Oregon Daily Emerald
Friday, April 1, 2005
“Like I told the guys earlier, once he turns 21
and is able to drink, it’s over. ’’
Toronto guard Jalen Rose after Cleveland’s LeBron James
scored 56 points against the Raptors
■ Duck football
Moving on: Oregon kicks off spring practices
Coming off last year's losing season, their first since 1993,
the Ducks should he eager to get spring drills underway
BY JON ROETMAN
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
April 2 can’t arrive fast enough
for the Oregon football team.
The Ducks open spring practice
Saturday at 11 a.m. It’s Oregon’s
first on-field chance to erase the
memories of last season’s 5-6 record
— its first losing mark since 1993.
The team will hold workouts
every Tuesday and Thursday
throughout April, as well as alter
nating Mondays, Fridays and Satur
days. The Spring Game will take
place at 12:30 p.m. April 30
in Autzen Stadium.
Oregon is expected to have
93 players participate in spring
drills, including 43 returning letter
men and 14 returning starters.
Offense
New offensive coordinator Gary
Crowton will have plenty of
weapons at his disposal as the
Ducks return nearly all of their im
pact position players.
Rising senior quarterback Kellen
Clemens matured as a leader during
his first full season as a starter dur
ing the 2004 campaign. The Burns
native passed for 2,548 yards and
22 touchdowns last season, moving
into sixth place (5,149) and fifth
place (42), respectively, on Oregon’s
all-time lists.
The Ducks also return Clemens’
top two targets: wide receiver
Demetrius Williams and tight end
Tim Day. Williams is coming off an
injury-plagued season in which he
was limited to 47 catches, 593 yards
and only two touchdowns. When
healthy, the senior has the ability to
be a game-breaker.
At 6-foot-4, 267 pounds, Day is
a massive pass-catching threat as
well as a devastating blocker.
The senior’s participation in
spring drills will be limited, howev
er, as he recovers from offseason
foot surgery.
Along with Williams and Day, big
things will be expected from sopho
more wide receiver Cameron
Colvin, who came to Oregon last
year as a five-star recruit from Cali
fornia’s De La Salle High School.
Senior tailback Terrence White
head became Oregon’s 10th
1,000-yard rusher last season
(1,144) and is also a threat to catch
the ball out of the backfield. The
Los Angeles native will be pushed
for playing time when top freshman
running back recruit Jonathan
Stewart arrives at Oregon.
There will be plenty of competition
along the offensive line after the de
parture of Adam Snyder, Nick Steitz,
Michael DeLaGrange and Robin
Knebel. Geoff Schwartz, Jacob
Hucko and junior college addition
Palauni Ma Sun are a few potential
suitors to fill vacancies up front.
Other returning starters include
junior center Enoka Lucas, senior
guard Ian Reynoso and junior
fullback Dante Rosario.
Defense
Defensively, Oregon will have
several big holes to fill.
Gone are middle linebacker Jerry
Matson, outside linebacker Ramone
Reed and defensive linemen Chris
Solomona and Robby Valenzuela.
While there will be several new
starters in the middle of the Duck
defense, those who are left give
reason for hope.
Junior defensive tackle Haloti
Ngata amassed 46 tackles
last season and will surely attract
plenty of attention from pro scouts.
Senior defensive end Devan
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Sophomore wide receiver Cameron Colvin is one of many offensive weapons Oregon will have on display during spring
practices. The Ducks kick off their spring drills Saturday at 11 a.m.
Long is a relentless pass rusher
who will be looked to as a leader
next season.
The secondary returns four
starters and should be much
improved. Cornerbacks Aaron
Gipson (senior) and Jackie Bates
(sophomore) will be pushed by
true freshman Willie Glasper. Senior
Rodney Woods, recovering from
last fall’s knee surgery, will be
limited in his spring participation.
Other returning starters include
safeties J.D. Nelson (junior)
and Justin Phinisee (senior)
and senior outside linebacker
Anthony TVucks.
Coaching changes
In addition to Crowton, who was
named offensive coordinator after
four seasons as head coach
at Brigham Young, there were
several other coaching changes
for Oregon.
Former Oregon defensive lineman
Michael Gray is now the defensive
line coach for the Ducks. Former
defensive line coach Steve
Greatwood will now coach the offen
sive line, and assistant coach Neal
Zoumboukos, who used to coach
the offensive line, will coach the
tight ends.
jonroetman@dailyemerald. com
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Left to right: Oregon outfielders Lovena Chaput, Suzie Barnes and Kayleen Hudson, along with the rest of the
Ducks, start Pac-10 play at 3 p.m. today against Washington at Howe Field.
■ Duck softball
Ducks open Pac-10 play
against No. 17 Huskies
Nearly two months after being shutout by Washington, Oregon hosts
the Huskies in hopes of keeping its seven-game winning streak alive
BY CLAYTON JONES
SPORTS EDITOR
After a non-conference schedule plagued
with rained-out games and early disappoint
ments, the surging Oregon softball team starts
Pacific-10 Conference play at 3 p.m. today
against 17th-ranked Washington at Howe Field.
Oregon will then host defending national
champion UCLA at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The Ducks (20-9 overall), who have won
seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12,
hope to keep the momentum going versus
their purple and gold rival to the north.
Senior second baseman Erin Goodell said
the team’s recent roll should help, especially
after losing to the Huskies 6-0 earlier this sea
son at the Hawaii Paradise Classic.
“It gives us more confidence and lets us
know that we can play with any team right
now,” Goodell said. “When we lost to Wash
ington earlier in the season, we hadn’t really
found ourselves yet. We’ve found ourselves
now and know where we are at.”
The Huskies (16-9) are coming off a loss to
No. 21 Fresno State and are looking to start
the Pac-10 season on a positive note. Wash
ington is paced offensively by power-hitting
senior catcher Kristen Rivera. The 2005 USA
Softball Collegiate Player of the Year nominee
is hitting .439 (4th in the conference) with a
1.035 slugging percentage (1st), a .644 on
base percentage (1st), and 10 home runs (tied
for 1st). She also leads the conference in
walks (31) and is fourth in RBIs (28).
Also hitting well for the Huskies is Ashley
Charters, who is third in the conference in
hitting (.455). Washington also has two other
SOFTBALL, page 10