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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 2002)
Sports Editor Peter Hockaday peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com Friday, September 13,2002 -Oregon Daily Emerald Game Day Best bet Washington St. at Ohio St. 12:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC The big box of football Tasty morsel No. I The Ducks have lost to Idaho only three times in 57 meetings between the teams. Oregon's series with Idaho is the Ducks’ longest-running series with a non-conference opponent. Morse! No. 2 With Oregon’s nailbiting win over Fresno State Saturday, head coach Mike Beliotti has now won 31 of 40 games decided by a touchdown or less since joining the Ducks. Oregon is 15-2 in home games during that streak, and has won 11 of the last 12 overall. Trivia Bowl Oregon has the longest current winning streak in the Pac-10 conference. How long is it? Answer at bottom of box. Rank me Oregon and Idaho in the 2002 national rankings Rushing offense Oregon.57 Idaho....103 Passing offense Oregon.21 Idaho.37 Scoring offense Oregon.45 Idaho.95 Rushing defense Oregon.16 Idaho.108 Passing defense Oregon...61 Idaho.105 Scoring defense Oregon.42 Idaho.112 Net punting Idaho.33 Oregon....105 | Morsel No. 3 Th )ucks have five players on the curr-Mt two-deep that star*; their Oregon career as walk-ons, lauding wide receiver Jason Willis and center Dan Weaver. Trivia answer Oregon’s streak is seven games. When in doubt, mix football with golf Football is just like golf. Sure it is. Think about it. Actually it’s not, really. Not at all. But I’ve written so much about football recently that I just want to write about something else. So, golf it is. I guess there are some similarities. Both sports involve lots of betting, ex cept one is while you’re playing and the other is while you’re watch ing. Both re quire the use of arms. OK, they re ally aren’t simi lar. Maybe they should be simi lar. In the glori ous tradition of Slamball — which combines the sports of bas ketball and trampoline — and Baseketball, the subject of an epic motion picture, I think I’ll start a new crossover sport. Gan you imagine football with wa ter hazards? It would make play-by play man Jerry Allen’s job a whole lot more fun. “There goes Onterrio off tackle on the right side and... o/i! He hit that pond on the four yard-line in mid stride! That... had... to... hurt. He’ll have to take a drop on that one.” Of course, we’ve all dreamt of full contact golf. This is where Jim Nantz and his “golf voice” comes into play. “Tiger steps up to his putt, a little downhill slider, four feet from the Turn to Hockaday, page 10 Peter Hockaday Two minutes for crosschecking Courtesy Idaho Media Services Wide receiver Josh Jelmberg (12) has been one of the few Idaho bright spots this year. Jelmberg averages 10 receptions per game. Vandalizing college ball Idaho hasn't done much this season to turn around predictions that they will finish last in Division I Hank Hager Sports Reporter You know things are bad when vou’re chosen to finish dead last in the NCAA. That’s where Sports Illustrated chose Idaho to finish, 117th out of 117 teams, in its college football pre view earlier this year. That’s worse even than Duke, which finally pulled itself out of a three-year losing streak with a victory to start its 2002 cam paign. With a 38-21 loss to Boise State to start the season and a 49-14 drub bing at the hands of No. 11 Washing ton State last week, the Vandals are in a position to prove their early-sea son ranking correct. After Oregon, Idaho travels to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs, then travels up to Washington again for a game against the Huskies. It’s going to be a tough year for head coach Tom Gable and the Vandals. “I have not lost any faith, and I don’t have any negative thoughts about this particular football team,” Gable said. “I think these guys are going to be pretty good. We just have to find a way to get through this talent we’re playing as opponents right now.” There is talent, as senior Josh Jelmberg has proven. The receiver is fourth in the nation in receptions with an average of 10 per game, two behind the nation’s leader, Kevin Walter of Eastern Michigan. Getting the ball to Jelmberg and heading up the Vandal offense is jun ior Brian Lindgren, the NCAA’s all time leader in total yardage in a sin gle game after racking up 639 yards in the air and another 20 against Middle Tennessee last season. This year, he has been vulnerable with a sluggish offense but has managed to throw four touchdowns — two to Jelmberg. However, Lindgren’s three interceptions in two games have been his undoing. “There is some improvement with our team, which I’m excited about, but we have to play with a level of consistency that I think we’re well aware of,” Gable said. “I don’t know that we have to play perfect, but we have to play pretty close. That’s the issue. There’s no other way to cut it.” Where the Ducks trot out junior running back Onterrio Smith, a pos sible 2002 Heisman Trophy candi date, the Vandals will be sorely at a disadvantage against Oregon in the running game. The Ducks’ defensive line, a group that Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti has called one of the better lines in school history, should not be challenged by Idaho’s Zach Gerstner. The junior from Ganby leads the Vandal rushing attack with 133 Turn to Vandals, page 6 Adam Jones Emerald Keenan Howry (15) looks on as a play unravels around him. Howry has caught only three passes this season, and Jason Fife attributes the drought to opposing defenses. Howry’s hands see little action in 2002 Jason Fife says it’s been hard to get Keenan Howry the ball with opposing defenses stacked against him Adam Jude Senior Sports Reporter Sometimes you can be too good for your own good. Keenan Howry is learning all about that this sea son. Through two games the senior wide receiver has amassed just three catches for 18 yards — not the kind of numbers you’d expect from one of the best receivers in school history. Opposing defenses have stacked themselves against Howry, the latest Oregon football star to have a building-sized bill board in New York. Despite his limited touches, Howry has extended his reception streak to 37 games. Last season, Howry grabbed 52 receptions for 682 yards and nine touchdowns. He needs 27 more catches, 813 yards and six touch downs to become Oregon’s all-time leading receiver in each category. If the first two games are any in dication, though, Howry will fall short of the records. On the other side of the field, junior Sarnie Parker has been get ting all of the attention, particular ly from quarterback Jason Fife. Parker tied a career high with nine catches against Fresno State last week, including a 70-yard touch down reception. Fife said defenses are more weary of Howry, and that has opened up the field for other play makers. “We are aware that Keenan needs to get the ball more,” Fife said. “We just need to make some adjust ments to make sure we’re on the same page. It won’t be a problem.” Against Fresno State, Fife said there were set plays called for Howry, but for various reasons, the plays weren’t executed. Turn to Howry, page 15
