Dan Brunell Emerald
Junior Zack Freiter (54) will fill in for the injured Jason Nikolao (98) at defensive end for at least two games. Freiter has 13 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the five games he’s played this season.
Ducks survive injuries, look to bounce back
■A rash of injuries has the
Pac-10's top-ranked defense
down but far from out
By Robbie McCallum
Oregon Daily Emerald
Flu season is upon us, but the
Oregon football team just got hit by
a different sort of bug — the injury
bug.
After skating by for most of the
season without any major injuries,
luck caught up with the Ducks.
Oregon marched into Arizona
State with only eight injuries to re
port. Following their epic 56-55
win against the Sun Devils, the
Ducks limped out of Tempe with a
ballooning injury list.
The Ducks will be well-rested
but not 100 percent when they
travel to Pullman, Wash., for a 2
p.m. matchup with Washington
State.
“Everybody is day-to-day,” Ore
gon head coach Mike Bellotti said.
“It's mostly bumps and bruises,
nothing that at this point would
rule anybody out for [the Washing
ton State] game.”
“We’ve spent a lot of time in the
treatment center this week,” junior
cornerback Rashad Bauman said.
“We just have to make sure we’re
healthy and get things done
against Wazzu.”
The defense took the biggest hit
in the game. The most serious in
jury occurred when senior defen
sive end Jason Nikolao tore the
medial collateral ligament in his
right knee early in the first quarter.
The injury is expected to sideline
Nikolao for two to six weeks. Niko
lao is one of Oregon’s best defend
ers when it comes to the run.
Filling in for Nikolao is junior
Zack Freiter, who has 13 tackles,
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two sacks and a forced fumble in
five games this season.
“The loss of [Nikolao’s] presence
hurts,” defensive tackle Saul Patu
said. “Obviously he’s been a good
player for us, but I think Freiter
will do a good job. I don’t think
we’ll fall off too much.”
“[Freiter] has been playing more
and more each game and doing a
good job,” Bellotti said. “His game
shape is improving dramatically.”
Patu also got banged up last
week. The four-year starter
strained his right knee and is prob
able for Saturday’s game.
“I might not be full strength or
be able to play a complete game
but I’ll be able to contribute and
put in 100 percent,” Patu said.
A battered Duck secondary will
have its hands full with the confer
ence’s No. 1 quarterback in Jason
Gesser. Bauman dislocated his
shoulder checking wide receiver
Richard Williams in the fourth
quarter against Arizona State. Bel
lotti expects Bauman to be ready to
play at Washington State.
Fellow cornerback Jermaine
Handspard survived the game in
jury-free until the final play of the
game, when he took a helmet to
the leg. The senior is questionable
for Saturday’s game.
In response to high casualty list,
head coach Mike Bellotti held a
light, 40 minute practice on Mon
day.
Other defensive injuries include
safety Ryan Mitchell (sore ankle)
and linebacker Garret Sabol
(swelling in his calf and right
knee).
“I think despite the defensive in
juries we'll be able to come back
all right,” Patu said. “We’re deep...
Guys will have to step it up, but
our depth helps out a lot.”
Oregon’s second string filled in
nicely for injured Ducks against
Arizona State. Sophomore tailback
Allan Amundson gained 41 yards
and the winning touchdown while
substituting for injured Maurice
Morris. Freiter also made key de
fensive plays in the second half,
including a sack of Arizona State’s
Jeff Krohn in the fourth quarter.
Although the Oregon defense has
been roughed up, the offense re
mained mostly unscathed. Duck
fans did get a big scare when stand
out Morris had to sit out the second
half of the Arizona State game with
{ ( Everybody is day-to
day. It's mostly bumps and
bruises, nothing that at
this point would rule
anybody out for [the
Washington State] game.
MikeBellotti
Oregon head coach j 1
bruised ribs. Morris is expected to
play Saturday.
Morris’ injury is similar to the one
suffered by Oregon star Reuben
Droughns last season, but Droughns
also had torn cartilage. Droughns
missed two games and had to wear a
padded vest when he did come
back.
“It can be tough, and we don't
know the extent of this one," Bellotti
said. “It's a different spot than be
fore. It can be difficult for a running
back, no question.”
If there were any good time for a
rash of injuries to hit the Ducks,
now is that time. With two games
against conference cellar-dwellers
Washington State and California
and two weeks before the regular
season finale against Oregon State,
the Ducks have plenty of time to
prepare and heal.