The most successful teams in college football are often the ones led by a single, confident quarterback.
When a team rotates its signal callers, offensive rhythm can be disrupted and confidence can be crushed. It has been said that a team with two quarterbacks, in reality, has none.
Last year, Oregon fell into the category of teams with two quarterbacks. The Ducks rotated sophomore Kellen Clemens and senior Jason Fife with mixed results.
By the end of the season, however, Clemens took over the job and had the best performance of his career in the Sun Bowl, completing 32 of 42 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in a slim Oregon loss. In all, Clemens threw for 2,400 yards and 18 touchdowns, while taking about 70 percent of the snaps.
Clemens enters the 2004-05 season as Oregon’s undisputed choice at quarterback, and if his display at the end of last season was a sign of things to come, the Ducks’ offense will be in good shape.
“Kellen’s performance during the latter stages of last year was very encouraging,” head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I think that’s important to the psyche of the team.”
With the departure of Fife, Clemens is now the position’s
elder statesman.

“I tried to assert myself this off season a little bit more,” Clemens said. “I learned a lot about being the old quarterback over the course of the summer and have decided that there’s a lot about leading and being the old guy that I still don’t know and that’s going to be one of the challenges that I’ll try to step up to and meet — how to lead and being the old guy now.”
Clemens will have plenty of weapons at his disposal because Oregon returns several key players on offense.
A committee of running backs will once again carry the Ducks’ ground attack. Junior Terrence Whitehead separated himself from the pack last season and will likely be the go-to-back of a group that also features seniors Kenny Washington and Ryan Shaw and sophomore Chris Vincent. The addition of freshman Terrell Jackson, a SuperPrep and PrepStar All-American, gives Bellotti yet another option.
“I think the group provides us with a solid running game,” Bellotti said. “Our running game last year was efficient. We would like to make it more explosive. That can be achieved either by personnel, selection or scheme.”
The loss of Samie Parker, Oregon’s all-time leading pass catcher, leaves the receiver position open for new stars to emerge. Junior Demetrius Williams will be asked to step up and assume the role of Oregon’s top target after a promising sophomore campaign. Seniors Marcus Maxwell and Keith Allen, sophomores Jordan Carey and Kyle Weatherspoon and redshirt freshmen Garren Strong and Brian Paysinger will also contribute.

The position also features a pair of talented newcomers in Cameron Colvin and Jaison Williams. Rivals.com rated Colvin, of De La Salle High School, the No. 2 wide receiver prospect in the nation, while Williams was a SuperPrep All-American.
The offensive line will be solid with the return of senior tackles Adam Snyder, Michael DeLaGrange and Robin Knebel, senior guard Nick Steitz and junior guard Ian Reynoso. Sophomore center Enoka Lucas will battle for the position opened by the departure of Dan Weaver. Junior Tim Day gives the Ducks a legitimate pass-catching threat at tight end.
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