Adam Amato Photo Editor
Senior Jason Fife has taken over the backup role at quarterback after starting his junior year. Fife has passed for 627 yards this season.
No. 1 or No. 2?
The Ducks expect their
quarterback rotation to work
again despite recent flaws
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
They knew entering the season
that there wasn't going to be a dear
cut answer.
But there's no way that senior Jason
Fife or sophomore Kellen Clemens
could have imagined the quarterback
rotation would last this long. Or that
it would take a roller coaster-type
course throughout the season.
"The rotation started off great for
us, and then it kind of died off, so I
don't know what the coaches are ex
pecting," Fife said earlier this week.
"Kellen and 1 are both expecting to
play like we always have. We're just
going to prepare ourselves this week."
As Fife said, the rotation is going to
continue when Stanford visits Autzen
Stadium on Saturday.
Both have said recently — and in
the past — that they would ultimate
ly prefer to be the full-time quarter
back. Clemens has started all seven
games this season and received the
bulk of the playing time through the
first four games.
Fife has come on more regularly
during the team's three-game losing
streak, although neither quarterback
has played well during that span.
In the four losses, the duo has com
bined for 10 interceptions. Seven of
those came at the hands of Washing
ton State when the Cougars beat up
on the Ducks, 55-16.
"The Washington State game, we
had some poor luck," Clemens said
of the Ducks. "The Utah game, we
didn't execute. Arizona State played
well, and I made some bad decisions,
personally, that hurt us early."
Both were politically correct this week
in giving ultimate control to head coach
Mike Bellotti and his staff as to whether
the rotation would continue. Bellotti
said it would, although not all the par
ticulais will be set until game time.
"I don't see any immediate change
in the rotation," Bellotti said. "1 think
the rotation is a function of their per
formance and game plan."
Bellotti had planned to go to a sin
gle-quarterback system before the 59
14 loss to Arizona State on Oct. 18.
Clemens started the game, but his first
pass was picked off and returned for a
50-yard touchdown by Jamar Williams.
Chris McKenzie got his hands on
Clemens' next throw, which led to an
other Arizona State touchdown.
Fife came in for Clemens at that
point, but didn't complete a pass until
the waning moments of the first half.
For the game, the two combined to
pa: s for 127 yards on nine comple
tions in 26 attempts.
"We've just got to get back on top of
things and get everything moving in
the right direction," wide receiver
Demetrius Williams said. "Both of
them have their times when they
Turn to QBs, page 6B
Oregon defense susceptible,
but on the cusp of big plays
The Ducks’ defense has
been successful against
the run, but has been
burned by the pass
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
If only the forward pass had not
been introduced to the game of
football.
Entering Oregon's game Saturday
against Stanford, the Ducks' defense
is looking for a strong showing after
allowing more than 50 points in two
of its last three outings.
The defense has been solid against
the run, allowing 83 yards per game,
the third lowest total in the Pacific-10
Conference. But when opponents
have gone to the air, the Ducks have
been vulnerable. Oregon is last in the
conference in pass defense, allowing
289.7 yards per game.
While pundits have been quick to
point fingers at defensive backs for
the defense's shortcomings, Oregon
secondary coach John Neal said it's
not entirely on their shoulders to stop
an opponent's passing game.
"It's not four guys that have to
stop all the situations when the
ball's in the air," Neal said. "It's a bit
of a team concept."
Defensive coordinator Nick Aliot
ti's system calls for eight or some
times nine men in the box to shut
down the run. The scheme was
praised when Oregon held Col
orado to 49 yards rushing in the
2002 Fiesta Bowl. But over the past
two seasons, Oregon opponents
have gone to the air and lit up the
Ducks like a firecracker.
Senior cornerback Steven Moore
said the scheme isn't the problem, in
stead citing a lack of big plays.
"You want to stop the run first, and
that's part of the scheme," Moore said.
"When you have two people back
there by themselves, big plays happen
sometimes. I don't blame that on the
scheme, we just have to make plays
when plays come our way."
The defense has failed to make the
necessary plays of late. Two weeks
ago, Arizona State quarterback An
drew Walter torched the Ducks for
316 yards and three touchdowns. Two
weeks prior to that, Washington State
quarterback Matt Kegel threw for 242
yards and three touchdowns.
Neal said statistics and rankings
won't be an issue for the Ducks if
they start making the necessary ad
justments.
"Maybe we can change some of
those stats," Neal said. "Right now the
orily stat we're worried about is win
ning. If we can win, stats aren't impor
tant. You only worry about stats when
you lose and you start studying them
and wondering."
Instead of focusing on the negative,
defensive players like tackle Igor Ol
shansky are trying to stay positive. Ol
shansky said everyone is doing their
job in stopping the run. Now, he and
the rest of the defensive line needs to
help the secondary by getting more
pressure on the quarterback.
"It's always our job to get to the
quarterback," Olshansky said. "If we
Turn to DEFENSE, page7B
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