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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 2003)
Oregon reserves learn to wait their chance Three key Ducks - for this season and the future — sit on the sideline, watching and learning By Jesse Thomas Sports Reporter For the underclassmen on the Ore gon team, football has become a wait ing game. Players like redshirt freshman Chris Vincent, freshman lohnny DuRocher and sophomore Darius Sanders don't take the field for the first snap or first defensive play. They must learn from the veterans; from the stars that they one day wish to be. For the time being, they are learning and waiting. And for some, that is all right. "It's all up to the coach," Sanders said. "It's all about the team. If the coach doesn't feel 1 can produce, I'm just here. My job is to be ready when he calls my name, my number." Vincent has his No. 22 called more than most freshmen. At the start of the season, the running back position was done on a rotating basis. Three differ ent players started the first three games including Vincent, sophomore Ter rence Whitehead and junior Ryan Shaw. In Oregon's first game against Mis sissippi State, Vincent led the team with a seven-yard average per carry. In his starting debut against Arizona he lead the team with 80 rushing yards. But for the last four games, Vincent has played backup to Whitehead. After Whitehead's 172-yard rushing per formance against Stanford, that start ing spot looks like it may be claimed for good by Whitehead. "He played real good," Vincent said. "That was the best game of his career. He's the running back with the most experience out of all four of us. He un derstands the offense a little bit better. I learned the offense, but he knows it a step further." Vincent is the second-leading rush Adam Amato Photo Editor Johnny DuRocher (13) will play an integral part in Oregon's future, but for now the quarterback is spending the season on the sideline learning from Jason Fife and Kellen Clemens. er for Oregon. In his 55 rushes, he has carried the ball for 161 yards. "1 just feel I'm not playing to my potential," Vincent said. "Coaches have big expec tations of me. They put a lot of pres sure on me. I was averaging 70 yards a game against Mississippi State and got hurt. And I never really bounced back from that, and that took a lot out of me." Vincent understands that this is his chance to learn the offense in his first year. But learning means waiting, and waiting means not playing as much. "I didn't want it to be that way, but that's the way it ended up, and that's the way it usually ends up with college players," he said. Like Vincent, DuRocher knows he must wait. He is the key reserve behind sophomore Kellen Clemens and sen ior Jason Fife at the quarterback spot, but he doesn't think he will take a sin gle snap this season. He acknowledges that it is hard to sit on the bench, especially in situa tions where Clemens and Fife are hav ing rough games. That occurred in games against Washington State and Arizona State. It's hard "a little bit," DuRocher said. "But those two guys are playing for a reason. 'Ihey're better than me. I haven't beaten those two guys out yet. I have no reason to step in and say I need to be playing." Although it is difficult to warm the bench for some, especially when the starters don't produce, that has be come a reality. The only thing to do is work just as hard in practice as every one else and hope that chance comes. For Sanders, he has seen some play ing time. At the two defensive end po sitions, he is listed behind juniors Igor Olshansky and Chris Solomona at one end and senior Quinn Dorsey and sophomore Devan Long at the other. Sanders has played in four games this season, recording five total tackles, four of which are solo. All Sanders can do is play his heart out on the field when he gets the chance and hope to produce. He knows he must wait, and he respects how the system works. "I leave it up to the coach," he said. "I trust the coach. He's going to put the best players in." And so they wait. DuRocher must call plays from the sideline and not behind center. Sanders said he just needs experience and to work on technique. Vincent must continue to learn the offense and run again like he did against Ari zona and Mississippi State. One day, they hope, they will get their starting chance. Contact the sports reporter at jessethomas@daiiyemerald.com. 0146751 Specializing in the Care of German, Swedish ut Japanese Automobiles. 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I latlcHWfks proivrtyol lhcn tV'pcwtry eortpmik’s: I'ficcs suhjeii lo clianw Oregon Daily Emerald P.O. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 Game Day is published every Friday before UO football games by the staff of the Oregon Daily Emerald, the daily campus newspaper at the University of Oregon. It is distributed throughout the community, on campus, and at Autzen Stadium before home games. Game Day has been produced the past 12 years, and it is the original, highest quality publication serving Duck fans everywhere. ©2003 Oreoon Daily Emerald NEWSROOM — (541)346-5511 Editor in chief: Brad Schmidt Managing editor: Jan Tobias Montry Sports editor: Hank Hager Senior sports reporter: Mindi Rice Sports reporters: Jon Roetman, Jesse Thomas Design editor: Adelle Lennox Senior designer: Sean Hanson Designers: Kimberly Premore, Kari Pinkerton Photo editor: Adam Amato Senior photographer: Danielle Hickey Photographer: Lauren Wimer Part-time photographers: Tim Bobosky. Mark McCambridge Copy chiefs: Kim Chapman, Jennifer Sudick Copy editors: Gabrielle Barber, Rebekah Hearn, Ben Pepper, Brandi Smith, MacKensey Thompson Online editor: Erik Bishoff Webmaster: Eric Layton BUSINESS — 346-5512 General manager: Judy Riedl Business manager: Kathy Carbone ADVERTISING — DISPLAY 346-3712 Director: Melissa Gust Sales manager: Michelle Chan Sales representatives: Tim Bott, Army Feth, Patrick Gilligan, Megan Hamlin Kim Humphries, Alex Hurliman, Tyler Mack, Shannon Rogers, Dan Sawaya Katherine Vague PRODUCTION — 346-4381 Manager: Michele Ross Production coordinator: Tara Sloan Designers: Jen Cramlett, Kristen Dicharry, Matt Graff, Andy Holland, Marissa Jones, Jonah Schrogin
