When Tim Day is healthy, Oregon’s offense takes on new dimensions in versatility and potency.
In the games where Day has caught more than three balls, the game against California the exception, the Ducks have posted victories.
Day’s biggest game came against Washington State. He caught eight balls for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the Duck’s 41-38 victory.
His eight catches were his career-best and rank fourth-best among tight ends for a single game, while his 152 yards is third-best all-time by an Oregon tight end.
“Tim Day stepped up,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “We say, we’ve got to go to these guys, we’ve got to make them playmakers.”
Oregon offensive lineman Nick Steitz, seen here against Washington, and teammate Marcus Maxwell have been invited to play in the Las Vegas All-American Classic Jan. 22. Steitz will play his last game at Autzen
Day is the second-leading receiver on the team in yards with 451 and third in receptions with 33. He is first in receiving touchdowns with six.
Senior Ducks named to
postseason all-star teams
Six of the Oregon seniors have been selected to participate in postseason all-star games beginning after the first of the year. Offensive lineman Adam Snyder will play in the Senior Bowl Jan. 29 in Mobile, Ala., and the Hula Bowl Jan. 22 in Maui. Snyder has started the last 20 games at either left tackle, right guard or right tackle while earning all-conference honors last season. He was also named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week following Oregon’s upset victory over Michigan last season. His achievement marked the first time a lineman had been named player of the week since UCLA’s Jonathan Ogden in 1995.
Also participating in Hawaii will be defensive linemen Chris Solomona and Robby Valenzuela, as well as linebacker Jerry Matson.
Wide receiver Marcus Maxwell and offensive lineman Nick Steitz have been invited to play in the Las Vegas All-American Classic Jan. 22.
Solomona scores two
TDs; a rare defensive feat
In addition to being named on all-star rosters, Solomona has been an all-star for the Oregon defensive line. The senior ranks seventh on the team in tackles with 31 on the year and has recorded six tackles for loss for a total of 25 yards. Solomona is third on the team in sacks with three, 1.5 behind teammate Anthony Trucks.
The biggest contribution that Solomona has made has been his two interception returns for touchdowns. It’s a rare thing in football for linemen to score a touchdown, so the fact that Solomona has done it twice is special.
His first one came against Idaho late in the first quarter, where he stepped in front of a Michael Harrington pass and returned it 34 yards for a score.
“It was a great job of disguising coverage,” Bellotti said, “but it was also a good job of getting pressure right in his face.”
His second came against Washington. On a third-and-16, Solomona intercepted a Casey Paus pass and ran it in from 10 yards out.
Whitehead nears 1,000
Oregon junior running back Terrence Whitehead stands on the brink of becoming the 10th player in school history to rush for over a 1,000 yards in a single season. With his 91 yards against Cal last week, Whitehead is now 90 yards shy of 1,000. His
910 yards rushing ranks second in
the conference behind Cal’s J.J.
Arrington. The all-around specialist also ranks 24th nationally in rushing with a 101.1-yard per game average.
Whitehead is fourth in all-purpose yardage in the conference and 22nd nationally, averaging 145.9 yards per game, and is the conference’s leading receiver among running backs with 37 catches. He is also ninth in the conference in receptions per game.
Whitehead is averaging 113.7 rushing yards per game in six conference games this season.
