Enlerald
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Sports Editor: Tim Pyle
Best Bet
World Series
Atlanta vs. N.Y. Yankees
5:20 p.m., NBC
Scott Barnett Emerald
Sophomore quarterback Joey Harrington played the relief role to near perfection Saturday night in Tucson,
Ariz.
Droughns, Harrington
answer Ducks’ call
■ Tailback Reuben Droughns and
quarterback Joey Harrington come
through when Oregon needs them
Football Notes
By Tim Pyle
Oregon Daily Emerald
The player expected to be the Oregon
football team’s workhorse, leader and
biggest star was indeed all of those things
Saturday night.
Add to that mix the Ducks’ desperate
state following consecutive losses and the
tender state of the hero’s ribs, and the per
formance tailback Reuben Droughns gen
erated to spark a 44-41 win at Arizona be
comes all the more epic.
In Oregon’s three Pacific-10 Confer
ence games before Saturday, Droughns
had carried just 19 times for 66 yards be
cause of a rib injury suffered during the
first half of the Ducks’ win over Southern
California on Sept. 25.
And Droughns’ health was still in ques
tion heading into the meeting with the
Wildcats, who had been the preseason
Pac-10 favorite. In fact, Droughns did not
start for the third straight game Saturday.
But he definitely finished.
After 45 carries, 202 yards rushing, two
touchdowns and one important two
point conversion against Arizona,
Droughns was named the conference’s of
fensive player of the week.
His yardage total — his fourth at Ore
gon that has eclipsed the 200-yard mark
— is the top rushing performance in a
Pac-10 game this season.
All of which left Droughns feeling
“pretty good” before practice Monday.
“ [The Wildcats] started banging me to
ward the end real hard,” said Droughns, a
6-foot, 210-pound senior. “But other than
that, I felt real good.”
Still, Droughns admitted he was not
expecting to be handed the ball 45 times.
“It was a surprise to me,” Droughns
said. “I’m sure it was a surprise to a lot of
people on the team, too.”
Surprised or not, Droughns’ teammates
were nonetheless grateful.
“Reuben was amazing,” said quarter
back Joey Harrington, who himself was
heroic in playing the final 1 1/2 quarters
for the Ducks. “In my 21 years, I have nev
er witnessed anything like that. That was
just toughness and just courage and just
guts. And he... oh, wow.”
No QB controversy here
Despite Harrington’s play in relief Sat
urday, head coach Mike Bellotti said A.J.
Feeley indisputably remains Oregon’s
starter at quarterback.
Harrington, who completed six-of-11
passes for 144 yards with one touchdown
and one interception, said he didn’t ex
pect anything different.
“He’s still the guy,” said Harrington, a
sophomore from Portland. “He’s proven
himself, he’s a qualified starter and he’s
led the team in the six games before this.
“I just came in and did my job.”
Feeley, who has thrown for 1,797 yards
and 14 touchdowns this season, said he
also was anticipating Bellotti’s decision.
“If that wasn’t the case, I’d be very sur
prised,” said Feeley, a junior from Ontario.
Bellotti told The Register-Guard that
Harrington’s performance simply “rein
forces in my mind that we have two quar
terbacks who can play.”
“You dream of getting a shot like that,”
Harrington said. “I’m still on cloud nine.
“There was no indication that they were
leaning toward a decision. I came off the
field after one of the field goals, and Coach
grabbed me and said, ‘You’re in.’ Oh, OK.
Sure. I’m not gonna complain,”
Speaking of heroes...
Senior rover/return-man extroardi
naire Michael Fletcher also received ac
claim from the Pac-10 for his perfor
mance Saturday.
Fletcher was named the conference’s
special teams player of the week for accu
mulating 147 yards in return yardage, 81
of which came on five punt returns.
Fletcher also made an interception, a sack
and six tackles on defense.
“It’s a great honor, especially in a victo
ry,” said Fletcher, a native of Compton, Calif.
“We feel like that’s where we have the
biggest advantage versus any team is on
our overall special teams.”
In tandem with Sonny Cook, Fletcher
helped the Ducks to 288 yards in kick return
yardage and an average starting field posi
tion of their own 42-yard line.
Now that’s special.
......——
Oregon’s first performance leaves Russell excited
Ducks head
coach Chris
Russell feels
encouraged
following his
team’s first event
of the season
Men’s Tennis Notes
By Matt O’Neill
lor the Emerald
After one tournament of the fall slate,
Oregon men's tennis head coach Chris Rus
sell is happy with the way is team is play
ing. Although he has just the Fresno Bull
dog Classic to judge off, Russell feels his
squad is looking good.
“The Fresno trip was very positive for
us,” Russell said. “It was revealing what we
need for competition before the regular sea
son starts up.”
The fall schedule is being used by Rus
sell and his staff to get some of the program
newcomers much-needed experience be
fore the Pacific-10 Conference season in
January. Some of those newcomers are sur
prising the staff with the quality of their
play. Freshman Oded Teig of Israel is one
of those such players.
“Oded has played very solidly for us,
without even being in the best condition,”
Russell said.
Russell expects big things from Teig,
who played well at the tournament before
he went down with fatigue and cramping.
Another newcomer who Russell looks to
provide big things for the team is Leslie
Esinga.
“I think that Leslie is going to be a good
player,” Russell said. “He showed us that
he can be a bright spot for us this year.”
Some of the returning players are off to
great starts as well. David Becker and
Cedric Vanhaver have come back to school
in good shape and ready to compete.
“David has really improved his game, he
is going to have a good year.” Russell said.
Vanhaver has impressed with his im
proved doubles play, often teaming with
freshman Jason Menke.
“I really feel the Cedric and Jason will
make a great doubles team,” Russell said. “I
was pleased with the way they played at
Fresno.”
Menke has not only shown that he will
contribute on the doubles teams, but he
will also contribute in singles play.
“Menke showed me some good stuff,”
Russell said, “He competed great in Cali
fornia.”
Russell wants his team to continue to im
prove and grow, but he likes what he sees
in both the newcomers and the returnees.
If the Ducks continue to train hard and
blend the new and the old, Russell feels
they will have a good season.
“We’re looking promising with the new
comers; they showed what they can do,”
Russell said. “And with the improving lev
el of the guys who are coming back, then I
think that we have a good team.”
The Ducks return to action when they
travel to Seattle Nov. 6-9 to compete in the
ITA Regional tournament.
{(We’re look
ing promising
with the new
comers; they
showed what
they can do. J J
Chris Bussell
men’s tennis
coach