Kevin Parker (24) celebrates with Pat Johnson after Johnson returned a punt for a touchdown against Arizona.
Even though the score was called back due to a penalty, the special teams had a great overall game.
Punting, returns key to victory
■ SPECIAL. TEAMS: The
Ducks commit to stepping up
their play to win games
By Andrea DeYoung
Assistant Sports Editor
What’s so special about special
teams? Not much unless you con
sider what happened last week
against Arizona.
Oregon punter Josh Bidwell
only punted three times, but av
eraged 48.3 yards per punt. In
kickoff returns, Pat Johnson,
Kevin Parker and other members
of the special team combined for
124 yards on six returns.
All of this was significant for
the Ducks, who had been on a
five-game losing streak, in ac
complishing their first Pacific-10
Conference win. Field position
was key for both the Oregon de
fense, which has struggled at
times to keep opponents out of
the end zone, and the Oregon of
fense, which has had problems
moving the ball down the field
and into scoring position.
On its first six possessions
against the Wildcats, Oregon
started no farther back than its
own 27-yard line and twice be
gan a scoring drive in Arizona
territory. It’s no coincidence that
four of these drives ended in
touchdowns, and the other two
had the potential to, but resulted
in turnovers.
Parker said the Ducks may
have taken a while to get warm,
but the game against Arizona
proved what the special teams
can really do.
“We started off real slow, but
we made a commitment to our
selves that special teams needs to
step-up, especially in the Pac-10
[games],” Parker said. “Last
week’s game we needed to get the
ball past the 50 [yard line] every
time because they had a good de
fense, and we wanted good field
position. We stuttered at times,
but I think now everybody
knows what we need to do to get
it done.”
Parker began the game for Ore
gon’s offense with a 36-yard re
turn, which gave the Ducks a
starting position at the Arizona
49-yard line. He followed that
with returns of nine and 11
yards.
Parker’s partner in special
teams crime, Johnson, took the
second Arizona kickoff and ran
until he was brought down 43
yards later at the Wildcats’ 42
yard line. After a 14-yard return
in the second quarter, Johnson
didn’t get a kick again until the
end of the fourth quarter. When
Matt Peyton punted the ball to
Johnson, who was standing at the
Arizona 48-yard line, the track
star/football player took the ball
and ran and dodged his way into
the end zone. Although the score
was brought back because of an
Oregon penalty, Johnson showed
Oregon fans once again just how
explosive he can be.
“[It was frustrating] in a way
because I would have had anoth
er touchdown,” Johnson said.
“But I know I can do it again
whenever. I just need to get the
opportunity because now hardly
66
We started off real slow, but we
made a commitment to
ourselves that special teams
needs to step up especially in
the Pac-10 [games],
— Kevin Parker
UO kick returner
-33
anybody wants to kick it to me.
In a way it’s frustrating because I
very seldom get a lot of chances
because they always kick the ball
away from me. It just so happens
that somebody clipped on it, but
it’s alright.”
On the other side of the special
teams is Bidwell. The former re
serve receiver spent time over the
summer working with a profes
sional kicker and has steadily im
proved throughout the season.
But the Arizona game was one of
the best of his kicking career,
even though his foot only
touched the ball three times.
Bidwell's longest punt this
year was 57 yards. Against Ari
zona his first punt was for 55
yards, pinning the Wildcat of
fense at its own three-yard line.
The second was for 50 yards and
the third for 40 yards, which put
the Wildcats at their own eight
yard line.
For this team with so many
new players on its defense, field
position can be key.
Turn to SPECIAL TEAMS, Page 7B
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