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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2000)
An to ASADENA A sullied reputaion as the Pathetic-1 O’ Conference hasn’t kept the teams of the Pac-10from being bowl-game contenders By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald Aretha Franklin’s voice is echoing throughout the Pacific-10 Confer ence this year. “All I’m asking is for a little re spect... just a little bit... baby... “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me. ” Obviously, the 1999 season started out disastrous for the league and end ed worse with only one of the five Pac 10 bowl teams coming away with a win — Oregon’s Sun Bowl victory over Minnesota. In fact, it was the Pac 10’s worst season in 17 years. This year we’ve already seen the Pac 10 teams go up against some big-time programs such as Michigan, Wiscon sin, Alabama, Texas and Penn State. Now we get to see what they can do against each other. One of the best parts of the Pac-10 has always been its unpredictably, so expect the unexpected in the en suing months. And as for respect? Non-confe fence wins are nice. But bowl games taste so much sweeter. l.USC TROJANS Last year: 6-6, 3-5 Pac-10, tied for sixth Head coach: Paul Hackett, third fyear Returning starters: 14 (6 offense, 8 de ll fense) Player to watch: TB W Sultan McCullough Outlook: The USC athletic department was maybe sending the 2000 Trojans a message when it made up its football ency clopedia, er, media guide. Maybe the thinking was that by producing a 370 page history lesson, the Trojans will realize that excellence is ex pected in this program and that a season without a bowl game (such as last year) is not acceptable. In any regards, it seems this year’s team is up to the challenge. Obvious ly the key will be how sophomore quarterback Carson Palmer responds to a full season after missing most of last season due to former Oregon rover Michael Fletcher — who crunched Palmer last fall at Autzen Stadium and broke his collarbone. The defense is the best in the Pac 10 and a big reason why are Butkus Award Candidates Markus Steele and Zeke Moreno. It appeared as though the Trojans’ season opening 29-5 win over Penn State on Aug. 29 meant something, but then the next week the Nittanv Lions fell on its face at home, losing to Tole do 24-6. So the jury may still be out. Still, expect Palmer to show off his NFL-esque skills and lead USC to its first Rose Bowl win since its 41-32 victory over Northwestern in 1996. 2. OREGON DUCKS Last season: 9-3, 6-2 Pac-10, tied Outlook: ESPN says that Oregon could be last year’s Stanford. Oregon doesn’t mind being com pared to the Cardinal as long as it means the Ducks get to play in Pasadena on Jan. 1,2001. But in order for the Ducks to even begin thinking about such rosy dreams, they must start the Pac-10 season strong. The schedule makers weren’t exactly kind to Oregon as it must face three of the Pac-lO’s best in its first three games. Luckily for the Ducks, UCLA and Washington must come to Autzen Stadium, but then the Ducks will flock to Los Angeles to face the Tro jans in the Coliseum. Oregon must win at least two of those games to stay in the race, and be sure to close out its season with three wins — at Wash ington State, home against California and at Oregon State for the Civil War. The biggest question mark for the for second Head coach: Mike Bellotti, sixth year Returning starters: 9 (5 offense, 4 defense) Player to watch: TB Maurice Morris Ducks was answered emphatically in their season-opening 36-7 whooping over Nevada — their defense. Grant ed, the Wolfpack aren’t exactly a Pac 10 offense, but holding an opponent to only 103 total offensive yards is im pressive. Not to mention that Nevada finished with -3 rushing yards. If the defense, anchored by sen iors Matt Smith at linebacker and Saul Patu at defensive end, can con tinue to step up, the Ducks should once again be bowling under the na tion’s bright lights. Look for them to be in San Diego, Calif., on Dec. 29 for the Holiday Bowl. 3. WASHINGTON HUSKIES Last season: 7-5, 6-2 Pac-10, tied for second Head coach: Rick Neuheisal, sec ond year Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense) Player to watch: QB Marques Tu iasosopo Outlook: The first year is over. Now the real work begins for head coach Rick Neuheisal. Husky fans were accepting