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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2003)
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Kendall Chevrolet 2020 Franklin Blvd., Eugene • 465-3588 • Open Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 ‘Where old mends make new ones. ” sP°rting event on”™ foot Prr% i ^ Otlf r°hctiQn tv a Located on 7th and Willamette 683-5160 All-Vao-Ca»-Eat Wanet Spadab Available 5pm-10pm, Sun.-Thurs. Under 21 welcome until 10pm Oregon Daily Emerald GAME DAY Friday, November 7, 2003 Sports Editor: Hank Hager Adam Amato Photo Editor Oregon’s defense will look for similar success against Cal's Aaron Rodgers as they did in the first half against Washington. Ducks, Bears ready for fight under night's lights at Autzen Oregon's regular season woes have the Ducks hoping for success against the visiting Golden Bears By Mindi Rice Senior Sports Reporter The Ducks are trying to get back on track. They're moving along with an al most "business as usual" feel, accord ing to their head coach, while coming off a conference loss is something Oregon is a little more accustomed to this season. "(This week is) hard focus, contend to the end and finish things," Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said Tues day. "We'll work very hard in practice with a positive attitude about what we can do this week." Heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game against California, the Ducks are coming off more than just a con ference loss, though. They're coming off the second game of the first back to-back losses to Washington since the early '90s. "Every single one of our losses this year has been opportunities to make plays that we haven't made," quarter back Kellen Clemens said. "(This week is) making the plays, doing it one play at a time, one series at a time, one quarter at a time and one game at a time." On Saturday in Seattle, Oregon had a promising first half. After a field goal and an 85-yard Clemens' pass to Demetrius Williams, the Ducks went into the locker room at halftime with a 10-7 lead. Unfortunately for the Ducks, their days as the comeback kids have re versed. This season, Oregon has lost to Utah and Washington after hold ing a 3-point lead at halftime. Against Utah, the Ducks gave up one touch down in the second half. At Washing ton, they gave up 42 unanswered points, leading to a 42-10 loss. "We've got to be consistent in what we do and the intensity level and just taking care of business and making plays," senior linebacker Kevin Mitchell said. "We've got to work on some gap controls, defensive wise. It's just a matter of us executing and get ting ready throughout the week." Oregon's best preparation has been the cold weather. After practicing in 39-degree weather on Tuesday, which was warmer than Monday's practice, the Ducks will be ready come Satur day's late kickoff. "We're going to be practicing in (the cold) all week," Clemens said. "We're going to be used to it — it won't be as much of a shock to our system." The shock would come if the Ducks get a fifth loss on Saturday. Oregon is Turn to PREVIEW, page 11B UO quarterbacks keep Ducks afloat on team's sinking ship Kellen Clemens is still learning. Football is just a game to some, but to most players, it's one of those life experiences where you learn along the way. Clemens will be a good quarterback. He's already a good quarterback. While the Ducks sit alone at sev enth in the Pacific-10 Conference, Clemens is still the second-rated quar terback in that conference. And that's while he and senior Ja son Fife trade significant amounts of playing time. Although Clemens has completed seven more passes than Fife has attempted, Fife is the team's second-leading rusher with 195 yards and five touchdowns. All in all, Bellotti's quarterback-by committee system is essentially alive and well. While some have called for Fife to Mindi Rice The girl and the game start after spending last season as the Ducks' lone quarterback, Clemens needs the starting experience for up coming Oregon seasons. Clemens doesn't have next year's job locked up quite yet, though. He'll have competition from Johnny DuRocher, the Graham, Wash., fresh man who has spent this season as No. 3 behind Clemens and Fife with the intent to redshirt. DuRocher graduated early to join the Ducks in last spring's drills, giv ing him an advantage over fellow freshmen Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf, also fresh-from-high school quarterbacks. With a spring battle brewing at quarterback and the current season sinking in a "Pirates of the Caribbean" fashion, some Ducks may be having a difficult time focusing on the tasks ahead- California, UCLA and Oregon State. Those games are potential blowouts if the recent Oregon squad is the one that shows up for all three games. The Ducks have some things to work on to turn this season around. But not much time. If things are going to happen, they've got to hap Turn to RICE, page 4B
