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■ Oregon notes
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Freshman cornerback Jackie Bates (7) attempts to break up a pass intended for Arizona’s Pedro Limon during Oregon’s win Saturday.
New look secondary gaining
respect in conference play
Freshman Jackie Bates helps a much antagonized
group ascend to 23rd in the nation in pass defense
BY BRIAN SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
Anybody that has watched the
Ducks in the past few years knows
that their pass defense left much to
be desired.
In 2002, Oregon ranked 115 out of
the 117 Division I schools with a
291.15 yards per game average. Last
year, the Ducks finished 105th in the
nation in pass defense and ranked
50th in total defense, giving up an av
erage of 367 yards per game.
The Ducks have turned around this
year. After six games, Oregon is ranked
23rd in the nation in pass defense
(174.50 yards per game) and 25th in
total defense (303.33 yards per game).
The secondary is led by often ma
ligned Aaron Gipson, who has
stepped up his game and now leads
the Ducks in interceptions with three
— including two last week against
Arizona. Another unexpected con
tributor has been freshman Jackie
Bates from De La Salle High School.
Bates, like Gipson has been thrown
into the Duck secondary as a true
freshman. He grabbed the first inter
ception of his career last week
against Arizona and has 11 tackles,
including one for a loss.
Knebel returns from
minor ankle injury
Oregon’s offensive line will receive
a boost this week when Robin Knebel
returns from an ankle injury he suf
fered against Arizona State on Oct. 2.
The senior offensive lineman will
try to shore up a line that has ceded
13 sacks in the previous three games
and ranks last in the Pacific-10 Con
ference in sacks allowed with 20.
Oregon has been forced to shuffle
the right side of the line all year long,
rotating Knebel, Ian Reynoso,
Michael DeLaGrange, Shawn Flana
gan and Geoff Schwartz to fill the
right guard and right tackle positions.
In his weekly press conference, Ore
gon head coach Mike Bellotti expressed
concern over the interior of the line.
“I don’t know if they improved,”
Bellotti said, “but they played well
enough to win. I was not as happy
at times with our play at center and
right guard.”
Knebel’s return will help answer
questions on the right side of the line.
Knebel is tied for third in career
starts with DeLaGrange at 17. Only
Adam Snyder and Nick Steitz have
more, with 30 and 31, respectively.
“Robin will help us in that regard,”
Bellotti said. “He has played a third
to half the time at center this year,
and it allows us more flexibility with
our interior positions.”
Turnovers a deciding factor
Another intangible issue of the
game is the turnover margin. Accord
ing to Bellotti, there is no greater indi
cator toward wins and losses in col
lege football than turnover margin,
which does not bode well for the
Ducks if that is the case. They are
currently ranked 86th in the nation in
that category with a -.67 per game
average (11 takeaways, 15 turnovers).
Stanford, comparatively, is tied for
17th nationally and third in the Pac
10 with a turnover margin of +1.0
(14 takeaways, 8 turnovers).
OREGON, page 8B
Gipson: Pupil to teacher in two seasons
Continued from page 3B
than a physical one.
“Aaron Gipson was somewhat psy
chologically scarred after his fresh
man season,” Bellotti said. “He went
through a period where he was un
certain and he pouted a bit.”
Gipson even went to Bellotti’s of
fice to see where his place on the
team was and, according to Gipson,
Bellotti didn’t know.
“In the end I decided it takes
a stronger man to stay and
overcome something than run
away,” Gipson said.
Redemption
Now in his junior year, Gipson has
turned the naysayers into believers.
“Everybody is saying that Aaron
Gipson is so good now,” senior Jerry
Matson said. “He was good when he
first came here. If only people saw me
play as a freshman. I was probably in
trouble 20-times more than any other
defensive back you’ve ever seen. ”
Gipson now gives advice to Jack
ie Bates, a true freshman corner
who is in nearly the same position
Gipson faced.
“I always talk to him and let him
know that he is good,” Gipson said.
“He’s a lot further along than I was
when I was a freshman. ”
But that’s the type of teammate
Gipson is, always looking to make
others better while knowing he’s go
ing to stay on the field.
“Coach Radcliffe told me at the
end of my sophomore year that I had
to make sure I’m the best one on the
field and don’t let them take you off,”
Gipson said. “From then on I took
that attitude. ”
claytonjones@dailyemerald. com