of the 7-5 mark and the close loss to Kansas State last season in the Holiday Bowl. But this year, especially with all of the pre season hype, a record of just 7-5 is not going to get it done. What is expected of this team is its first Rose Bowl berth since the 1993 season, nothing less. The Huskies do have as good a shot as any to get there with some key returnees and one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Tuiasosopo. But some weaknesses that could prevent such success are a thin defensive line, a lack of a deep threat at the wide re ceiver position and a shortage of depth behind Tuiasosopo. Neuheisal makes no secret about his love for his starting quarterback, even saying last year that Tuia sosopo is the type of person he wished his daughter would bring home some day. But some fear that Neuheisal’s aggressive style of using Tuiasosopo in the option could get his quarterback injured. The senior is coming off a season in which he ranked 10th in the Pac-10 in rushing with 541 yards and six touchdowns. And in the first game of the sea son, Tuiasosopo' went at it again with 15 carries due to the lack of production in the backfield. Wash ington starting running back Paul Arnold must be a consistent threat and help keep his quarterback away from opposing defenses’ tackles. Be cause if Tuiasosopo goes down, so do the Huskies in the Pac-10. 4. UCLA BRUINS Last season: 4-7, 2-6 in Pac-10, ninth Head coach: Bob Toledo, fifth year Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense) Player to watch: RB DeShaun Foster Outlook: No team best illustrated the 1999 demise of the Pac-10 better than the UCLA Bruins. After back to-back 10-2 sea sons in ‘97-’98, the Bruins finished an embarrassing 2-6 in league play. “The camaraderie was bad and the chemistry was horrible because of that,” head coach Bob Toledo said. “There were no leaders.” The Bruins were eager to erase the memory of last year, and did so, with a convincing 35-24 win over Turn to Pac-10, page 15E Officiate Fall Term. Officiate intramual volleyball, flag football, and indoor soccer. First meeting is Wed. Sept. 27 at 6:00pm in the Ulrich Room (Rm 63) in the Student Recreation Center. Fall Term 2000 League Manager Meetings Location Time Rag Football Oct. 2 "SRC Multipurpose 4 4:00p.m. Indoor Soccer Oct. 9 *SRC Ulrich Room 4:00p.m. Volleyball Oct. 10 *SRC Ulrich Room 4:00p.m. 3-on-3 Basketball Oct. 18 *SRC Ulrich Room 4:00p.m. Cross Country Meet Nov. 1 Pioneer Cemetery 3:30p.m. Leagi Playoff Meetings Location Time Rag Football Oct. 26 *SRC Multipurpose 4 4:00p.m. Volleyball Nov. 1 *SRC Ulrich Room 5:00p.m. Indoor Soccer Nov. 2 *SRC Ulrich Room 4:00p.m. 3-on-3 Basketball Conducted via e-mail One-Day EventsDeadline Dates Location Football Scramble Oct. 2, 5p.m. Oct. 3-4, 4-6P.M. Grass IM Field Indoor Soccer Scramble Oct. 9, 5p.m. Volleyball Scramble Oct. 10, 5p.m. Cross Country Meet Oct. 31, 5P.M. Raquetball Tournament Nov. 2, 5p.m. Oct. 10-11, 7-9P.M. *SRC Courts 4 & 5 Oct. 12, 7-9P.M. Nov. 1, 3:30p.m. B54 Gerling. Annex Pioneer Cemetery Nov. 4, 11a.m. Raquetball Courts Special Events Deadline Dates Location 18-Hole Golf Scramble Oct. 6 Oct. 15 Diamond Woods Fall Tennis Classic Oct. 24, 5p.m. Oct. 27-29 Fitness Week Covered Courts Oct. 30-Nov. 3 Oct. 30-Nov. 3 *SRC For more information, stop by 102 Esslinger Hall or call 346-4113. 'Student Recreation Center Visit our Web site: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pars/ An equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations for people with disabilities will be provided if rcijuested in advance. 007136 IS □ AN ATHLETIC ALTERNATIVE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF Bridge the gap between intramurals and intercollegiate sports. We offer participation and competition in a variety of sports-plus, you can represent the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON as one of our athletes! CLUBS OFFERED INCLUDE: AIKIDO • ARCHERY • BASEBALL • BADMINTON • BOWLING* CREW* CYCLING • DANCE • EQUESTRIAN • FENCING • FOOTBAG • ICE HOCKEY • JUGGLING* KARATE • LACROSSE • RUNNING • RANGER CHALLENGE • RUGBY • SAILING SCUBA • SKIING • SKYDIVING • SNOWBOARDING • SOCCER • SURFING • TABLE TENNIS • TAE KWON DO • TRIATHLON • ULTIMATE FRISBEE • VOLLEYBALL* WATERPOLO • WUSHU % IN THE EMU BFtEEZEWAY ••OPEN HOUSE** EMU Fir Room « Thursday, September 28 * 6-7:30p.m.
