Samie Parker played just a few snaps, recording only one catch. Keenan Howry, recovering from shoulder surgery, stood on the sideline in street clothes. Onterrio Smith — rushing for just five yards — maybe should have.
Oregon’s offensive stars were MIA at the team’s first spring scrimmage Saturday at the Moshofsky Center, where an experienced defense held the offense to just one touchdown and one field goal during the 90-minute session.
“The defense is ahead right now, and they typically are in the first couple scrimmages,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said. “I was impressed that we had five or six guys flying around the ball. I was impressed with the collisions out there today. We continued to play fast defensively, and I like that.”
In the battle for the starting quarterback spot, no one stood out — Bellotti said nothing will change in the depth chart this week — as the three signal callers combined for two interceptions and no touchdowns. Junior Jason Fife completed 3-of-7 passes for 24 yards, redshirt freshman Kellen Clemens was 6-for-10 for 60 yards and sophomore Scott Vossmeyer was 5-for-11 for 49 yards.
“The defense always is (ahead), but that doesn’t excuse our offensive performance,” Fife said. “I made some good decisions, but I would’ve liked to do more.”
Clemens, No. 2 in the depth chart behind Fife, showed the most promise — and excitement — before throwing an interception to safety Stephen Clayton, who made the catch and returned it for a touchdown.
“At times I did well, but there were times I could’ve done better,” Clemens said.
Redshirt freshman Justin Phinisee, starting at cornerback with junior Steven Moore, intercepted a Vossmeyer pass in the scrimmage.
“Between Justin and Courtney Miller, there’s a lot of competition out here,” Moore said of the two open cornerback spots. “But we’re all making each other better.”
Four Ducks — Kai Smalley, Tate Pittman, Ramone Reed and Phinisee — recorded four tackles, with Darrell Wright and David Martin tallying quarterback sacks. Sophomore tackle Robby Valenzuela hit Vossmeyer in the end zone for a safety.
“The pocket doesn’t last long with our guys,” Bellotti said of the defensive pressure on the quarterback.
A pair of walk-ons led the offensive in rushing and receiving. Matt Stewart scored the lone touchdown of the day on a 43-yard run. He finished with 59 yards on six carries. Eleven receivers tallied two catches, with Jon Lucchesi picking up a team-best 20 yards total.
In limited action, Smith had five carries for five yards. Backup tailback Allan Amundson — who also competed in the Washington Dual for the track team Saturday afternoon — had a game-high 11 carries for 33 yards.
Punter Jose Arroyo hit the only field goal of the day, a 34-yard shot. Placekicker Jared Siegel, last year’s starter, barely missed a 50-yard attempt and had a 42-yard try blocked by Miller.
“Offensively, we lost a lot of steam from things we had been working on in the last six or seven practices,” Bellotti said.
Penalties, to say the least, hampered the Ducks’ efforts Saturday — on both sides of the ball. A total of 119 penalty yards were assessed by the men in zebra stripes, 64 yards on five defensive penalties and 55 yards on seven offensive penalties.
Perhaps the most impressive play of the day came from Clemens, who after scrambling around several defenders hit walk-on Aaron Baker, who dove into the end zone for a touchdown. The play, however, was called back on a penalty.
“We need to clean up a lot of things, including our demeanor on the field,” Bellotti said. “We’re not where we want to be right now.”
Injuries: Defensive end Kevin Mack may have torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Bellotti said. Offensive tackle Adam Snyder also went down with a knee injury, but Bellotti said it only appeared to be a strain. Walk-on linebacker Matt Haliski separated his shoulder during practice prior to the scrimmage.