Starting
The Duck offense looks
to revamp with a new
coordinator and playbook
BY CLAYTON JONES
SPORTS REPORTER
a new-look offense with a
bunch of old faces is eager to
JL Xturn around Oregon’s per
formance from its disappointing
season last year.
With new offensive coordinator
Gary Crowton's spread offense, a
senior quarterback and plenty of
talent at the skill positions, the
Ducks are eager to wash away the
memories of the program’s first los
ing season in 10 years.
“I think the excitement born from
new coaches and a new offense is
awesome and exciting, but it still all
comes down to the basics,” head
coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think
(the team) understands that we are
on a mission this year. We failed to
accomplish our goals last year, and
this is an opportunity to fix that.”
Last season, the Oregon offense
ran hot and cold and finished the
year fifth in the Pacific-10 Confer
ence in total offense, averaging 397
yards per game. With Oregon’s
Emerald
Oregon running back Terrence Whitehead is eager to share the offensive responsibility
with quarterback Kellen Clemens. The two enter their senior seasons on pace to break
into the record books.
point production decreasing every
season, Bellotti believed the team
needed a change and hired former
BYU head coach and offensive spe
cialist Crowton to direct Oregon’s
new spread offense.
According to Bellotti, the spread
offense will utilize all the space on
OFFENSE, page 10
UNITED for the win
The Ducks' defense looks to strengthen team coherence
by blending 22 returning lettermen with fresh faces
BY SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
Which unit on a football field
is most valuable?
Simply put: Offense wins
the attention of spectators; defense
wins games.
That said, the Oregon defensive
squad is looking to take win number
one in the season opener Sept. 1
at Houston.
Although the Ducks ranked
fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference
in total defense (338.9 yards per
game average), they ranked eighth
in turnover margin and ninth in op
ponents’ third-down conversions.
“I think that we learned some valu
able lessons last year,” Oregon head
coach Mike Bellotti said. “We limited
some of the big plays, but we were not
as good on third down. We were less
of a pressure team and more of a con
tainment team.
“So we are going to try to get a mix
and a balance and a blend there, much
like we are going to do on offense, to
maximize our effectiveness.”
The defense returns 22 lettermen,
including seven starters. The defensive
line and cornerback positions are
stacked with experience and award
winners, while the middle of the de
fense is working with new faces.
“We have veterans up front and in
the secondary, so I think that bodes
well for our defense against the pass,”
Bellotti said. “I think the linebacking
corps is a huge question that will de
termine the fate of the defense. ”
One-on-one
Seniors Aaron Gipson and Justin
Phinisee are key cornerbacks with
sophomore Jackie Bates and junior
DEFENSE, page 12
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