Volume 108, Issue 25 | Friday, August 31, 2007 INSIDE 4 Pac-10 Game of the Week For more coverage after the game THIS ISSUE 5 Oregon and Houston notes 6-7 Oregon and Houston lineups www.dailyemerald.com VS SCHEDULEGAME PREVIEWDAY JACOB MAY Sports Reporter Expectations are September 1 With the abundance of opinions, analysis and ANDIEL BROWN Houston, 12:30 high for senior inside knowledge people seem to have about the p.m. upcoming football season, the Oregon football team should have a good idea of what to expect in quarterback its opening game against Houston. September 8 The problem is, however, the Ducks (7-6 overall, at Michigan, Dennis Dixon 4-5 Pacific-10 Conference in 2006) don’t even know 12:30 p.m. who the starting quarterback for the Cougars (10-4, (left) and the 7-1 Conference USA 2006) is going to be. September 15 But that’s likely part of the strategy employed by Ducks, who open Houston coach Art Briles. He’ll keep Oregon coach Fresno State, Mike Bellotti guessing by revealing nothing until 3:30 p.m. their campaign the first snap of the game. “We’re not really sure what Houston is going to Year: September 22 do,” Bellotti said. “I do know they’re going to run a Senior against the Major: at Stanford, lot of different plays.” Music 7:00 p.m. defending It certainly makes Bellotti’s job that much tough- Position: Running back/ er because he considers the quarterback the focal Punt returner point of the Houston offense. Height: September 29 Conference-USA 5’10” “The key to Houston is their quarterback,” Bel- Weight: 198 California, 12:30 lotti said. “Whoever plays quarterback, if they’re High School: p.m. champions, the Cleveland High the same caliber as (former Houston quarterback) (Portland, Ore.) Houston Cougars CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CHRISTIN PALAZZOLO | Emerald Archives “This year I’m just trying to stay focused, BY THE NUMBERS and that’s focused on 4 Ducks’ spiritual leader aims football, focused on Oregon’s spirituality and focused current losing on my team.” streak, dating to be special teams leader to last season — Andiel Brown, Senior running back and locker room leader Andiel Brown will return punts senior running back 5 Number of years since Oregon KEVIN HUDSON last won a bowl Sports Reporter game Special teams miscues were a major theme of the 2006 Oregon foot- 26 ball season. Among those miscues Number of years since Houston were several fumbled punt returns, last won a bowl culminating in a pair of dropped punts game in a 37-10 home loss to the Arizona Wildcats Nov. 18. 8 This season, the Ducks will put their Number of attempted faith in senior running back Andiel passes Brown to secure possession of the ball combined by Houston’s po- on punt returns. Just as important to tential starting Brown is that his teammates have put quarterbacks their faith in him as the team’s spiri- 13,715 tual leader as well. Yards of total “I’ve orchestrated a number of offense com- prayers in the dorms while we’ve been piled by former Houston quar- in camp and organized a lot of things terback Kevin in that regard just looking after the Kolb in his Senior running team spiritually,” said Brown. “I feel back Andiel career. Brown contrib- that’s my greatest contribution, even utes to this sea- more than what I’m able to do on punt son’s football 8 team as both Consecutive returns.” the first-string losses for Hous- punt returner ton to Pac-10 Brown has been organizing these and spiritual teams. Their prayer meetings during fall camp for leader. His fall last win was camp prayer the last three seasons and they have meetings have against Arizona grown in popu- State in 1990. grown steadily each year. In the first larity among year, Brown said he was lucky to get the players over the last three 10.1 five people to the meetings. In the sec- camps to now yards per-rush include more for Houston ond year he said he was lucky to get 10. than 20 of his running back teammates Anthony turn to BROWN, page 3 most nights. Alridge CONNER JAY | Emerald Archives 2 OREGON DAILY EMERALD FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2007 GAME PREVIEW NEWS STAFF ADVERTISING (541) 346-5511 (541) 346-3712 FORECAST LAURA POWERS LINDSEY FERGUSON Sunny Editor in Chief Advertising Director High 81 Low 54 DOUG BONHAM TARA SLOAN Precipitation: 20 percent Sports Editor Asst. Advertising Director KEVIN HUDSON JACOB MAY BRYAN DAVIDSON Sports Reporters KELLEY JOHNSON BRENNA CHEYNEY HILARY JONES HEAD-TO-HEAD Photo Editor EBONY LAWRENCE Oregon Houston JAROD OPPERMAN KELLI MAKS Photographer STACEY STEWART OffENSE Sales Representatives 29.5 Points 33 ASHLEY CHASE