Preview
Continued from Page 1B
“We really want to end up with
a victory," Oregon senior receiver
Damon Griffin said. "Especially
after losing the last game.”
The Aloha Bowl, won last year
by the Huskies over Michigan
State, will be a rematch of the 1996
Cotton Bowl. The Buffaloes won
that game 38-6, but it will be re
membered more by Duck fans for a
play that occurred when the game
was well out of Oregon’s reach.
Up 32-6 with less than five min
utes to play, Colorado faced fourth
and 14 at its own 43-yard line.
Punter Andy Mitchell completed
a 28-yard pass on a fake punt, and
the Buffaloes scored with just
more than a minute remaining to
add insult to injury.
Although some players, partic
ularly tight end Josh Wilcox, were
infuriated after the game, Oregon
head coach Mike Bellotti refused
to comment, calling the play
“great coaching,” and remains
diplomatic.
“The opportunity to play Col
orado again is a great motivating
factor for our team,” the coach
said.
This year’s matchup came as
somewhat of a surprise to the Ore
gon players and coaches, who ex
pected to be in San Diego for a Dec.
30 Holiday Bowl matchup with
Nebraska.
But after UCLA lost on Satur
day, dropping the Bruins from the
Fiesta Bowl national champi
onship game to the Rose Bowl and
Arizona to the Holiday Bowl, the
Ducks learned they would be
i ..
spending Christmas in Hawaii.
“The only person who’s really
unhappy is Akili Smith, just be
cause he wanted to go home for
Christmas,” Bellotti said of the
San Diego native who attended
Grossmont Community College.
“My parents are going to be at
the game, but I really wanted to
play at home in front of family and
friends,” said Smith, the nation’s
second-leading passer who has
completed 191 of 325 for a school
record 30 touchdowns and seven
interceptions. “But we’re going to
Hawaii, so we should have a good
time.”
The Ducks faced the possibility
of a rematch with W AC-champion
Air Force, which lost to Oregon
41-13 in last season’s Las Vegas
Bowl.
Although the Falcons are the
top-ranked team of the four
Hawaii participants, Bellotti said
it would have been tough to moti
vate the Ducks for a second
straight postseason matchup with
Air Force.
“I’m not sure it would have
been the best for us or them.” Bel
lotti said. “They might want an
other shot at us, although I’m not
sure I’d want that. I think it
worked out for the best."
The coach said the only film he
had seen of Colorado this season
was the first half of its 16-14 loss
to the Cornhuskers last month.
Bellotti did note the Buffaloes’
excellent team speed on defense,
which will be matched up with an
Oregon running game that has
been anemic of late.
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Last time Emerald student activities editor Kristina Rudinskas went 2-5.
Colorado continues recent success
The ‘90 national champs
return to their 12th howl
game in 14 seasons
By Tim Pyle
Oregon Daily Emerald
Last season was an aberration in
Colorado's recent escalation to a
football power.
But now, the Buffaloes are back
on track as they head into their
12th bowl game in the past 14 sea
sons against Oregon in the Aloha
Bowl on Christmas Day in Hon
olulu. That impressive streak of
bowl-game appearances includes
a 10-9 win over Notre Dame in the
1991 Orange Bowl that helped
Colorado claim its first national
championship, which it shared
with Georgia Tech.
Following a 5-6 finish in 1997
that marked their first losing sea
son since 1984, the Buffaloes used
a 5-0 start to end the regular season
7-4 and secure a postseason berth.
Fourth-year Colorado head
coach Rick Neuheisel said he is
pleased with the opportunity to
return to a bowl game this season,
where he will try to boost his post
season record to 3-0.
i
“We’re excited about being on
ABC, and hopefully a nation of
people can celebrate Christmas by
watching a great football game be
tween the Buffs and the Ducks,"
Neuheisel said.
Colorado generates much of its
offensive production through the
arm of quarterback Mike Moschet
ti, who has started all 11 games
and was named third-team all-Big
12 at the
end of the
season.
Moschetti
has com
pleted al
most 59 percent of his pass at
tempts for 2,104 yards and 15
touchdowns versus just seven in
terceptions.
Wide receivers Darrin Chiaveri
ni and Javon Green have com
bined for 91 catches, 1,169 yards
and nine touchdowns as Moschet
ti’s top targets.
Although he has played in just
six games, tailback Marlon Barnes
has accumulated 572 rushing yards
and three touchdowns. He aver
ages 95.3 rushing yards per game.
Overall, the Buffalo offense is
averaging almost 23 points and
more than 325 yards per game.
Oregon head coach Mike Bellot
ti said he is concerned with the
threat Barnes presents.
“They’ve run the ball very
well,” Bellotti said. “And they
also have a junior-college transfer
in Mike Moschetti who has at
times played very well.”
The Buffaloes rank No. 13 nation
ally in total defense, allowing just
296 yards and 19.1 points per game.
Bellotti said the Colorado de
fense’s collective speed is what
makes it so effective.
Through the air, the Buffalo de
fense has been especially tough,
permitting only 148.5 yards per
game and ranking fourth in the
country in pass-efficiency de
fense. Cornerback Ben Kelly, who
is also a dangerous kick returner,
was named first-team all-Big 12
for both defense and special teams
and has made four interceptions.
Neuheisel said he knows that
his pass defense will have to be at
its best against the Ducks’ record
breaking quarterback, Akili Smith.
“Our strength has been pass de
fense, and their strength has been
the passing game,” Neuheisel
said. “It should be a great game.”
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