Sports
Oregon Daily Emerald
Monday, October 24, 2005
“Pro football is like nuclear warfare.
There are no winners, only survivors.
Former NFL quarterback and analyst Frank Gifford,
who went to the Pro Bowl seven times in 12 seasons.
■ In my opinion
SHAWN MILLER
FULL-COURT PRESS
10 wins still
possibility if
team sticks
together
It would be easy to say Copeland Bryan mined
the Oregon season, but not truthful.
Bryan, an Arizona senior defensive end,
sacked Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens
when he was knocked from Saturday’s game
with an ankle injury that will most likely end his
playing career at Oregon. Bryan was also in
volved in the tackle that forced reserve Dennis
Dixon from the game with a concussion on the
ensuing possession.
He took out our first- and second-string quar
terbacks! Not exactly.
The season isn’t over and Bryan isn’t the play
er to blame if Oregon doesn’t finish with 10 or 11
wins. Whether the Ducks will make it to a lucra
tive bowl game is up to the current players.
All season long each Duck has said that this
team picks each other up. That has been proved
by the Oregon offense, which averaged 40 points
per game in the three prior to Arizona after a
league-opening loss to top-ranked USC. And re
cently, the defense proved itself Saturday at Ari
zona. With a third-string quarterback leading the
sputtering offense, the defense forced two
turnovers, scoring on one, and allowed only 51
yards in the fourth quarter.
Now is the perfect time to see wnetner wnat
they said is true or if it is just sports jargon.
Should the Ducks play each game one at a
time (another sports version of a politically cor
rect thing to say), they could find themselves 10
1, ranked in the top 10 and headed to the Bowl
Championship Series. It isn’t too far out there to
believe that, and that is exactly what new start
ing quarterback Dennis Dixon and the rest of the
flock need to buy into if there is a chance.
The bye week couldn’t come at a better time,
allowing Dixon two weeks to not only shake off
his concussion, but to get first-string reps in prac
tice. All the nuts and bolts should be figured out
and bruises healed before Oregon’s next game, at
home against No. 24 California.
Autzen Stadium will be full of Oregon fans sali
vating at a chance of revenge for last season’s
more-than-disappointing loss to the Bears. If
Dixon can establish the passing game early, with
severed completions in the first couple of drives,
Oregon can feel comfortable with him running
the offense and help his confidence level.
A win over Cal would be huge in the battle of
confidence and that is exactly what Oregon will
need as they travel to a probably-snowy Pullman,
Wash., to play Washington State. The Cougars
have proved they can not only score points, but
can take any team to the wire; and Pullman is al
ways a dangerous place to play. However, should
Dixon establish himself early, the confidence lev
el should lead to an Oregon victory.
To close out the season is hated rival Oregon
State at home. It will be an ugly game, but one
the Ducks can win if they pick each other up and
play with confidence and poise.
It has been a common theme this season, and
now is the time for it to be reality for Oregon:
When your teammate is down, pick him up.
smiller@dailyemercLld.coTn
■ Football recap
Ducks overcome Clemens' injury
Quarterback Kellen Clemens will be sidelined for the remainder of the season
after fracturing his left ankle during the third quarter of the Ducks’ 28-21 victory
over Arizona Saturday. Clemens was named one of the seven finalists for the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award last week.
The seniors college career is most likely over
after fracturing his ankle in the third quarter
BY LUKE ANDREWS
SPORTS REPORTER
With offense struggling, it was
a hungry defense and special
teams that allowed No. 15 Ore
gon (7-1 overall, 4-1 conference)
to hang on to a 28-21 win over
Arizona (1-6, 0-4) Saturday —
their fourth straight victory of the
season and seventh straight
against the Wildcats.
But the win came with a price.
Senior quarterback Kellen
Clemens, a finalist for the Johnny
Unitas Golden Arm Award, injured
his ankle after being sacked in the
third quarter by Arizona’s
Copeland Bryan.
With the game tied at 21 early
in the fourth quarter, linebacker
Brent Haberly recovered a Mike
Bell fumble and returned it 34
yards for the go-ahead touch
down to put the Ducks in front
for good.
“The hole opened up and I was
going to come through and put
one on (Bell), and then I saw (the
ball) bounce up and my eyes lit
up and I grabbed it and saw the
quarterback out of the corner of
my eye and knew I had to make
him miss,” Haberly said.
Strong safety Anthony Thicks
then caused another Bell fumble
and linebacker Blair Phillips re
covered the ball to halt Arizona’s
final scoring threat and allow
Oregon to run out the clock.
