Keeping ducks healthy
in body and mind
(inefflBI
SERVICES INCLUDE:
physic i a ns H, nurse practitioners
fj§|tjve services'* Pharmacy
J« PT A Sports Medicine
jpfy & asthma clinics
cut a I health services * Travel Clinic
Health promotion * Energetic Headnt|
Tobacco Cessation Support
OPEN DAILy AND WEEKENDS:
Mornjay/W«flrHiiSilav/HMifsrl;i0 rirl;iy 8 ;i fti f> p ill
(imilay <M,m i> p rn
Saliirday/Jioririsy 10 a m ? pm
•SsssT
APPOINTMENTS & AFTER HOURS:
146.2770 _
[ available by the academic
term or ail year 3
Missing the game is bad enough.
mis|yt.tttttne||»(ierage too.
Call or e-maif to get your subscription started.
(541) 346-5511 or emerald@uoregon.edu
• • i>.1-: • V.'.''.V.V.V
Turnover ratio a deciding
factor against the Cougars
Last season's disappointing
opener is a distant memory
and a constant motivator
BY SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
Two-hundred eighty-four dates
have been scratched out since that
last loss, and the Oregon football
team is looking to forget a dismal
2004 season — from the way it start
ed to the way it ended.
Today — the day that kicks off the
2005 college football season — is fi
nally here and there is something
new to focus on: the University of
Houston Cougars.
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti
stated that it will take a complete
effort by his team to walk away with
a victory.
“Our offense has to move the ball,
no turnovers. Our defense has to pre
vent the big play, get some takeaways.
Our special teams has to create field
position, and through it all we have to
avoid penalties and negative plays,”
Bellotti said.
That might sound easy to accom
plish against last season’s three-win
Houston squad, but it isn’t the same
team it was one year ago. The
Cougars returned eight starters on of
fense and defense, including junior
quarterback Kevin Kolb, who has
been named to the preseason
Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien
watch lists. The two honors are giv
en to the nation’s top offensive player
and top quarterback, respectively.
“They’ve got a good running back,
great receiver, great quarterback," Bel
lotti said, “and they package it in an
unconventional offense with a lot of
unique plays.”
Seniors Vincent Marshall (wide re
ceiver) and Anthony Evans (running
back) bring stability and quickness to
the field. Marshall, who has caught a
pass in each of the last 24 games, cur
rently ranks sixth in consecutive
games with a reception. Evans rushed
for more than 1,100 yards two seasons
ago before an injury sidelined the back
for one-third of the season last year.
The Ducks have a quarterback of
their own who has been nominated
during the preseason for awards. Se
nior Kellen Clemens was also on the
Davey O’Brien watch list as well as the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award,
which is given to the nation’s top sen
ior collegiate quarterback. Clemens is
excited to put the new offensive
scheme to work.
“It’s a different offensive philosophy
this year,” Clemens said. “We are go
ing to stretch the field vertically. It is
going to be a lot of just getting the ball
into the hands of the playmakers. I
think our arsenal is loaded a lot more
this year than it has been in the past. ”
Early in the week the Cougars were
still adjusting the game plan, but that
didn’t concern head coach Art Briles.
“We’re still adding and deleting
some things,” Briles said. “Our team
is pretty mature. We have a general
idea heading in of what we want to
do, but we’ll alter that as the game
goes along.”
The game is slated to be shown in
front of a national audience on ESPN2,
the first of Oregon’s five scheduled
Emerald
Oregon corner Aaron Gipson is one of six upperclassmen in the Duck secondary, which
defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti calls the greatest area of strength for the Oregon defense.
Houston’s Willie
Gaston (10)
intercepts a pass
during the
Cougars’ 24-3
victory over the
Tulane Green
Wave last
season.
televised games of the season.
Oregon last opened the season with
a Thursday night road game on nation
al TV in 1999, which turned out to be a
27-20 loss to Michigan State University.
Bellotti believes winning that first
game is crucial to, “Your state of mind,
your confidence, your composure.”
“You work very hard, and I think
the results of your first game tend to
encourage you or discourage you,”
Bellotti added. “I want to be encour
aged by what we’ve done and what
we’ve put in in the off-season.”
The Ducks have won 18 of their
last 21 season openers, including an
8-2 record during Bellotti’s tenure.
“The number one key to winning a
Courtesy
football game is winning the
tumover/takeaway ratio," Bellotti said.
Oregon learned that lesson the hard
way last season when Indiana shocked
the Ducks by taking the ball away sev
en times en route to a 30-24 victory.
“Last year our performance in the
first game left a lot to be desired,” Bel
lotti said. “Our first game and our last
game both were very disappointing.
Obviously there is nothing we can do
about that, but we can certainly
change what happens this year.”
Turnover margin wasn’t the only
category that Oregon struggled with.
The offensive line gave up a Pacific-10
PREVIEW, page 4
Oregon Daily Emerald
Newsroom
Display Advertising
Classified Advertising
(541) 346-5511
(541) 346-3712
(541) 346-4343
Now in its 14th year, Game Day is published every Friday throughout football season and is distributed on campus, at
distribution sites around Eugene and at Autzen Stadium the day of home games. Game Day is published by the Oregon
Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. The Emerald operates independently of the
UO with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union.
0230201
Oregon Daily Emerald |
^ V V Vs Vt V # » » * * * * * > > t t > # t t t t
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 |
www.dailyemerald.com