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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2002)
Game Day The (little) big box of football Tasty morsel No. 1 Four meetings between Oregon and Fresno State have been decided by a total of 19 points. Rank me Oregon and Fresno State in the 2002 national rankings. Scoring offense Oregon...38 Fresno State...80 Scoring defense Oregon....30 Fresno State...43 Turnover margin Oregon..11 Fresno State...69 Tasty morsel No. 2 Aaron Gipson, who solidified one of Oregon's two starting cornerback positions last week, is the first true freshman to start for the Ducks in five years. The Alta Loma, Calif., native hasn't even taken a college class yet, but he will start for the Ducks on Saturday. Another Bulldog comes to town Fresno State has gone from a title contender to a bowl has-been in less than a year, but the Bulldogs remain dangerous Adam Jude Senior Sports Reporter Oh, how quickly things have changed for Fresno State. Gone is quarterback David Carr, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NFL draft. Gone is offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who now quacks plays for the Ducks. Gone, too, is any realistic hope of a trip to a Bowl Championship Series game in January. A year ago, after the Bulldogs up set Colorado, Oregon State and Wis consin to start the 2001 campaign, the national buzz featured a rosy bowl season for Fresno State, which was ranked as high as No. 8. Those whispers soon dissipated when the Bulldogs ended the regular season second in the Western Athletic Con ference and wound up in the Silicon Valley Football Classic, which they lost to Michigan State. Those late-season woes have con tinued this season. Fresno State (1 1 overall) lost its opener Aug. 23 at Wisconsin, 23-21, and needed a last second field goal block to pull off a 16-14 win over lowly San Diego State last week. “We will have to play better and get better to beat Oregon next week,” Fresno State head coach Pat Hill said. To make things worse, Fresno Justin Case Conder Fresno State Media Services Fresno State safety Bryce McGill finished second on the team with 95 tackles last season, and now he leads a quick Bulldog defense. State is coping with injuries to three key players. Star receiver Bernard Berrian, who led the nation last year with 2,776 all-purpose yards, and starting quarterback Jeff Grady both went down against Wisconsin. Both are questionable for this Saturday’s game against the 13th-ranked Ducks (1-0 overall). Fresno State’s best de fensive back, Kendall Edwards, suf fered a season-ending knee injury last weekend. Redshirt freshman Paul Pinegar played well in Grady’s absence, com pleting 21-of-35 passes for 196 yards, one touchdown and no inter ceptions against San Diego State. “I was definitely ready,” Pinegar said of his first career start. “I knew it would happen sometime because of the way Grady and I have battled back and forth.” The running game does not pro vide much relief for the Bulldogs. Hill announced this week that Rodney Davis, a 5-foot-8, 210-pound junior, has replaced Matt Rivera as the start ing tailback. “We’re still looking for answers,” Hill said Monday. “We’re still looking for the right combination, and that’s Turn to Fresno State, page 8 X&YWT 1 G W JGu JLj La O FARGO GET 50% OFF PLANE TICKETS. MAKE A FRIEND PAY HALF. By the way, your friend gets to go too. Get a free airline companion ticket* with die purchase of a full fare ticket when you sign up for the Wells Fargo Student Combo Package. The Wells Fargo Student Combo* Package; Free Student Checking Free Wells Fargo* ATM & Check Card Free Online Account Access Free Student Visa* card** tar .details Offer good wfdfe ♦ Putzhm: m mftm tKkm #t6kK*h**vuam4 same f%ht feefeet stm ** Ct*d«f £^<feHN«*i fey ¥§j$i Varga 8a«k Nevada. N.A. and n *«!#< t so ««» % 2002 Weifc.l^o .8*r»k$. JUf.rtgMs reamed, M«mS»sf»C.