Designer BUSINESS 423.2 Total yds. 446.1 RYAN HEIDT (541) 346-5511 Graphic Artist 182.2 Rushing 168.3 BRYN JANSSON JUDY RIEDL General Manager 241 Passing 277.8 KATIE MICHAEL Copy Editors KATHY CARBONE 1st Downs 311 Business Manager 306 PRODUCTION MATT SHARKEY 48% 3rd Down 44% (541) 346-4381 Fundraising & Development Associate MICHELE ROSS 32 Turnovers 16 Production Manager AMANDA BURHOP Administrative Assistant DEFENSE BRIANNE BEIGH 26.5 Scoring 23.5 Creative Services Supervisor KEVIN BONNINGTON ADAM RYAN JAY TLOUGAN 322.1 Total 351.4 Advertising Designer Distribution 148.6 Rushing 143.4 Game Day is published every week throughout football season by the Oregon Daily 173.5 Passing 208 Emerald Publishing Co., the independent campus newspaper at the University of Oregon. Copyright 2007. Game Day is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding commu- nity, and is read by more than 20,000 Duck fans. For home games, an additional 10,000 copies are distributed at Autzen Stadium, reaching more than 40,000 WHAT TO additional readers. WATCH FOR If you’d like to reach this market, call our Advertising Department at (541) 346.3712 or visit our office in 300 Erb Memorial Union. The newly motivated, 17315 and finally healthy, wide receivers for the Ducks. The corps always had the talent, but the crew haven’t strung together stellar games with any sort of consistency. QUOTE OF ChrIstIN PALAZZOLO | Emerald Archives THE GAME Senior quarterback Dennis Dixon looks to regain his early 2006 season form, rather than his “They don’t know what interception-prone final six games. we’re going to do. We don’t know what they’re going to do. We just read Dixon confirmed as the the paper and hope you guys get it right.” — Mike Bellotti, starter for the Ducks Oregon head coach We screen print and Continued from page 1 With Dixon leading the way, an average of 10.1 yards per car- four-game losing streak that left Kevin Kolb, it’s going to be a Bellotti believes the Oregon de- ry and finished the season with doubts about what the team is embroider t-shirts heck of a football game. If not, fense should be well prepared 956 yards. Midway through the capable of this year. obviously it’s to our advantage. to face whatever Houston can 2006 season, Alridge switched “It’s nice to finally get a and sweatshirts, etc. Everything they do is quarter- throw at them because the from part-time receiver to the chance to play another team, back driven. I mean, they run Ducks’ version of the spread of- starting running back. In his figure out how good you are for fraternities, sororities, every trick play but the quarter- fense offers plenty of variables sophomore season Alridge and what you need to work on back is the trigger man.” that may reflect some of the caught his first career pass and what you’re going to do Cougars’ strategies. against the Ducks and proceed- better this year,” Bellotti said. dorms, etc. Kolb, who was drafted in the “They run some elements ed to run it into the endzone “We can be pretty good but I second round of this year’s NFL of the option, they run a lot of for a 62-yard score. He finished think we have to prove that to 1145 W. 1st Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 Draft by the Philadelphia Ea- screens, they run a spread of- the game with 103 yards on ourselves in the first game.” gles, will be replaced by either fense, but they do a lot more. three receptions. Proving something to them- 686-5890 gh9 A.M. - 6 P.M. M-F sophomore quarterback Blake They have a million formations “I think he’s very dangerous. selves isn’t the only thing the 12447 Joseph, who threw a com- and a million different plays. He’s an all-purpose back,” Bel- Ducks have to do. After be- bined 56 yards in two games They barely repeat a play in a lotti said. “He can catch the ball, ing predicted to finish sixth in last year, or redshirt freshman game,” Bellotti said. “It’s just a he runs the ball. He’s got power the Pac-10, Oregon believes it Case Keenum. matter of how well they do.” and quickness and their offense has something to prove to the The Ducks, however, won’t In the 2005 season-opener is so deceptive that it’s hard entire nation. keep their quarterback situation Houston did well early on as the to determine a pure running “We always have something up in the air. They want to let Ducks struggled to contain the formation from them.” to prove no matter where we opponents and fans know that Houston offense allowing 21 And with the health of stand,” junior linebacker John senior Dennis Dixon is the start- first-quarter points while giving the defense in question, Bel- Bacon said.