SPORTS Wednesday, January 20, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3B Oregon’s Brenner looks to bounce back Portland State By RYAN THORBURN Register-Guard 7KH ODVW WKLQJ 'RXJ %UHQQHU wanted was to be the center of DWWHQWLRQ After replacing injured senior 0DWW +HJDUW\ 2UHJRQ¶V EDFNXS center struggled with low snaps GXULQJWKH$ODPR%RZO 7KH ERWFKHG H[FKDQJHV EHWZHHQ%UHQQHUDQGTXDUWHUEDFN -HII/RFNLHZKRZDVDOVRFDOOHG RQ RII WKH EHQFK ZKHQ 9HUQRQ $GDPV -U¶V KHOPHW ZDV WDNHQ IURP KLP DIWHU D GDQJHURXV KLW FRQWULEXWHG WR WKH 'XFNV¶ WULSOHRYHUWLPHORVVWR7&8 7KH KLVWRULF FROODSVH ² 2UHJRQ OHG DW KDOIWLPH EHIRUH DOORZLQJ WKH +RUQHG )URJVWRPDWFKWKHODUJHVWFRPH- EDFNLQ)%6ERZOKLVWRU\²OHG WRDGLVWXUELQJEDFNODVKRQVRFLDO PHGLD 6RPH RI WKH QRWL¿FDWLRQV RQ %UHQQHU¶V 7ZLWWHU WLPHOLQH LQFOXGHG ³\RX DUH DQ HPEDU- UDVVPHQW WR WKH SURJUDP´ DQG ³WUDQVIHU \RX EXP´ DQG ³SOHDVH GLHDVDS´ :KLOH 7&8¶V SOD\HUV ZHUH celebrating in the confetti in the $ODPRGRPH%UHQQHUDQG/RFNLH stood outside the stunned Oregon ORFNHUURRPDQGDQVZHUHGWRXJK TXHVWLRQV ³7KH ZKROH ORFNHU URRP MXVW IHHOV VLFN WR RXU VWRPDFK ULJKW QRZ HVSHFLDOO\ PH´ %UHQQHU VDLG³,¶PQRWSURXGRIWKHZD\, SOD\HGWRQLJKW´ 2YHU WKH SDVW IHZ ZHHNV Brenner has received a lot of VXSSRUWIURPWKH'XFNVLQVLGHWKH +DW¿HOG'RZOLQ &RPSOH[ DQG Chris Poulsen photo courtesy of University of Oregon Athletics In this October 17, 2015, file photo, Oregon’s Doug Brenner (57) celebrates a 26-20 win over Washington in Seattle. Brenner has taken a lot of heat from a passionate fan base following Oregon’s second-half collapse in a 47-41 triple overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl. Brenner entered the game as an injury replacement at center. even at Matthew Knight Arena, where he was receiving hugs IURP PHPEHUV RI WKH 2UHJRQ ZRPHQ¶VEDVNHWEDOOWHDPDIWHUD UHFHQWJDPH ³+H¶V GRLQJ ¿QH´ VDLG /L] %UHQQHU'RXJ¶VROGHUVLVWHUZKR LV ¿QLVKLQJ KHU EULOOLDQW PXOWL VSRUW FDUHHU RQ WKH KDUGZRRG ³+H¶VJRWJUHDWWHDPPDWHVDURXQG KLPDQGRXUIDPLO\LVULJKWWKHUH IRUKLP ³:H¶UH MXVW WU\LQJ WR JHW EDFNWRQRUPDOOLIH+HKDVEHHQ ZRUNLQJ RXW KDUG ZLWK KLV IRRW- EDOOWHDPDQGKH¶VMXVWH[FLWHGIRU ZKDW¶VFRPLQJQH[W´ Steve Greatwood said there ZLOO EH D ORW PRUH FKDSWHUV IRU %UHQQHUWRZULWHZLWKWKH'XFNV 7KH ORQJWLPH RIIHQVLYH OLQH coach plans to get the junior- WREH SOHQW\ RI SUDFWLFH WLPH DW WKHJXDUGSRVLWLRQVWKLVVSULQJ $QGDOVRDWFHQWHU “Doug has played a lot of good football for us, and I believe in KLP´*UHDWZRRGVDLG³,H[SHFW KLPWRERXQFHEDFNDQG,¶YHWROG KLPWKDW'RXJLVWKHNLQGRIJX\ WKDWLVJRLQJWRWDNHIXOOUHVSRQVL- ELOLW\+HZDVXSVHW ³%XWQRRQHZLOOZRUNKDUGHU WKDQ 'RXJ %UHQQHU ,¶P H[FLWHG WRJHWWRZRUNZLWKKLP´ Greatwood noted that Brenner DFWXDOO\ UHSODFHG +HJDUW\ LQ WKH ¿UVW TXDUWHU ZKHQ WKH VFRUH ZDV 7KHUH ZDV QR FDXVH IRU FRQFHUQDERXW%UHQQHU¶VVQDSVDW KDOIWLPHEHFDXVHWKH\ZHUHRQWKH PDUNDV$GDPVOHGDWRXFKGRZQ GULYHDQG/RFNLHOHGD¿HOGJRDO GULYHEHIRUHWKHLQWHUPLVVLRQ ³, OLNHQ LW WR D URXQG RI JROI when on the front nine, all your VKRWVDUH¿QGLQJWKHIDLUZD\DQG WKHQRQWKHEDFNQLQH\RXFDQ¶W JHWRIIWKHWHHDWDOO´*UHDWZRRG VDLG³,GRQ¶WNQRZLILWZDVWHPSR RUKHJRWRIIUK\WKPRUZKDW´ %UHQQHU GLGQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW