Although he didn’t bust the 100-yard mark, Jordan Kent continued to make both figurative and literal strides in his maturation as a wide receiver in the Duck’s loss to Washington State.
Kent caught two touchdown passes in the game, including a catch in tight coverage.
“I thought his catch in the end zone was a huge defining moment for him as a receiver,” coach Mike Bellotti said. “He went up and made a tough catch with people on him, hung on to the football. He’s not done that on downfield catches in his career.”
Although Kent has improved significantly since walking on to team last season, there are still a few kinks that he needs to work out.
“Unfortunately, Jordan dropped the first three passes for him, maybe four,” Bellotti said. “It is still a work in progress, but one that I think will pay dividends for us and will pay dividends for Jordan in the sport of football.”
Defenders return
Defensive linemen Jeremy Gibbs and Sonny Harris are expected to see action against the Vikings. Gibbs has been suffering from an ankle injury since the Oklahoma game and has not played since. Harris, who tore his triceps before the season, will also be ready to play for the first time this season.
Senior defensive end Victor Filipe will use his redshirt after sustaining an elbow injury before the season. Initially, he was expected to miss 6-8 weeks at most, but the injury has continued to linger for so long that Bellotti thought it was in his best interest to sit out for the season.
“He’s not ready to play and we wouldn’t put him back in a situation if he weren’t healthy,” Bellotti said.
Fond Memories
Bellotti and Portland State linebacker DJ Robinson were already well acquainted prior to the Vikings visit to face the No. 25 Ducks Saturday.
Robinson served as Oregon’s ball boy for several years.
“He grew up on our sidelines,” Bellotti said.
Robinson went on to a successful career at Willamette High School and drew interest from Oregon.
“We were debating whether to give him a scholarship or not,” Bellotti said. “We felt, at the time, that we had better people but that he had a chance to become a great football player, which he has.”
Robinson is the team’s second leading tackler with 63 total tackles. He also has five sacks and one interception and was the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week last week in a 34-0 shutout against Eastern Washington.
In-State Rivalry
Oregon has a short history against Portland State and has won its two matches by a combined score of 99-16. The teams last played when the Vikings visited Autzen Stadium and lost 41-0 in 2002. Former Oregon running back Onterrio Smith ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout.
During Bellotti’s tenure at Oregon, the Ducks have a 24-1 non-conference record during home games. The one loss came in a 30-24 upset loss to Indiana in 2004.
[email protected]