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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2000)
m Best Bet NBA Playoffs Indiana vs. Milwaukee 7:30 p.m., TBS Monday May 1,2000 Volume 101, Issue 142 Emerald Offense shines in final spring scrimmage Kevin Calame Emerald With his pinpoint passing, redshirt freshman Jason Fife raised eyebrows and seemed to secure the No. 3 quarterback job. ■ Oregon did the expected, controlling the reserves and winning 31-0 to cap off the spring season By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald There may not have been 40,000 screaming fans packed in Autzen Stadium. There may not have been an actual game being played on Saturday afternoon. Heck, there may not have even been a real opponent. But there was football. And that’s all that mattered to the 8,573 die-hard followers who soaked in the Oregon foot ball team’s annual Spring Game under gorgeous blue skies in Autzen. At Thursday’s practice, head coach Mike Bellotti said he would be tough to satisfy in Sat urday’s annual intrasquad Spring Game. The coach expected his Green team — made up of first- and second-teamers — to dominate his White team — composed of third- and fourth-stringers. The Green team passed for 364 yards and reached the end zone four times in shutting out the White team 31-0 to close out the spring season. Was it enough to impress the coach, who watched the entire game from a bird’s eye view up in the press box? “Umm ... temporarily. Let me say that,” Bellotti said. “I’m nev er completely satisfied. I feel like we’ve made some progress this spring. I was pleased with the way the green group operated.” It didn’t take long for Joey Har rington and the rest of the start ing corps to set the tone for the afternoon. The White offense went an unimpressive three-and-out to open the game. Harrington then trotted onto the field in his mal lard green uniform at the 12:40 mark of the first quarter. He came out firing on his first play, a 16-yard completion to wide receiver Keenan Howry. On the next play, Har r i n g t o n showed poise in the pocket and found wide receiver Marshaun Tucker deep downfield for a 40 yard pick up. All of a sudden it was first and-goal from the seven-yard line, and Harrington handed off to redshirt freshman tailback Joe Broder, who rumbled home for the touchdown. Broder led all rushers with 43 yards on seven carries. Josh Frankel proceeded to knock through the extra point Turn to Football, page 14 competition brewing at quarterback spot ■ It wasn’t Joey Harrington or A.J. Feeley who made the biggest impact at quarterback Saturday; surprisingly, it was redshirt freshman Jason Fife By Peter Hockaday for the Emerald Spring football practices are over, and it would seem the Ducks would have one question answered — who will play quar terback. But head coach Mike Bellotti has almost too much depth at the signal-calling position. The surprise of Saturday’s spring football game came from the No. 3 quarterback hopefuls. In the second half, California natives Jason Fife and Orlando Evans led the green and white teams with first-stringers Joey Harrington and A.J. Feeley on the bench. Fife instantly made an impact, leading the first-string green team to a touchdown and a field goal in two drives. Fife went 14 for 17 for 186 yards — one more total yard than Harrington — in the Ducks’ final spring game. “He runs the offense really well,” wideout Keenan Howry said of the redshirt freshman’s performance. “It’s just a matter of time before he steps in and takes over the helm.” Harrington, meanwhile, played well all spring including in Saturday’s scrimmage, and he seems the clear-cut No. 1 QB go ing into the fall. Harrington went eight of 10 for 185 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, Harrington led only four drives Saturday, three of which resulted in scores. “I feel a lot more confident [than last year],” Harrington said. “I’m a lot more consistent out there on the field.” Feeley has been bothered by re occurring arm problems, but no body knows how much work he needs more than Feeley himself. “All I’m worried about right now is taking care of myself and preparing my arm,” Feeley said after his three-for-10 performance on Saturday. “My goals for the fall are the same as they’ve al ways been, and that’s to be back at number one.” Feeley may be shooting for No. 1, but nobody is questioning his No. 2 status — yet. UO keeps taking right strides ■The Oregon women’s track and field team shows improvement at Saturday’s Oregon Invitational By Mirjam Swanson Oregon Daily Emerald As if the possibility of personal records and Pacific-10 Championship qualifying marks weren’t incentive enough for the members of the Oregon women’s track and field team Saturday, event winners also got to go home with nifty Oregon In vitational souvenirs. “We got the sweatshirts!” exclaimed sophomore sprinter Endia Abrante in jest after she anchored the Ducks’ 4x400 relay team’s meet-ending win in 3:45.34, yet an other personal best for the group. “We PR’d by two seconds, so what can you say? I looked up at the clock and I was just amazed. It’s a great way to end the track meet.” And a fitting way. The quartet of sopho more Jenny Kenyon, freshmen Eri Mac donald and Janette Martin and Abrante, or at least some combination of that core, have improved with each race this season. They ran a 3:48.20 at the Hayward Relays on April 8, a 3:47.14 at Mt. SAC on April 15, and then a 3:46.88 at the April 22 Washington Dual. On Saturday, Kenyon ran the first leg less than a 1/2 hour after finishing fifth the 200-meter dash. And when Oregon’s only heptathlete handed the baton to Mac donald, the Ducks were nearly even with Seat tle Pacific. Macdonald faded a bit down the back stretch, seemingly tired from her spectacular come-from-behind win less than an hour earlier. But then, exactly as she had in the 800, Macdonald rocketed off the final curve to put her team in the lead. Martin extended the advantage, and Abrante affirmed the fact. Turn to Women, page 12 Ducks stumble against UA ■The No. 17 Oregon softball saw its four-game conference winning streak broken after dropping two straight to No. 2 Arizona By Matt O'Neill Oregon Daily Emerald What started out as a promising week end tinned into a two-game losing streak for the No. 17 Oregon softball team. The Ducks (33-20 overall, 5-8 Pacific-10 Conference) opened the three-game set with a 1-0 win over No. 4 Arizona State, but then dropped the next two to No. 2 Ari zona 2-0 on Saturday, and 1-0 on Sunday. Despite the consecutive losses head coach Rick Gamez is pleased with where his team is at this point of the conference season. “I don’t think that anybody expected us to win or to be where we are [in the Pac-10 standings],” Gamez said. “We were picked to finish last in the conference and here we are in the thick of things.” Starting pitcher Connie McMurren held the Wildcats to five hits Sunday, but one of those hits was the winning one. McMurren gave up a home run to Allison Andrade in the top of the third inning for the game’s only run. Arizona also had another scoring oppor tunity in the seventh but was failed to score, thanks to a controversial call that negated a would-be run. With runners on first and third and none Hout, Lauren Bauer hit a dribbler down the first reached to tag Bauer wards home plate. The home-plate umpire called her out, but the runner from third crossed the plate, temporarily pushing the Wildcat lead to 2-0. After a discussion with the officials, Gamez protested and forced the umpiring Turn to Softball, page 20
