Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, September 22, 1997, BACK TO THE BOOKS SPECIAL EDITION, Page 7E, Image 101

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Offensive Line
CHAD PATTESON/Emerald
Lee Gundy (from left), Marco Aguirre, Michael Klews and Seaton Daly try to overcome youth and inexperience in 1997.
Youth is served up front for Ducks
Only one regular starter returns to help lead a young and
inexperienced offensive line in 1997
By Alex Pond
Sports Reporter
Take an 18-year-old true freshman and start him at
right guard in the first game of the season. Throw in a
junior-college transfer at left tackle. Add three more
players who have started a total of one game prior to
1997, a preseason injury to the only returning regular
starter, and what have you got?
A young and inexperienced offensive line thrown
into the raging fire called the Pacific-10 Conference
season.
Replacing one of the more experienced and suc
cessful offensive lines in school history is perhaps the
most inexperienced line to ever start the season for
the Ducks.
Lee Gundy, the true freshman, and junior-college
transfer Marco Aguirre saw their first action as Ducks
in the first game of the season. Senior Seaton Daly, ju
nior Stefan deVries and junior Michael Klews were
the other opening-night starters on the line.
Oregon passed the season-opening test with a 16-9
home victory over Arizona, but offensive line coach
Neal Zoumboukos was not satisfied with the front
five's play.
“I thought that we played too high overall, and you
can’t do that on the offensive line,” Zoumboukos says.
“Assignment-wise we did a good job in blocking the
right people for the most part, but technically we were
not very sound.
“Even the guys who had experience made those
mistakes. That did not please me at all.”
However, what has pleased Zoumboukos since the
beginning of fall camp is the effort his players have
put forth.
“I have no complaints about effort 99 percent of the
time,” he says. “I love the effort but I’m not happy
with the fundamental execution. It’s not something
that’s going to happen in a day. It’s going to take time.
The plight of the offensive lineman is repetition, and
we need a lot of repetition.”
Coming into camp, the Ducks knew they would be
inexperienced up front, but injuries to senior David
Weber and junior Chad Normoyle forced them to go
even younger.
Weber started every game at right tackle for the
Ducks in 1996, but an ankle injury during fall camp
left him sidelined for the early part of this season.
“It’s as bad as it gets, personally, to miss the first
game and to battle an injury the whole season,” Weber
says. “But it’s just something I have to overcome and
support my teammates while I’m out.”
The most inexperienced player to receive early sea
son playing time on the line was Gundy, who accom
plished the rare feat of starting the first game of the
season as a true freshman.
“There was a lot of excitement,” he says. “I was a lit
Turnto OFFENSE, Page 15E
AM
Up to
s350°°off
For Sunmer Fun Or
4
BIKE
BARN
Badrto&fiool Save Now!
Your Family Bicycle
Headquarters
Over200bates n stock...
465 Coburg Rd. WeVe remodeled—Stop by & See!
Eugene ■ 342*5757 open 7 a week. Ufe accept trades.
Anderson’s -
For Fans Of All
Sports
",lfteC ”■ f-l-OTHlNG
• North Face
• Nike
• Adidas
rt *f|l ift SPORTS.
- Asics
• New Balance
• Mt. Hardware
• Tennis
i Badminton
• Slumberjack
• North Face
• Mountain Mardwea
■ — »<T.FfiSORmSl
• Jansport
•Jade Wolfskin
• MSR . tc
• Outdoor Products
• Thermarest
• Pure
SALEM- AtELANY CORVALLIS ■
!*!ggw: 199 W. 8th St. • 484-7344
BJQENE
SHOE-A-HOLIC
AIRWALK
^Ha/cks
SPORT • HIKING * WORK • FASHION
Men's & Women's Sizes up to 16
• Clogs • Durango • Georgia
Puma • Reebok • Sandals
Josef Seibel • Kickers
f London
Mephisto
957 Willamette • 687
LAZAR'S BAZAR
- SKATEBOARDS -
• Acme • Allen Workshop • Blind • Flip
• Bird House • Chocolate • Girl • ft morel
- SNOWBOARDS -
• Airwaft • Barf oat • 5150 • NUeckar • IVlro
• Palmer • Typea • WRd Duck • World
Posters • Bedspreads • Beaded Curtains • Black lights
• Lingerie • Rock-n-Roll T-Shirts • Jewelry
——— 57 W Broadway • G87-0139
Excluding scales, skateboards and snowboards
and snowboard products. Expires 10/20/97.
LAZAR'S BAZAAR*67WBroadway