Football
Continued from Page 1
If UCLA loses, it will meet
Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl,
bumping Arizona to the Holiday
Bowl and Oregon to Hawaii. But
in the event of a Bruin victory,
Rose Bowl officials would fill
that slot with another team.
“That decision will be made
this weekend,” said Caryn Evans
of the Tournament of Roses. “The
Tournament is feeling that if
UCLA goes to the Fiesta Bowl,
Arizona would most likely come
here.”
Harriman Cronk of the Tourna
ment of Roses’ football commit
tee confirmed that notion.
“Generally speaking, I think
it’s fair to say we’d like to keep
the tradition of the Pac-10 play
ing the Big 10 together," Cronk
said.
Ducks honored
Oregon quarterback Akili
Smith was one of nine Ducks
named yesterday to the Pacific
10’s all-conference squad.
Smith and UCLA quarterback
Cade McNown shared confer
ence player of the year honors,
and both were named first-team
All-Pac-10 selections.
Smith completed 191 of his
325 passes for 3,307 yards and 30
touchdowns on his way to lead
ing the Ducks to an 8-3 overall
record, including 5-3 in the Pac
10.
McNown has staked the Bruins
to a 10-0 mark this season and a
possible national championship
game berth. The senior from
West Linn threw for 18 touch
downs and 2,617 yards on 162
of-288 passing and broke school
records for career completions,
passing yards,
touchdown
passes and total
offense.
USC line
backer Chris
Claiborne was
named Pac-10
defensive player
VILLEGAS ot the year atter
recording 107
tackles, five sacks and 16 passes
broken up this season. He is one
of three finalists for the Butkus
Award for the nation’s top line
backer.
Joining Smith on the first-team
all-conference squad are place
kicker Nathan Villegas and
punter Josh Bidwell. Villegas set
school records for total points
and both consecutive field goals
and extra points and is a finalists
for the Lou Groza Award as the
nation's top kicker.
Bidwell is currently second in
the nation with a 45.4 yard punt
ing average. The last Oregon
kicker to earn first-team honors
was Tommy Thompson in 1992.
Named to this year’s second
team were tailback Reuben
Droughns and tight end Jed
Weaver. Droughns suffered what
Sports Illustrated recently
deemed one of the nation’s top
10 most costly injuries when he
broke his leg in the Ducks’ over
time loss to UCLA on Oct. 17.
Droughns rushed for 824 yards
and 11 touchdowns in the sea
son’s first six games, but the
Ducks never cracked the 100
yard barrier as a team in the five
games after the injury.
Weaver continued the Oregon
legacy at tight end set by Josh
Wilcox and furthered by Blake
Spence. Weaver amassed 578
yards and four touchdowns on 36
catches, including 10, one short
of a school record, against Ore
gon State.
Receivers Tony Hartley and
Damon Griffin, cornerbacks
Rashad Bauman and Eric Ed
wards, linebackers Dietrich
Moore and Chris Vandiver and
defensive end Saul Patu all
earned honorable mention All
Pac-10 status.
Continued from Page 1
and fast legs have allowed Bish
op to compile a 46-1 record as a
collegiate starter, including back
to-back national championships
in junior college, heading into
the Big 12 Championship game
against Texas A&M. He has run
for 13 touchdowns and passed
for 21 more this season to lead
the Wildcats to the brink of the
national-title game.
Another team ahead of Bishop
and Kansas State in the running
for the Fiesta Bowl also boasts
an exemplary candidate as its
quarterback. UCLA’s Cade Mc
Nown has already been honored
with the Johnny Unitas Golden
Arm award and has orchestrated
20-straight wins for the Bruins,
which is the country’s longest
winning streak.
In this season of prolific quar
terbacks, two of college foot
ball’s best pilots launch spirals
in the Southern half of the Unit
ed States. Kentucky’s Tim
Couch and Central Florida’s
Daunte Culpepper have posted
gaudy statistics at the helm of
their respective teams.
Couch has completed 72.3
percent of his passes for 4,275
yards and 36 touchdowns for
the 7-4 Wildcats, while Culpep
per has peppered opposing de
fenses for a Division 1-A record
73.6 completion percentage,
3,690 yards and 28 touchdowns
to lead the Golden Knights to a
9-2 record.
I glance out the cab’s window
again, looking for help, and sur
prisingly see a healthy tree.
While pondering this unusual
sight in middle of New York
City, I realize I am forgetting an
other worthy candidate who is
also closest to my green-and-yel
low-clad home.
Despite not being named the
full-time starter at Oregon until
last summer, quarterback Akili
Smith has fueled his candidacy
by passing for a school-record
3,307 yards and 30 touchdowns.
His cannon arm, pinpoint accu
racy and quick feet have helped
the Ducks to an 8-3 record and
himself to a certain NFL future.
My driver announces we will
be at the club in a few minutes, so
I hurry to consider the other can
didates.
Quarterbacks Donovan McN
abb of Syracuse, Joe Germaine of
Ohio State, Tee Martin of unde
feated Tennessee and Shaun
King of Tulane. Running backs
Ron Dayne of Wisconsin and
Kevin Faulk of Louisiana State.
North Carolina State’s spectacu
lar wide receiver, Torry Holt.
The list seems to go on and on.
Finally, my cab screeches to a
halt in front of the club. 1 step
out the door, pay my fare and
head for the front door. I go
through the candidates and all
their merits one more time.
But Williams’ record-break
ing, 60-yard touchdown run
through the Aggies' secondary
keeps creeping into the mangled
confusion floating through my
head.
As I stumble through the en
trance and into artificial warmth,
I come upon a Marley-esque rev
elation: If it is entirely up to me,
Williams will be jamming —
rather than posing — with the
Heisman Trophy shortly.
Then I drifted back into reality.
Tim Pyle is a sports reporter for the
Emerald He can he reached i ia e
mail at tpyle@gladstone.
uoregon.edu
^ 4yicA* fayi
Join the University Health Center’s
Tree Planting Commemoration
Tuesday, December 1,1998 at 12:00 p.m.
EMU Amphitheatre
Guest speakers will address current
World Aids Day topics and issues
Performance by UO Gospel Choir
A Sty rax (Japanese Snowdrop) Tree
will be planted in support of
UO students, faculty and staff
who have HIV and in memory
of those who have died of AIDS
lH
U N f v E R S f T Y
HEALTH CENTER
: •mwm-v:]'wsx
We’re a matter of degrees ^
Open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesday* td a.roj and Sundays 110 a.m.).
Appointment* and alter hours: 346*2770 • Web; <krk\ving.»rm;gsm.cdw'--u<>si>e