Paradise Lost
Ryan Yamashiro/for the Emerald
Oregon tailback Derien Latimer, shown here eluding a would-be Colorado tackier, rushed for a game-record tying three touchdowns in the
Aloha Bowl after scoring just two in nine regular-season games in 1998. Latimer’s 74 yards were nearly triple his season average.
Latimer shines under the sun
The Oregon tailback
scored three times
against Colorado
By Joel Hood
Oregon Daily Emerald
HONOLULU — For 11 games
this season, tailback Derien La
timer was a football player with
out a role.
That all changed Christmas Day
after the Ducks pulled starting
tailback Herman Ho-Ching fol
lowing two first-quarter fumbles
that put Oregon on the brink of a
blowout.
With Ho-Ching on the bench
with his head down at his feet
and the season’s No. 1 starter,
Reuben Droughns, next to him on
crutches and in street clothes, La
timer rushed to the forefront. By
the end of the day, he had tied tire
Aloha Bowl record with three
rushing touchdowns and 74 yards
on 19 carries.
And in doing so, Latimer
brought the Ducks — and quite
possibly his career — back front
extinction.
Latimer, a native of Colorado
Springs, Colo., earned the state of
Colorado’s offensive player of the
year honors in 1995 following his
senior season at Air Academy
High School. Latimer rushed for
more than 300 yards six times and
twice scored six touchdowns in a
game his senior season. He con
cluded his prep career with 3,150
yards in just 241 carries and 38
touchdowns.
After the game, Latimer admit
ted there was a little extra incen
tive for him against Colorado.
“I wanted to step it up a little
this game,” he said. "I knew that
all the people back at home who
wondered what ever happened to
me would be watching this game.
It was important to me to play
well.”
Latimer, a junior, began the sea
son third on the Oregon depth
chart at tailback but was thrust
into the starting lineup in week
four following injuries to both
Droughns and Ho-Ching. Howev
er, Latimer carried the ball just
four times in that game for 14
yards. He went on to average just
more than three yards per carry
during the regular season and was
listed as fourth on the Ducks’
postseason depth chart at tailback
behind Ho-Ching, junior Jerry
Brown and sophomore Jason
Cooper.
How quickly things can turn
around.
With Colorado defenders key
ing on quarterback Akili Smith
and the Ducks’ receiving corps,
Oregon needed to establish a run
ning attack. Latimer responded
with touchdown runs of 11 and 4
yards in the second quarter to cut
Colorado’s lead to 27-14.
Latimer jump started Oregon’s
offense again at the start of the
fourth quarter with a 1-yard
touchdown run that started a furi
ous second-half comeback that
would bring the Ducks within
eights points of the lead with less
than six minutes to play.
His three total touchdowns
were one more than he had
scored the entire regular season.
51
Oregon
Colorado
First Downs
Rushing Att.
Rushing Yards
Passes Att.
Passes Comp.
Passing Yards
Total Yards
Penalties
Possession Time
Third-down con.
Fourth-down con
Kickoff returns
Punt returns
Interceptions
Fumble returns
Punts
Rushing
Oregon
Latimer
Colorado
Cherrington
Passing
Oregon
Smith
Colorado
Moschetti
Receiving
Oregon
Griffin
Colorado
Chiaverini
1
0
17
2
14
20
Oregon
27
35
79
46
24
456
535
4-30
33:18
7-13
0-2
7-138
3- 56
0-0
0-0
4- 193
4 Final
22 43
7 51
Colorado
13
35
176
24
12
221
397
8-75
26:42
3-14
0-1
5- 114
3-1
2-52
1-23
6- 309
Att
19
Att
10
Yds
74
Yds
92
Long
13
Long
59
Avg
3.9
Avg
9.2
Att-Comp-Int
46-24-2
Att-Comp-Int
23-11-0
Yds Long TD
456 51 2
Yds Long TD
213 72 4
No.
8
No.
3
Yds
146
Yds
96
Long TD
51 0
Long TD
72 1
Oregon introduces new-look uniforms for next season
A new logo incorporates
both Hayward Field and
Autzen Stadium
By Joel Hood
Oregon Daily Emerald
Seeking a more comfortable and
“intimidating" look for next season,
the Oregon football team unveiled its
1999 uniforms to the media two days
prior to the Ducks’ 51-43 loss to Col
orado in the Aloha Bowl on Christ
mas Day.
The Ducks’ first chance to don their
new duds, which were designed by
Nike, in action will he against Michi
gan State in East Lansing on Sept. 4.
However, Oregon players and coach
es have already said benefits of the
striking new look are numerous.
"We wanted a more dominating
kind of a look,” junior linebacker Pe
ter Sirmon said. “Our old uniforms
were not as comfortable as these new
ones. Our new jersey fits tighter in the
chest and feels more like were wear
ing a tank top."
Nike representatives said the new
uniforms are a combination of mesh,
cordura and lycra that give the jerseys
a shrink-wrap fit that still allows free
dom of movement. The mesh body
panels on the front and bank of the
jerseys provide improved ventilation,
and the stretch cordura fabric: is form
fitting and works to cinch the jersey
to the body.
“I think this really improves our
look, but it also lets us move around
easier on the field,” junior tailback
Reuben Droughns said. “We’re all
very excited."
There are other improvements as
well. The new pants contain a pad re
tention system that holds the thigh
and knee pads in place. The old sys
tem allowed the pads to slid in and
out of a sleeve inside the pants but
also allowed the pads to shift during
the game.
Nike representatives said the new
helmets also represent the cutting
edge in sports technology. The hel
mets, mallard green in color, capture
and bend the light with the same ef
fect as a Mallard duck turning its
head in the sunlight. It will mark the
first time the football team has re
turned to green helmets since the
1971 season.
"The distinctive new design of the
uniforms is yet another example of
our efforts to establish ourselves as
innovative leaders in the area of inter
collegiate athletics,” athletic director
Bill Moos said. “We will be the first
collegiate program in the country to
enjoy this new technology that will j
provide performance, comfort and a j
unique look for our football team.” i
A single letter "O” replaces the *
interlocking "UO” on the left side of
the helmet. The cut of the “O” itself
is said to reflect the past, present
and future of Oregon athletics. The j
inner circle of the “O” is an outline |
of Hayward field, where Duck foot- j
ball began. The outer circle of the
“O” represents an outline of Autzen
Stadium, where Oregon has played
since 1967.
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti
said that he first entertained
thoughts of changing the team’s
appearance two years ago and
began to solicit the input of his
assistant coaches, players,
school officials and alumni.
Nike accepted the chal
lenge from the Universi
ty to create a new look
that Bellotti said will
carry the Ducks into
the new millennium.
Oregon's new home
uniforms will employ
two shades of green,
mallard and spruce,
as well as lightening
yellow in an innova
tive new design that
will provide added
comfort and mobility
i for the Ducks.
IO Athletic Department