High-octane offenses meet
A high-flying offensive
show is on the docket
Saturday when Colorado
and Texas Tech do battle
By Will Shaniey
Colorado Daily (U-WIRE)
BOULDER, Colo. — If watching a
defensive struggle on any given Sat
urday tickles your football funny
bone, then be advised: Stay clear of
Lubbock, Texas, this weekend.
The reason: when Colorado and
Texas Tech hook up Saturday, the
game will feature two of the top 15
passing offenses in the country, and
it will also feature two of the bottom
five passing defenses in die country.
It doesn't take a madiematician to
know that combination adds up to
points, and plenty of them.
"Of course you get excited when
you see numbers and you see teams
put up points versus a defense," said
CU quarterback Joel Klatt of the Tech
defense. "Because you know if you
execute you're going to be able to
move the football. We have to sustain
drives and not give Texas Tech a short
field because they'll convert those.
Those are our goals this week."
What's an even bigger priority for
CU? A win. The Buffs (3-5, 1-3 Big
12) are in fifth place in the Big 12
North and must win thr£e of their fi
nal four games to achieve bowl eligi
bility. Thus, losing to the Red Raiders
(5-3, 2-2 Big 12) would bring CU's
margin of error to nil.
Accomplishing that is no easy task.
Under the leadership of head coach
Mike Leach, Texas Tech has emerged
as a passing juggernaut, finishing in
the top five nationally in that catego
ry a year ago. This season, the Red
Raiders have replaced quarterback
Kliff Kingsbury, the school's all-time
leading passer, with the potent arm
of B.J. Symons, the nation's leader in
total offense (501 yards per game).
Those numbers could spell doom
for a CU defense ranked No. 115 in
pass defense (303 yards per game)
and No. 116 in scoring defense (39
points per game). But then again,
everyone thought Oklahoma would
hang 50 points on ClI in the first half
last week, and the Buffs' defense re
sponded with a solid game and man
aged to hold OU to 34.
Copyright ©2003 Colorado Daily via
U-Wire
WASHINGTON
continued from page 3B
thrown for 2,187 yards and 11 touch
downs in 2003, including 274 yards
against the Trojans on Saturday.
The Huskies could also use anoth
ej big game from senior running
back Rich Alexis, who amassed 122
yards and two touchdowns against
the Ducks last November. He is aver
aging more than four yards per carry
in 2003, with 566 yards and four
touchdowns on 138 attempts.
Defensively, Washington is led by
senior linebacker Marquis Cooper,
who has 60 tackles. Senior tackle Ter
w
ry Johnson has a team-high eight
sacks, while junior cornerback Der
rick Johnson leads the team with
four interceptions.
The defense will need to step up
against the run as Oregon is second
in the conference with 151 rushing
yards per game. Defensive linemen
Manase Hopoi, Jerome Stevens,
Donny Mateaki and Johnson have
been struggling of late, allowing 121
yards per game, which ranks seventh
in the Pac-10. After Terrence White
head ripped off 172 yards and two
touchdowns against Stanford, this
will be an area of concern.
Washington will also have to
match Oregon's intensity, as the
Ducks enter Husky Stadium ticked
off from last year's extended on-field
celebration by the Huskies. Gilbert
son said there's nothing he can do
about it as this point, while remind
ing others that he was not the head
coach at the time of the celebration.
"You guys know how I am,"
Gilbertson said. "I certainly can't
control how (Oregon head coach)
Mike (Bellotti) or anybody talks to
his team about it. It wasn't in my
lane last year in any fashion. I cer
tainly can't go back and change it."
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
Jasmine
Adam Amato Photo Editor
Wide receiver Reggie Williams (1) has caught 58 passes for 776 yards and seven touchdowns with the Huskies this season.
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continued from page 2B
talented in USC last week.
"Well, all the teams basically
have decided to put someone in
(Williams') face, disrupt the route
early and have a safety over the
top," Oregon head coach Mike Bel
lotti said earlier this week. "Obvi
ously, that allowed Charles Freder
ick, when Oregon State tried to do
it, to go off in a big way. We ll see
what we can do with it given our
personnel. 1 think the biggest thing
is try to get the best personnel
matchups that you can and try to
mix pressure with coverage."
The Ducks are likely to lose ar
guably their best cover comer in
Steven Moore, who suffered a knee
injury in Oregon's 35-0 win over
Stanford last week.
That leaves a Fight at the corner
positions, although Justin Phinisee
and Rodney Woods are most likely
the duo to Fill the spots.
What becomes important now is
who backs up the two. Junior
Charles Favroth is the only player
listed on Oregon's two-deep this
week who Fills that hole.
"Phinisee and Woods (will start),
and (Marques) Binns, (Aaron) Gib
son and Favroth will backup," sec
ondary coach John Neal said.
"We're down a guy, but we've got
two guys that have started a lot of
games here this season. So, I'm not
overly concerned about it.*
The problem with the Oregon
corners matching up against
Williams is size. Ihe junior stands
6-foot-4-inches. Oregon is notori
ous for a lack of size in the second
ary — something that Williams
knows he can toy with.
That size has helped Williams
become one of the best in the na
tion. He is the Terrell Owens of col
lege football, able to muscle cor
ners to the ball, and if needed,
jump over them with ease.
That's where the possibility of
double-teaming comes into play,
yet again.
"Reggie Williams requires double
coverage," Bellotti said. "He de
mands double coverage. That part,
we're going to have to figure out.
Without our best corner, it's obvi
ously a greater challenge."
Williams will come out Saturday
and establish a presence, whether
that's by his physical nature or his
speed or both. 1 le will demand at
tention from the Ducks. I le will de
mand attention from the fans in
the stands. He will demand atten
tion from the TBS Superstation
broadcasters.
I le will be the key that will open
doors tor the Washington offense.
All the Ducks have to do is change
the lock. It'll be interesting to see if
they can do it.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
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