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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 2003)
Sports Editor Hank Hager hankhager@dailyemerald.com Oregon Daily Emerald SPORTS Best bet NCAA football: Marshall at Central Florida 4:30 p.m., ESPN2 Wednesday, November 19,2003 Defensive efforts lead way for Ducks Oregon’s defense is on a roll as the Ducks head into a pivotal game with Oregon State Saturday By Hank Hager Sports Editor Jerry Matson's interception 18 seconds into Saturday's game started it. The rest of the Oregon defense ended it. The Ducks held UCLA to 13 points Saturday, including just six in the second half. One week after limiting California to 188 passing yards and 106 rushing yards, Oregon made a stand. DOCK FOOTBALL "I thought we played pretty well," line backer Kevin Mitchell said. "We gave up _two field goals and a touchdown. I don't think we gave up too many total yards and once we got comfortable, we started tb figure out what they were doing. We were able to stop the run and played the pass real well." The Bruins managed 327 total yards of fensively, with 249 coming through the air. However, starting quarterback Drew Olson completed 29 of 49 passes and was sacked six times. Defensive end Devan Long led that cate gory with two sacks, while linebacker Mark McCambridge Photographer The Duck defense held UCLA to 327 total yards Saturday in a 31-13 win in Los Angeles. David Martin and defensive linemen Igor Olshansky, Junior Siavii and Quinn Dorsey each had one. Oh, there was also Matson's interception, the first of his career. He ended up running it back for a 22-yard touchdown. "It was more than fun, it was almost sur real," he said. "I just couldn't really believe it was happening to me. It's hard to remem ber the play. This is really exciting for me, es pecially personally, because this is probably the biggest play I've ever made, in a big game. Something I can have forever." Special Ducks The Oregon special teams units have seen their fair share of ups and downs this sea son. An up, after a punt return by senior Steven Moore that sent Oregon on its way to a 31 27 victory over Michigan. A down when Washington State was able to get to Oregon punter Paul Martinez and block two punts, including one for a touch down. Turn to FOOTBALL, page 8 OSU bowl berth dependent on Civil War win The Beavers are looking for a major bowl berth; a win against the Ducks would help them out in their quest By Hank Hager Sports Editor The year was 2001. Oregon State was 5-5 entering its Civil War contest with Oregon on Dec. 1. A national audience looked to Autzen Stadium, the 46,000-plus fans in attendance and the game between the Beavers and Ducks. At stake for Oregon was a berth to die Fiesta Bowl. For the Beavers, a win would mean a bowl invitation. A loss, and a 5-6 season would haunt them until the 2002 season. In what many could consider Oregon's most significant Civil War victory — because of the spot in the Fiesta Bowl — the Ducks squeaked out a 17-14 win on a rain-soaked Satur day. The Beavers couldn't get their offense going behind quar terback Jonathan Smith and missed playing in a bowl game for the first time in two years. Saturday's game at Autzen between the Ducks and Beavers doesn't have the same do-or-die feeling for Oregon State, but a major bowl bid is on the line. Win, and the Beavers are guaranteed at least a third-place finish in the Pa cific- 10 Conference. Lose, and Oregon State is relegated to, at best fourth. 'Hie difference could mean a trip to the Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, or Insight Bowl, among others. "Fortunately, the game comes at a crucial point of our sea son, " Oregon State running back Steven Jackson said. "Major bowl bids are on the line. We want to finish the season out with three conference wins, and we had a good start toward our goal last weekend." If the Beavers defeat Oregon and then follow up with a victory over USC on Dec. 6, they could find themselves in a tie for second place in the Pac-10. That would leave the Tro jans in the Rose Bowl, most likely, and set the Cougars and Turn to OSU, page 6 Yioulos, Dubuc pace Club sailing to second at regatta The Oregon Club sailing team finishes second at the North North Regatta Kirsten McEwen Sports Freelancer The North North Regatta gave the Club sailing team a finish to build a program on. After battling the wind and snow in _ their last regat ^ ta at the Co \^IUID lumbia Gorge, QinUlHhC the North %#|JUi 1.3 North Regatta - in Seattle pro vided the Ducks with an opportunity to sail their new boats and test the team's ca maraderie. The regatta was held at Sand Point on Lake Washington . It was there that the Ducks placed second overall — their best finish ever. "It's just inconceivable how long and hard we have worked for some thing like this," sailing coordinator George Yioulos said. The Ducks finished 20 points behind first place Washington after sailing in 10 races in two days of competition. Yioulos attributed the team's sec ond-place finish to first-year skipper Rob Dubuc. Dubuc sailed with Maria Wong in one of the team's new boats. "Rob put on a clinic this weekend," Yioulos said. "Everyone was asking me where I found him because he was literally schooling everyone." Oregon's other boat was sailed by Yioulos and Jenny Donner. Both boats' scores were totaled together at the end of the regatta. Oregon's score beat nine oth er boats and three other schools includ ing Portland State, Western Washington and University of British Columbia. "We worked extra hard to prepare Turn to CLUB SPORTS, page 8 Danielle Hickey Senior Photographer Junior libero Katie O'Neil and the Ducks end their season Friday. Ducks battle frustration of ASU loss Oregon prepares for the season's final matches while trying to forget about its loss to Arizona State By Jon Roetman Sports Reporter It has been a difficult week of practice for the Oregon volleyball team. While the Ducks have been preparing for their final matches of the season against Stanford and p. I m California, Oregon UP UP players have had to VOLLEYBALL battle the frustration _ stemming from Fri day's loss to Arizona State. The Ducks played their most com petitive match of the season against the Sun Devils, but Oregon's inability to fin ish strong led to a 3-1 (30-28, 27-30, 30 28, 30-28) loss. Head coach Carl Ferreira said the team started its final week of practice in a little bit of a funk, but he and the rest of the coaching staff have continued to motivate players and keep them focused on the up coming matches. "The team is a little frustrated that they let (the Arizona State match) get away," Ferreira said. "They started the week off a little slow in practice, but there's nothing that they're going to do to give me an op portunity to stop supporting them." Oregon will close out its season with matches against the No. 7 Cardinal on Thursday and the No. 9 Golden Bears on Friday. The Ducks were swept by both teams Sept. 18 and 19. Setting the table Freshman Heather Madison proved last week that she belongs as a setter in the Pa cific-10 Conference. Filling in for injured sophomore Jodi Bell, Madison finished with 28 assists Thursday against Arizona in her first-ever collegiate start. The following night against Arizona State, Madison set an Oregon season-high with 53 assists, while playing with the poise of a veteran. Madison said after getting her first col legiate start out of the way against the Wildcats, she was able to just relax and play against the Sun Devils. There was "a lot less (pressure)," the former Gresham 1 ligh School All-Ameri can said. "There's still pressure but 1 changed my perspective and just went out there and played. I simplified it. It's just a game and it's the same thing I've done a million times." Looking ahead Along with focusing on the season's fi nal two matches, junior libero Katie O'Neil said she has thought about next season on occasion and feels Oregon has a bright future. She added that the Ducks will eliminate many of the youthful errors that plagued the team this season. "I'm guilty of looking ahead," O'Neil said. "We're still young but it's a good way to be optimistic. It's hard not to think that next season we'll be one more year experienced and we'll not make the Turn to VOLLEYBALL, page 6
