LAURA GOSS/Emerald
Saftey Gary Barker haults Michigan State’s Gari Scott to a short gain in the Ducks ’ Sept. 5 debut.
Defense: Pac-10’s worst last season
■ Continued from Page 17E
take down your performance.
"In terms of what we do on the
field, we are really an aggressive,
swarming kind of a defense that
has multiple fronts and multiple
coverages. We’re a defense of run
ning and quickness.”
Leading the charge on the field is
inside linebacker Peter Sirmon, the
Pac-lO’s leading tackier in 1997
with 104, including 17 for loss.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Wash
ington native returns for his ju
nior campaign and is joined at
linebacker by Moore and Aaron
Cheuvront, who played mostly
special teams last season but start
ed and recorded two tackles, one
for a loss, against the Spartans.
The three play behind a defen
sive line that lost perhaps its
MVP, Desmond Byrd, to gradua
tion, but features three others who
were regular starters last season.
Leie Sualua started every game
at tackle last season and is joined
inside by Caleb Smith. Terry
Miller and Saul Patu start outside
on a line that Sirmon thinks will
help lower his total tackles from a
year ago.
“I don’t think that the tackle
numbers have to be that high this
year,” Sirmon said. “If the defen
sive line plays the way we think
they can, that number could drop
to 90 real quick. If they make
some plays, if instead of running
people down we’re making stops
at the line of scrimmage, then my
job is easier.”
But when asked whose play has
impressed him the most thus far,
Foster immediately mentions the
secondary, led by unofficial team
cheerleader and rover Michael
Fletcher, free safety Brandon
McLemore and comerbacks Eric
Edwards and Rashad Bauman.
“Eric Edwards is solid, he
knows his stuff and he’s a great
technician,” Foster said. “He’s
solid as rock.”
Also expected to garner signifi
cant playing time this season are
free safety Justin Wilcox, nickel
back Tamoni Joiner, rover Gary
Barker, linebackers Garrot Sabol
and Chris Vandiver and linemen
Masi Heamish and Zack Freiter,
said by head coach Mike Bellotti
to be possibly the strongest play
er in Oregon football history.
“We weren’t super healthy for
[the Michigan State] game, and
that was another thing that was a
little scary,” Foster said after the
win. “We had one of our great de
fensive tackles not even suit out.
Zack Freiter is a great player. He’s
going to be one of our best play
ers, and he didn’t even suit up.”
PAC-10 Football Schedules
Arizona
Sept 3 © Hawaii
Sept. 12 ©Stanford
Sept. 19 Iowa
Sept. 24 ©San Diego State
Oct. 3 ©Washington
Oct. 10 UCLA
Oct. 17 ©Oregon State
Oct. 24 Northeast Louisiana
Oct. 31 Oregon
Nov. 7 Washington State
Nov. 14 ©California
Nov. 27 Arizona State
Arizona State
Sept 5 Washington
Sept. 12 ©BrighamYoung
Sept. 19 North Texas
Sept. 26 Oregon State
Oct. 3 © Southern California
Oct. 10 Notre Dame
Oct. 22 Stanford
Oct. 31 © Washington State
Nov. 7 California
Nov. 14 ©Oregon
Nov. 27 ©Arizona
California
Sept 5 Houston
Sept. 12 Nebraska
Sept. 19 ©Oklahoma
Sept. 26 Washington State
Oct. 10 © Southern California
Oct. 17 ©Washington
Oct. 24 UCLA
Oct. 31 © Oregon State
Nov. 7 ©Arizona State
Nov. 14 Arizona
Nov. 21 Stanford
Oregon
Sept. 5 Michigan State
Sept 12 ©UTEP
Sept 19 San Jose State
Sept. 26 Stanford
Oct. 10 © Washington State
Oct. 17 ©UCLA
Oct. 24 Southern California
Oct. 31 ©Arizona
Nov. 7 Washington
Nov. 14 Arizona State
Nov. 21 ©Oregon State
Oregon State
Sept. 5 Nevada
Sept. 12 Baylor
Sept 19 © Southern California
Sept 26 ©ArizonaState
Oct. 3 ©Utah State
Oct 10 ©Stanford
Oct. 17 Arizona
Oct. 24 ©Washington
Oct. 31 California
Nov. 7 UCLA
Nov. 21 Oregon
Stanford
Sept. 5 San Jose State
Sept. 12 Arizona
Sept 19 North Carolina
Sept.26 ©Oregon
Oct. 3 © Notre Dame
Oct. 10 Oregon State
Oct. 22 ©Arizona State
Oct. 31 ©UCLA
Nov. 7 Southern California
Nov. 14 Washington State
Nov. 21 © California
UCLA
Sept. 12 Texas
Sept. 19 ©Houston
Sept.26 ©Miami
Oct. 3 Washington State
Oct. 10 ©Arizona
Oct. 17 Oregon
Oct. 24 © California
Oct. 31 Stanford
Nov. 7 © Oregon State
Nov. 14 ©Washington
Nov. 21 Southern California
Southern California
Aug. 30 Purdue
Sept. 12 San Diego State
Sept. 19 Oregon State
Sept. 26 © Florida State
Oct. 3 Arizona State
Oct. 10 California
Oct. 17 © Washington State
Oct. 24 © Oregon
Oct. 31 Washington
Nov. 7 © Stanford
Nov. 21 ©UCLA
Nov. 28 Notre Dame
Washington
Sept 5 ©Arizona State
Sept. 19 Brigham Young
Sept.26 ©Nebraska
Oct. 3 Arizona
Oct. 10 Utah State
Oct 17 California
Oct. 24 Oregon State
Oct. 31 ©Southern California
Nov. 7 © Oregon
Nov. 14 UCLA
Nov. 21 ©Washington State
Washington State
Sept. 5 Illinois
Sept 12 ©BoiseState
Sept. 19 Idaho
Sept.26 ©California
Oct. 3 ©UCLA
Oct. 10 Oregon
Oct. 17 Southern California
Oct 31 Arizona State
Nov. 7 ©Arizona
Nov. 14 ©ArizonaState
Nov. 21 Washington
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