Oregon football practice remained closed Tuesday — and will be closed the rest of the week in preparation for Saturday’s Civil War game — but doors were wide open for quarterback Joey Harrington.
A day after he was announced as the Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Harrington was named Tuesday as one of three finalists for the Dave O’Brien Quarterback Award, given to the nation’s best signal caller. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior also remains one of the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy, which will be handed out Dec. 8.
Despite the awards, Harrington has his mind on revenging a 23-13 loss to Oregon State last year.
“Joe is very focused right now,” head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think he’s been focused on the game for 360 or 361 days. I just told him to relax and play football, and I think he’ll do that.”

Eight is great
The expansion of Autzen Stadium couldn’t come at a better time.
The Oregon football team will kick off the 2002 season against Mississippi State on Aug. 31, the first of eight games at the soon-to-be renovated Autzen Stadium.
In the first of four straight home games to begin the season, Mississippi State will be the first Southeastern Conference opponent to visit Eugene. The Ducks have agreed to play the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss., to open to 2003 season.
The Ducks have never had eight home games in a season, and have not played 12 games in the regular season since 1994.
Construction on Autzen Stadium, which will expand the seating capacity from 41,698 to 53,800, is set to begin after the Civil War game this Saturday.
“We are thrilled to offer a schedule that allows our fans to enjoy an unprecedented eight home games in a newly expanded Autzen Stadium,” Athletic Director Bill Moos said. “A slate featuring strong Pac-10 competition will be blended with several non-conference foes that should attract national attention.”
Oregon begins Pac-10 play at Arizona on Oct. 5 before heading back to Pasadena, Calif., for the second-straight year to face UCLA at the Rose Bowl. For the third-straight season, the Ducks are scheduled to visit Pullman, Wash., to battle the Cougars. And after a one-year hiatus, the Oregon-Washington rivalry will resume with the Huskies visiting Autzen.
For future reference, Moos announced that Oregon reached an agreement for a home-and-home series against Purdue in 2008 and 2009. A verbal agreement has also been reached with Colorado (a potential opponent at the Fiesta Bowl this season) for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, as well as Army in 2009 and 2010.