University of Oregon | Bryan Paysinger
Oregon’s Brian Paysinger is a low-profile wide receiver who is constantly relegated to the shadows. Paysinger was overshadowed by former Duck Demetrius Williams and current Duck James Finley last season, and most of the attention this season has fallen onto the shoulders of fellow wide receiver Jaison Williams, who is having a breakout year.
Nonetheless, despite occasional bouts of inconsistency, Paysinger has made some clutch plays for the Ducks this year, and is second on the team in receiving yards (364).
Against Oklahoma on Sept. 16, Paysinger caught the 23-yard game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Dennis Dixon with 46 seconds left on the clock.
Paysinger also made a 26-yard touchdown catch to help the Ducks to the victory over UCLA.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 208-pound junior from Long Beach, Calif., put up career numbers in the UCLA game when he caught four passes for 105 yards, and a 36.4 yards per reception average.
A knee injury sidelined Paysinger for the early part of last season, but he saw action in the Ducks’ last nine games, and played in the Holiday Bowl.
With a 4.54 40 time, Paysinger is the team’s second-fastest player, and the team’s fastest receiver. His 33.5-inch vertical leap and 455-pound squat also rank him as one of the Ducks’ most athletic players.
– Stefanie Loh
University of Arizona | Antoine Cason
When Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason faces the Ducks this weekend, the Oregon quarterbacks should be wary of where he is on the field at all times.
Last year Cason gave Dennis Dixon a concussion upon his entry into the game that forced Dixon to fumble the ball. Dixon sat out the rest of the game and Cason picked off Brady Leaf’s fourth pass.
So naturally, Cason should be on the mind of the Duck signal-callers after he was a thorn in Oregon’s side.
After earning second-team All-Pacific-10 Conference honors in 2005 and twice earning Pac-10 defensive player of the week this year, Cason has established himself as one of the nation’s top defensive backs.
Against Cal, he made four tackles and returned an interception for a game-winning touchdown which earned him his most recent Pac-10 honor.
But arguably his most impressive feat is that he was rated as the top cornerback in the NCAA Football 2007 video game. Not many people can share that kind of reputation.
“I feel that I’m playing up to that potential,” Cason said in the Arizona Daily Wildcat. “But there’s still some people who think I can play better. And I think I can play better.”
For the Oregon offense, those aren’t the words it wants to hear after how he dismantled the team the last time the two faced each other.
– Jacob May
