Which unit on a football field is the most valuable?
Although the Ducks ranked fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference in total defense (338.9 yards per game average), they ranked eighth in turnover margin and ninth in opponents’ third-down conversions.
“I think that we learned some valuable lessons last year,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “We limited some of the big plays, but we were not as good on third down. We were less of a pressure team and more of a containment team.
“So we are going to try to get a mix and a balance and a blend there, much like
we are going to do on offense, to maximize our effectiveness.”
A new-look offense with a bunch of old faces is eager to turn around Oregon’s fortune from its disappointing last season.
With new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton’s spread offense, a senior quarterback and plenty of talent at skill positions, the Ducks are eager to wash away the memories of the program’s first losing season in 10 years.
“I think the excitement born from new coaches and a new offense is awesome and exciting, but it still all comes down to the basics,” Bellotti said. “I think (the team) understands that we are on a mission this year. We failed to accomplish our goals last year, and this is an opportunity to fix that.”
Last season, the Oregon offense ran hot and cold and finished the year fifth in the Pac-10 in total offense, averaging 397 yards per game. With Oregon’s point production decreasing every season, Bellotti believed a change was needed and hired former BYU coach and offensive specialist Crowton to direct Oregon’s new spread offense.
According to Bellotti, the spread offense will utilize the space on the field to stretch out and put the maximum amount of pressure on the defense. It will usually feature one running back with two wide receivers, a tight end and an H-back, a hybrid position combining the skills of a fullback, tight end and wide receiver.
Bellotti describes it as, “the melding of the Oregon, BYU, Texas Tech, Utah, Northwestern, Bowling Green and I can go on and on because we have borrowed a lot of elements from a lot of things, and it will become the Oregon offense.”
Hit ’em hard
The defense returns 22 lettermen, including seven starters. The defensive line and cornerback positions are stacked with experience and award winners, while the middle of the defense is dealing with new faces.
Seniors Aaron Gipson and Justin Phinisee are key cornerbacks with sophomore Jackie Bates and junior safety J.D. Nelson in the secondary.
“I see our secondary as being our biggest area of strength,” defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. “They’ve played a lot of football.
I think they’ve worked hard to better themselves.”
Gipson, who was thrown onto the field as a true freshman in 2002, is excited about the challenge of shutting down a receiver and will rely on his experience.
The fourth-year starter recorded a team-high four interceptions with 42 tackles last season, earning all-conference honorable mention.
“We want to be the best at whatever we do,” Gipson said. “We want to be considered among the best in the league and in the nation.”
The fuel that feeds the defensive backs on the field is a direct correlation to Gipson’s personal defensive goal.
“I want to have 10 interceptions, and I want to win the Thorpe Award,” Gipson said of the honor as the nation’s best cornerback.
Phinisee moves back to corner after spending the final seven games of last season at rover.
“My love is at corner,” Phinisee said. “I’m just happy to be back and be able to compete on that one-on-one island.”
In the off-season, Phinisee focused on drills to aid his footwork for overall quickness, he said.
Last season’s team leader in deflected passes (six), Phinisee is motivated to push himself and his fellow defensive backs to lockdown each receiver on every play.
“The key to shutting down an offense is to shut down their receivers,” Phinisee said. “If you shut down the passing game, their offense really doesn’t have anything.”
Directly benefiting is the defensive line, where three experienced returnees are preparing to perform multiple sacks.
“I just love it when they let us go,” senior Devan Long said.
Junior Haloti Ngata and Long are the faces of the group and the shoulders that the expectations fall onto.
Ngata has been named to the Outland (nation’s top interior lineman) and the Nagurski (nation’s best defender) Trophy watch lists, while Long will be vying for the school’s career sacks and tackles-for-loss records.
The attention doesn’t faze Ngata, who is focused on teaching by showing.
“I just lead by example,” Ngata said. “I’m really not the yelling type. I’ll just leave that to Devan.”
Long, the outspoken leader on the field and off, enters the season 10 sacks and 12.5 tackles-for-loss yardage away from taking over the all-time career record in both categories.
“I don’t think about it too much and jinx myself,” Long said. “It would be nice to look back when I’m 65 and fat, telling my kid and my next-door neighbor, while I’m washing my car, how cool I was back in the day.”
Ngata, named to the conference’s second team last season, hasn’t been shy about wanting to test the National Football League waters at the conclusion of this season.
“I plan on leaving this year, but I figure if it doesn’t work out as well as I want it to, I’ll be able to stay another year,” Ngata said. “There is no big pressure for me to leave.”
