Nick Aliotti@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/ws-directory-client/directory.jsp@@ has coached a lot of athletes in his tenure in Eugene, and this Saturday one of those former players will be coaching against him. Washington’s first-year defensive coordinator, Justin Wilcox,@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilcox_justin00.html@@ was a cornerback when Aliotti returned to the Ducks’ coaching staff in 1999.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=22687@@ Aliotti said he knew even then that Wilcox had the football IQ to be successful as a coach should he choose to go down that road.
“You can tell the guys that would be good coaches if they chose to go that way,” Aliotti said. “They handle their business, and they understand the game a little bit better than most guys do.”
Throughout Wilcox’s coaching career — which began soon after he graduated from Oregon in 1999 — @@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilcox_justin00.html@@he’s talked frequently with Aliotti. During the season, Aliotti says the two talk on a more-or-less weekly basis, whether it’s about defense, football as a whole, or just catching up.
“I really care about that guy; I like that guy,” Aliotti said. “But I don’t like him this Saturday, and I haven’t liked him much this week.”
Beavers surge to second place in Emerald’s power rankings
The Ducks remained in first place in the Emerald’s Pac-12 power rankings, @@checked link@@but the biggest movers in the rankings were the Ducks’ two biggest rivals. OSU moved from fourth to second after a second-straight road win, and Washington’s upset of Stanford moved them from sixth to fourth. The Beavers are the only other undefeated team in the Pac-12, making the Nov. 24 Civil War look more and more interesting by the week. Stanford was the biggest loser in this week’s rankings, plummeting from second to fifth.
Duck volleyball still undefeated
The dream start to the season continued for coach Jim Moore’s@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/ws-directory-client/directory.jsp@@ women’s volleyball team last night, with a 3-1 road victory over Cal. The No. 2 Ducks are now 14-0, matching the best win streak in school history, with another top-10 opponent on the horizon. The Ducks play No. 7 Stanford in Palo Alto on Friday and will look to end the Cardinal’s own 10-game winning streak.