happened either, he said after the JDPH +LV QLJKWPDULVK HYHQLQJ LQFOXGHG DERXW D GR]HQ EDG VQDSV On third-and-2 in the third RYHUWLPH /RFNLH ZDV VDFNHG after bending down for a low VQDS +LV GHVSHUDWLRQ SDVV RQ the ensuing fourth down was LQFRPSOHWHVHQGLQJ2UHJRQLQWR DQRIIVHDVRQRIVRXOVHDUFKLQJ “I have no idea what was JRLQJRQ´%UHQQHUVDLG³,WZDV MXVWDZHLUGWKLQJ0\VQDSVDUH XVXDOO\SHUIHFW´ /L] %UHQQHU KDV H[SHULHQFHG WKHKLJKVDQGORZVRIFRPSHWLWLRQ LQ YROOH\EDOO VRIWEDOO WUDFN DQG ¿HOG DQG EDVNHWEDOO DW 2UHJRQ She said watching her brother JR WKURXJK DGYHUVLW\ ZDV PRUH GLI¿FXOWWKDQIDFLQJLWKHUVHOI ³2EYLRXVO\,ORYHP\EURWKHU +H¶VP\EHVWIULHQG,KDYHDORW RIORYHIRUKLPVR,ZDQWWRVHH KLP VXFFHHG LQ DQ\WKLQJ WKDW KH GRHV´ VKH VDLG ³+H¶V D UHDOO\ WRXJKNLG,WKLQNWKURXJKVSRUWV \RX¶YH JRW WR NQRZ WKDW \RX¶UH not going to play your best on HYHU\VLQJOHQLJKW7KDWKDSSHQV 7KDWKDSSHQVWRHYHU\RQH ³6R\RX¶YHMXVWJRWWREHDEOH WREHWRXJKDQGORRNIRUZDUGWR ZKDW¶VFRPLQJQH[W´ SEAHAWKS: Irvin says he wants to return, but understands business Continued from 1B tions are on the defensive side, where they could end up trying to ¿OOWKUHHRUIRXUVWDUWLQJVSRWV Seattle had the best run defense in the NFL this season, giving XS \DUGV SHU JDPH RQ WKH JURXQG 7ZR NH\ SDUWV RI WKDW VXFFHVV ZHUH GHIHQVLYH WDFNOHV Brandon Mebane and Ahtyba 5XELQ ERWK RI ZKRP DUH XQUH- VWULFWHGIUHHDJHQWV&DUUROOUDYHG about both players throughout the VHDVRQEXWPRQH\ZLOOXOWLPDWHO\ GHWHUPLQHZKHWKHUHLWKHUUHWXUQV Mebane just turned 31 and PDGH PLOOLRQ LQ EDVH VDODU\ WKLVVHDVRQ5XELQLQKLV¿UVW\HDU ZLWK 6HDWWOH PDGH PLOOLRQ in base salary and would appear in OLQHIRUDUDLVH 6HDWWOH PXVW DOVR GHFLGH ZKDW WR GR ZLWK RXWVLGH OLQHEDFNHU %UXFH,UYLQDIWHUGHFOLQLQJWRSLFN XSKLV¿IWK\HDURSWLRQODVWVSULQJ ,UYLQKDVJRQHIURPEHLQJVWULFWO\ DSDVVUXVKHUDVDURRNLHLQ WR D YHUVDWLOH OLQHEDFNHU ZLWK WKH ability to rush off the edge and DOVRSOD\RQWKHOLQHRIVFULPPDJH DQGKHOSLQWKHUXQJDPH Irvin said that in his exit conver- VDWLRQV ZLWK &DUUROO DQG JHQHUDO PDQDJHU -RKQ 6FKQHLGHU KH ZDV DVNHG LI KH¶G WDNH OHVV PRQH\ WR UHWXUQ7KDW¶VDSRVVLELOLW\LQWKHRU\ EXW WKH UHDOLW\ LV WKDW WKLV PD\ EH ,UYLQ¶VEHVWVKRWDWDELJFRQWUDFW ³, ZDQW WR EH KHUH 7KDW¶V DV VLPSOH DV LW LV´ ,UYLQ VDLG ³, understand the business side of it, EXWLI,KDSSHQWREHVRPHZKHUH else I will always have a genuine appreciation for (Schneider) and &DUUROO IRU VWLFNLQJ WKHLU QHFN RXW WKHUH DQG WDNLQJ PH ZKHQ everybody said I was a reach and KDGDORWRIEDJJDJH´ 6HDWWOH¶VRWKHUGHIHQVLYHGHFLVLRQ LV DW FRUQHUEDFN RSSRVLWH 6KHUPDQ DQG ZKHWKHU -HUHP\ /DQH UHWXUQV 7KH WHDP FDQ PRYH IRUZDUG ZLWK 'H6KDZQ 6KHDG RU WKH 6HDKDZNV FDQ ORRN HOVHZKHUH 6HDWWOH KDV VKRZQ LW SUHIHUV FRUQHUEDFNV ZKR KDYH FRPH XS LQ LWV V\VWHP OLNH /DQH DQG 6KHDG 7KH PRVW UHFHQW H[DPSOHRIWKDWZDVWKHPLGVHDVRQ UHOHDVHRIYHWHUDQ&DU\:LOOLDPV Lane is an unrestricted free agent while Shead is an exclusive rights free agent, which all but DVVXUHVKLVUHWXUQ ³,¶G OLNH WR WKLQN RXU JX\V EHFDXVH WKH\ NQRZ RXU V\VWHP´ &DUUROO VDLG ³WKH\¶YH EHHQ ZHOO VFKRROHG´ PRXUQVGHDWK of player /LQHEDFNHU$- 6FKODWWHUZHQWIURP ZDONRQWRVWDUWHU By ANNE M. 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