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