Bellotti referred to the linebacking corps as the question mark on the defense. Senior Anthony Trucks is the only returning member with significant game experience; he was fourth on the team last season in tackles (55).
Sophomore A.J. Tuitele recorded 11 tackles last season, and a handful of inexperienced athletes will compete for the open starting positions.
Aliotti said the linebacking corps is the youngest, least experienced and most unsettled group.
Touchdown fever
Leading the offense again this season will be quarterback Kellen Clemens. The Burns native and all-conference quarterback returns after throwing for 2,548 yards and 22 touchdowns last season for the Ducks. If he gets those kinds of numbers this season, Clemens will easily climb to at least No. 3 all-time at Oregon in passing yards and with 3,195 more he could pass Bill Musgrave as Oregon’s all-time passing leader.
“Kellen’s numbers the last two years have been awesome,” Bellotti said. “His raw numbers would put him in an elite group at any school.”
One position the Ducks should have no problem filling this season is running back. With Terrence Whitehead, who ran for 1,144 yards last season, along with Terrell Jackson, Andiel Brown and blue-chip recruit Jonathan Stewart in the mix, the Ducks will have plenty of options in the backfield.
With all attention on the debut of Stewart, Whitehead said he doesn’t worry about his job.
“I love the competition,” said Whitehead. “Every year I’ve had to compete for the running back spot, so I’m used to it.”
Bellotti said Whitehead will, “be the rock that which we build on.”
“Terrence Whitehead is a bona fide, Pac-10, 1,000-yard ground gainer,” Bellotti said.
Another position full of depth for the Ducks this season will be wide receiver. With the new offense, there will be times when three or four wideouts are on the field at one time, and Oregon appears to have enough depth to fill every one of those positions with quality players.
Looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2004 season, senior Demetrius
Williams will lead the receiving corps into 2005. Even with injuries to his toe and hamstring, he managed to lead the team in receptions with 47 in 2004.
Behind Williams are several young receivers ready for their chance to shine, led by junior college transfer James Finley. The Los Angeles native brings his talents and intensity to the field and is ready to make an
impact.
“One thing I tell Kellen … if all fails, James Finley is open,” he said. “I’m not cocky; I get along with everyone on the team. I just want to win.
“I think it is possible for me to get 80 grabs. … If you throw me the ball 80 times, 78 of them are going to be caught and the other two you are going to overthrow, because I’m going to be open.”
Sophomore Cameron Colvin returns to the Ducks after a freshman season in which he caught 14 passes for 141 yards for two touchdowns. The 6-foot-2 wide receiver has continued to work hard during the offseason and looks to live up to the hype he received as one of the best recruits coming out of high school two years ago.
With a new offense comes a new position, H-back, for the Ducks. Filling that role this season will be Tim Day. Though he has struggled with injuries, Day possesses the talents to be one of the top pass-catchers in the conference. He said his injuries are a thing of the past.
“I’m feeling re-energized. Feeling like I’m young again,” Day said. “I think a lot of people overlook me, but I’m used to that by now.”
Despite the injuries, Day caught 35 balls for 457 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He will once again be a great red zone target for Clemens.
Because of the new offense, Dante Rosario, last season’s fullback, has been moved to tight end. The Dayton native had 25 receptions out of the backfield last season, including six touchdowns.
The biggest question mark for the Duck offense will be the offensive line. It lost three offensive linemen to graduation and will be plugging inexperienced young players into those positions.
Junior center Enoka Lucas and senior guard Ian Reynoso will be the only returnees to a line that gave up a conference-high 41 sacks last season.
Looking to fill some of the holes this season will be junior college transfer Paluni Ma Sun at left guard. Ma Sun, at 6-foot-5 and 365 pounds, is touted as one of the best junior college transfers in the nation, and his size and strength should help give Clemens more time in the pocket.
Ma Sun’s teammate at Fresno City College, Pat So’oalo, also will be pushing for time on the line. Six-foot-5, 340-pound So’oalo will be competing for the right guard position.
At tackle, sophomore Geoff Schwartz and a bevy of freshmen will be competing for the outside spots. Schwartz (6-foot-7, 351 pounds) will be at right tackle and made strides his freshman year to become a starter this season. Freshman Max Unger started fall at the head of the class at the left tackle, but fellow freshmen Jacob Hucko, Jeff Kendall, Aaron Klovas and Mark Lewis will be in the mix for the Ducks.

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