X-rays Sunday morning
confirmed Clemens had a frac
tured left ankle, and he was
scheduled to undergo surgery this
morning. Full recovery is expect
ed to take three to six months. He
is not expected to be back for a
bowl game.
The injury comes one week after
Clemens set the Autzen Stadium
record with 36 completions against
Washington. The Bums native set a
school record for career completion
percentage (60.9 percent) and also
sits second all-time on Oregon’s
touchdown passes list with 61, one
behind Danny O’Neil.
“Obviously, Kellen’s loss is
tremendous to us because I think
he’s playing as good as anyone in
the nation,” Oregon head coach
Mike Bellotti said. “Certainly,
there’s nobody more valuable to
their team. ”
Second-string quarterback
Dennis Dixon was also sidelined
after suffering a concussion in the
third quarter, one possession af
ter Clemens was hurt. According
to Bellotti, Dixon most likely will
be the starter when the Ducks
play California following their
bye next week.
“Dennis and Brady (Leaf) need
to be ready to step up and get this
thing done,” Bellotti said. “We
have playmakers, we just have to
distribute the football the same
way we’ve done. I’ve got a lot of
confidence in our offense.”
The Duck offense racked up
307 total yards against Arizona,
but much of the offensive pro
duction (164 yards) came in the
first quarter — a quarter that saw
Oregon jump out to a 21-0 lead.
Oregon struck first with a 54
yard catch and run by wideout
Cameron Colvin before Justin
Phinisee’s 69-yard punt return for
a score put the Ducks ahead 14-0.
Demetrius Williams’ 57-yard
reception from Clemens set up a
four-yard touchdown run by
freshman Jonathan Stewart, his
fifth touchdown of the season,
lifting Oregon to a three-touch
down advantage early.
But Stewart’s run would be the
last offensive touchdown for the
RECAP, page 10
■ Football notes
Defense steps up when needed most
After a dismal first quarter the Ducks take a victory after both Brent
Haberly and Blair Phillips recover fourth quarter fumbles
BY SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said it best.
“It wasn’t pretty at times, but every win is a
great win.”
That sums up the Ducks’ outlook after es
caping from Tbscon, Ariz., with a seven
point victory over the one-win Arizona
Wildcats Saturday.
Oregon committed three turnovers, nine
penalties, missed three field goals and gained
only 307 yards of total offense — 180 yards
less than its season average.
“We knew the whole time we were going to
come out with the win,” Oregon defensive end
Devan Long said.
Despite the confidence, both teams, as well as
the officiating crew, spent most of the first quar
ter shooting themselves in the foot. Each team
missed a field goal and threw an interception;
meanwhile the Ducks lost two forced turnovers.
One was due to a questionable call by an official,
the other because of a pass interference that
wasn’t necessary.
The second quarter featured three consecu
tive three-and-outs for the Oregon offense,
which managed only 16 yards. The Ducks were
also flagged twice for 10 yards in the quarter.
The third quarter hurt Oregon most, as it
turned the ball over twice, missed a field goal to
the right and had two quarterbacks knocked out
of the game.
Oregon placekicker Matt Evensen was wide
right on a 42-yard field goal attempt less than
four minutes into the second half. However, that
was the least of Oregon’s worries.
Kellen Clemens left with just less than eight
minutes remaining in the third quarter with an
ankle injury that will likely end the senior’s Ore
gon career. Reserve quarterback Dennis Dixon
suffered a concussion on the next series, forcing
third-string quarterback Brady Leaf into action
for the entire fourth quarter of a tied game.
Evensen missed a 36-yard field goal after cor
nerback Justin Phinisee returned an interception
to the Arizona 26-yard line near the end of the
third quarter.
Mistake after mistake plagued the Ducks, but
with the game tied and a third-string quarter
back at the helm, the Oregon defense took over
the fourth quarter.
Arizona running back Mike Bell, who rushed
for 158 yards with one touchdown on 20 carries,
was shut down in the final 15 minutes. On three
carries, he gained only 6 yards and fumbled the
ball twice.
Oregon linebacker Brent Haberly returned the
first fumble 34 yards for the game-winning
touchdown with 12:14 remaining in the game.
Strong safety Anthony Trucks forced the second
fumble into the hands of Blair Phillips with 4:43
to play at the Oregon 33-yard line.
“Certainly Arizona helped us and didn’t help
themselves in that situation,” Bellotti said. "Our
kids were in the right place and made plays hap
pen and the defense bowed their back and said
‘We aren’t going to let them get any.’”
Arizona wasn’t without chances as it failed on
a fourth and five from the Oregon 29-yard line
with 7:58 in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats
also had the ball in Oregon territory on their final
two possessions of the game.
smiller@dailyemerald.coTn