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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2002)
Fresno Slate vs. No. 13 Oregon . Ducks diving on metrius liams and Ducks face lldogs again, time it’s more dangerous state version Peter Hockaday Sports Editor Last week, the Oregon football team learned how to walk. This week, it will have to avoid tripping. The Ducks, full of questions heading into the 2002 season, an swered many in a 36-13 romp of Mississippi State in Week 1. On Saturday they face a team, Fresno State, that will raise questions all over again. Like, how did Oregon need two overtimes to beat Fresno State in two previous meetings? How did Fresno beat teams like Wisconsin, Colorado and Oregon State as re cently as last year? The answer to the second ques tion could be as easy as David C A-R-R. The former Bulldog quar terback was drafted by the Houston Texans with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft and was a big factor in Fresno State’s giant-killing wins last season. For the answer to the first ques tion, just ask Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti. “I reminded our team that, yeah, the last two games with Fresno State have gone to two overtimes, and we were fortunate to win those games,” Bellotti said. “They are willing and capable of going anywhere in the nation, playing on the road and playing well enough to beat anybody, as they did last year.” The last time Oregon and Fres no State met was in 1997, when the Bulldogs came to Eugene and lost an overtime game 43-40. That was a year after the Ducks’ trip to Fresno, where Oregon barely pulled out a 30-27 overtime win. “The last couple of times we’ve played them, they’ve been close,” Oregon free safety Keith Lewis said. “But I wasn’t here then, and this is a different type of team.” The Ducks are a very different team, indeed. They’ve got differ ent uniforms, an (almost) differ ent stadium, a different quarter back and a different offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig, who had a Bulldog logo on his hat last season. But despite those differ ences, don’t be surprised if it’s the same type of football game when Oregon and Fresno State meet up again Saturday. “They’re a very good football program, and athletically, they have a lot of speed,” Bellotti said. “Watching on film, it’s like watch ing a whole different game when they got on Wisconsin’s Astroturf Turn to Diving, page 5 KICKOFF AT 12:30 P.M. ■ AUTZEN STADIUM ■ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2002 ■ TV: FOX SPORTS Wrighster now George Wrighster broke out for two touchdowns last week, and nobody's seen the last of the tight end. Page 3 Carr-ied into the NFL David Carr and Joey Harrington were both top draft picks, now their college teams need to replace them. Page 4
