game receiving yards, averaging 90.25.
Griffin recognizes that in Oregon’s style of
offense, a game like his against Arizona State
won’t come around often.
‘It s hard to have that kind of a game with
all of the receivers that we have — Dameron
[Ricketts] and Jibri Hodge — and the tight
ends, Blake [Spence] and Josh [Wilcox], It’s
hard for one receiver to have a good game be
cause everybody gets the ball,” he said.
It was even more difficult for Griffin be
cause the team lost the game. He acknowl
edges that personal statistics are not as im
portant as winning.
“It hurts. You finally have a game you’ve
been waiting for all your life and you don’t
win,” he said. “Yeah, I had agood game, but I
didn’t feel it because I was upset and frus
trated about losing. ”
When the Ducks face UCLA this Saturday,
Griffin will be playing against a team that he
grew up almost around the corner from.
“UCLA was my second choice,” he said.
“It was a more comfortable feeling coming
up here to Oregon. I wanted to have my own
life. I felt I could concentrate more on school
if I was away from home.”
He will also be facing a former teammate
inthebackfield.
“The starting cornerback Andy Colbert
was my quarterback in junior high school so
we’re really going to go at it,” Griffin said.
The game will also mark the return of for
mer Oregon offensive coordinator, A1
Borges.
“I wasn’t really in good with the man in
the first place,” Griffin said. “I didn’t really
like his style.”
With Dirk Koetter now holding the reins of
ANDY BRACKENSICK/Emerald
fifi
It really takes a
DB ’s mind set
away if you catch
a ball and he just
thrashes you and
you get right
back up and start
talking smack
right away.
You’ve really got
him in his head
and once you get
him in his head,
it’s over with for
a DB.
— Damon Griffin
UO Flanker
-39
Damon Griffin (5)
and the rest of the
Oregon offense
were instrumental
in the 35-28 win
over Colorado
State. Since that
game, Griffin has
gained more than
250 yards and
scored three touch
downs in two
games.
the Oregon offense, Griffin is pleased with
his style of play.
“Coach Koetter’s style of offense is really
my style,” he said. “It’s aggressive and [em
phasizes the] attack. We like to put a lot of
yards up. We haven’t gotten into the end
zone a lot, but his style of aggressiveness is
tough on DBs and good for receivers. DBs
are on their toes so much, that is why we are
able to put so many yards up every game.”
Griffin considers himself to be on the same
wave length as Koetter — playing with in
tensity is key.
“My mind set is aggressive,” he said. “I
like to be aggressive. Ever since I was grow
ing up I was always a kind of DB-type player.
I didn't even play offense until my senior
year. My mind set is ‘I’m going to dominate
whoever is in front of me.’ I’m a very emo
tional player and I let people know that. I’ll
tell anybody to pick it up.”
He recognizes that this is one of his assets
as a player.
“My strength is my will to win. I always
want to win, I can’t stand to lose. I was losing
in high school all my life,” Griffin said.
“Since 1 came here I know how it feels to
win. Everybody likes to win. I’ll never quit
and I will not let our team quit.”
On the physical side, Griffin enjoys one of
the hardest parts of the game—being hit.
“There really isn’t a ball that I can’t catch.
If it’s thrown to me, I’m going to catch it. I’m
not scared of catching the ball in the mid
Turn to GRIFFIN, Page 6B
Young McNown finesses his wav to heart of UCLA team
■ BRUINS: Cade
McNown has
earned respect
from coaches and
teammates alike
in becoming
UCLA’s starting
quarterback
UCLA
BRUINS
By Brent Boyd
The Daily Bruin
Last season Cade McNown did not even appear
on the UCLA depth chart. Twelve months later he
holds the future of Bruin football in the palm of his
hand.
Suddenly the sophomore has become the second
most-experienced member of an offense filled with
question marks.
The majority of the pressure, most say, will fall
on the left-hander.
McNown, however, is hearing none of it.
“I know all of a sudden people are putting a lot of
weight on my shoulders,” McNown said. “I don’t
put any pressure on myself because of other people.
So, I’m not really feeling the outside pressure. 1
know it’s there, but I choose not to listen to it.”
At first glance, McNown does not appear to be the
one for the Bruins to rest their hopes on. There does
not seem to be any particular greatness about him.
In 1995, he completed 122-of-245 passes for 1,698
yards.
Respectable numbers, yes, but by no means re
markable.
But, numbers are not what Cade McNown is all
about.
He relies on the desire to compete, the toughness
of a running back and an overall love of the game.
“He’s a fierce competitor, a fierce competitor,”
former UCLA head coach Terry Donahue said. “I re
ally like the way he competes.”
Looking more like a linebacker than a quarter
back, McNown is not afraid to get hit, or even give
hits.
“If they wanted me to change positions, I probably
would,” he said. “It wouldn’t bother me because, se
riously, I love football. If I was fast enough or quick
enough I would play defense — it’s fun. ”
It’s not just talk either because McNown is the
club’s leading returning rusher from a year ago, gain
ing 311 yards on the ground.
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti recognizes Mc
Nown as a running threat.
“Cade McNown is a great running quarterback,
probably best when he is out on the perimeter, he’ll
tuck it and go at any time,” Bellotti said.
Last season, McNown clinched the Bruins’ win
over USC with a 21-yard scamper on third-and-13,
and in this year’s opener against Tennessee, Mc
Nown on numerous occasions turned potential
sacks into first-down gains.
“During the game, he ad-libs,” Donahue said. “He
has a good ability to take something that’s a disaster
and turn it into something positive.”
“It’s obvious that he loves the game,” offensive
coordinator A1 Borges said. “All he really wants to
do is be around it all of the time. It’s probably
overkill, which for a coach is kind of nice. He has a
great thirst for knowledge. ”
As soon as McNown committed to UCLA, he
called then-offensive coordinator Bob Toledo and
requested a play book in order to study it during the
off-season. Those were the intangibles that enabled
McNown to become a leader on the club, despite his
youth.
“I think he’s won a vote of confidence with the
rest of the players,” Borges said. “I think because of
that, it reflects his attitude with the rest of the team.
There’s a lot to be said for leading by example, not
necessarily cheerleading. I think he’s done that.”
“All my life, I’ve done things like being a team
captain or a leader of a football team,” McNown
said. “Being a young QB can be a really tough thing
because 75 to 80 percent of the team was here before
Turn to BRUINS, Page 6B