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Groshom Outlook. Today M agax.n. Wod . Sopt 1. 1982. Sandy Po«t. Thor«., Sopt. 2. 1982 — 21
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Beavers hope for respectability
C O R V A L L IS -
A fte r
seasons of 0-11 and 1-10, what
do you tell your veteran
players coming into fall
camp?
They’ve heard it all before
and with little results.
This year? “ There’s no
question in my mind we can
be a better football team ,”
says Oregon Stale coach Joe
Avezzano
“ We have a situation
that’s on the right track and
I firm ly believe that. I t ’s
taken two years to get to
where we feel we have a
solid program. It didn’t
come easy ”
No, it certainly hasn’t
come easy. After a winless
1900 campaign — Avezzano’s
first with the Beavers —
OSU won the 1981 opener
against Fresno State, then
lost 10 straight, the last four
by a total margin of 159
points.
If OSU is to improve this
year, Avezzano agrees, its
offense must put out more
points Last year, it averag
ed barely 13 points per
game
“ We re going to have more
speed and more depth at the
running back and wide
receiver positions,” says
Avezzano.
At running back, OSU has
junior Randy Holmes (5-9,
183), who rushed for 637
yards last year, tops on the
club. James T errell and
Lucius High will battle for
the other running back spot,
according to Avezzano
The depth in receivers
mentioned by the Beaver
coach refers to newcomers
Andy M ott, Rex Brown,
Larry Clemons and Lenny
Davis
Avezzano also feels good
about the quarterback posi
tion, where the Beavers have
senior E d S in g le r and
sophomore Jeff Seay.
“ Jeff has a stronger arm,
but Eddie compensates that
with experience and a more
than-adequate arm ,’’ says
the third year coach.
Seay was impressive in the
spring game and on the bot
tom line, Avezzano says, he
can move the team on the
field.
If that sounds like Avez
zano is leaning toward Seay,
guess again.
“ Singler is the No. 1
quarterback going into pre
season,” he says.
The question mark in the
Beaver offense is in the line
Here OSU is big but also in
experienced A vezzano is op
timistic, however
“ It can be the best we’ver
For OSU to improve, defense must stay closer to opposing ball-carriers.
had here,” he says.
The Beavers are hoping
for strong performances in
the line from freshmen
Frank Jones. Joe Parry and
D a r r ic k
B r ilz
and
sophomores Herb Wilson,
Rick Meggers and Dwane
Jackola
It all adds up to a better of
fense, predicts Avezzano,
but it’s still far from an over
powering force.
“ We’ll use finesse more
than sheer power — meaning
we’ll run around them and
throw over them,” he says.
“ We’re going to play people
more physical and capable
than we are We’ve got to
mix it up
Though offense was lack
ing last year, the defense
was the real sob story. What
else can be said of a team
that was dead last in defense
in the Pac-10 and allowed an
average of 42 points every
Saturday? The defense was
even worse than the 1980
team It allowed just 34
points per game.
What the Beavers hope
will be their strength this
year is in the linebacking
corps, There OSU has ex
perienced seniors Jerome
Boyd (6-2, 220) and Derek
Warren (f-1, 223) as well as
monster man Craig Sowash
<6-2, 200).
Please turn to Page 22.
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