SINCE 1900 | Volume 107, Issue 19 | Friday, September 9, 2005 Montana native Brady Leaf looks to become Oregon’s next great QB | 3 Column:Why the Ducks shouldn’t play Division I-AA schools | 7 Backfield comparison:Whitehead, Hilliard continue to climb charts | 8 PLUS Oregon notes | 6 Montana notes | 7 Pac-10 game of the week | 10 Pac-10 standings, AP Poll | 16 Oregon (1-0) vs.Montana (1-0) Autzen Stadium | Sept.10 12:30 p.m., 590 AM Look for post-game coverage at www.dailyemerald.com 2 | OREGON DAILY EMERALD | Friday, September 9, 2005 Parents, Parents, wewe keepkeep Oregon aims for your your ducksducks healthy.healthy. more touchdowns, HERE’S HOW: Onsite Onsite physiciansphysicians && nursenurse practitionerspractitioners Low Low costcost pharmacypharmacy •• DentalDental ClinicClinic fewer field goals PT PT && SportsSports MedicineMedicine •• AllergyAllergy & & asthmaasthma clinicsclinics •• MentalMental healthhealth servicesservices BY SHAWN MILLER Travel Travel ClinicClinic •• DiabetesDiabetes managementmanagement SPORTS EDITOR Oregon, 9-1 in home openers un- der head coach Mike Bellotti, is looking forward to erasing the bad OPEN DDAILYAILY ANANDD WEEWEEWEEKENDS:KENDS: taste from its mouth after the last Monday MondayMonday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/W/Wednesday//Thursday/F/Friday 8 aa.m.-a.m.- 6 pp.m.p.m. home game, a 34-26 loss to UCLA. Tuesday Tuesday 9 aa.m.-a.m.- 6 pp.m.p.m. The Ducks have that opportunity Saturday SaturdaySaturday/Sunday//Sunday 10 aaa.m.-.m.- 2 ppp.m..m. on Saturday, hosting the University of APPOINT APPOINTMENTSMENTS & AAAFTERFTER HOURS: Montana Grizzlies, a Division I-AA 346 346.2770.2770 school out of the Big Sky Conference. OPEN DURING Typically, a Pacific-10 Conference DURING school matched up against a Division REREMODEL.M CHECCHECK THEODEL. ODE I-AA opponent should be a laugh, K THE O but nobody at Oregon is smiling at FFOROR UPUPDATES!DE DATES! the thought of the Grizzlies. “We are not taking them lightly,” 023029 UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER Oregon cornerback Aaron Gipson http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu said. “We are just going to come out, play hard, play fast and come out with a win.” That is probably for the best after last season’s home-opener debacle, when the Ducks committed seven turnovers in a losing effort to Indiana. “They (Montana) are a darn good football team,” Oregon quarterback GET SUBSCRIBED Kellen Clemens said. “We’ve got to be ready, and after last year we will be.” The loss started the season in a downward spiral, eventually leaving Oregon with its first losing season in 10 years and in Bellotti’s tenure. The lessons were learned, and after be- ginning the season with a victory last week at Houston, the Ducks feel confident that they are headed in the right direction early. Bellotti spent the week focusing on “special teams coverage, kickoff coverage, consistency in where we kick the ball off, no break downs in STEPHEN PINCHBACK | THE DAILY COUGAR the secondary, not giving up the big Quarterback Kellen Clemens will showcase the new Duck offense in front of the home crowd play and a reduction in penalties.” for the first time this season Saturday against Montana. Clemens was the Pacific-10 Offensive Last year the Ducks were flagged Player of the Week after throwing for 348 yards and two touchdowns last week at Houston. for 877 yards and were the worst in the Pac-10, recording an average of 79.7 penalty yards per game. Little changed against Houston; Oregon committed 12 penalties for 105 yards. A lack of experience is what Bellotti said could lead to the miscues. “Every year we are a young team,” Bellotti said. “We have 12 or 13 seniors on this team, which is scary. That is the least I’ve had since the Cotton Bowl year.” Offensively, Bellotti wants pro- ductivity in the red zone, with fewer field goals and more touchdowns. [ available by the academic Despite kicker Paul Martinez’s record-tying effort of five made field goals in six attempts against Hous- term or all year ] ton, touchdowns are worth double the points, and that is what Bellotti wants to see on the scoreboard. “We moved the ball well. We did not score as many touchdowns as Missing the game is bad enough. we would like,” Bellotti said. “We Shane MacIntyre had opportunities in the red zone; leads a balanced we didn’t convert them for a variety defensive attack of reasons.” from the inside Don’t miss out on Game Day coverage too. Two key statistics that show im- linebacker provement are that the Ducks held position. MacIntyre Houston to 31 percent on third- recorded a Call or e-mail to get your subscription started. down conversions, while posting team-high 94 nearly a 50 percent completion rate, tackles last season. PREVIEW, page 12 COURTESY (541) 346-5511 or [email protected] Newsroom (541) 346-5511 Display Advertising (541) 346-3712 Classified Advertising (541) 346-4343 Now in its 14th year, Game Day is published every Friday throughout football season and is distribut ed on campus, at distribution sites around Eugene and at Autzen Stadium the day of home games. Game Day is published by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. The Emerald operates ind ependently of the UO with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. 023023 The independent campus newspaper for the University of Oregon 023020 Oregon Daily Emerald | P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 | www.dailyemerald.com Friday, September 9, 2005 | OREGON DAILY EMERALD | 3 Montana to Oregon Plucked from a talented family, Oregon reserve Leaf also flashed his arm on the track and field team, placing second quarterback Brady Leaf is working to establish himself at state in the javelin competition his sophomore season. “He was an all-around athlete BY LUKE ANDREWS to his older brother. FREELANCE REPORTER and was always out doing some- Similarities between the two are thing,” Johnson said. t is natural to presume that fol- abundant. After his high-school career, of- lowing in the footsteps of a Heis- Brady, like Ryan, possesses ideal fers poured in for Leaf, who was Iman Trophy Finalist, and one of stature for the quarterback position, named the Eastern Conference Of- the Pacific-10 Conference’s all-time standing at 6-foot-5. Both strong- fensive MVP and was named to the prolific passers, would create a bun- armed right-handers were three- Tacoma News Tribunes’ Western dle of added pressure for anybody. sport athletes at C.M. Russell High One Hundred. Not so for Oregon quarterback School in Great Falls, and were Washington State heavily pur- Brady Leaf. coached by Jack Johnson, a state sued Leaf, as did Oregon, Oregon The 6-foot-5, 223 pound Great Falls, coaching legend of 33 years. State, Wyoming and Boise State. Mont., native is the younger brother of “They were both good competi- However, Leaf knew head coach Ryan Leaf, who led the Washington tors,” said Johnson, who won his Mike Bellotti and Oregon would suit State Cougars to the 1998 Rose Bowl 300th game this year. “I thought him best. before his selection in the first round of they’d both pretty much do any- Leaf first became acquainted with the NFL Draft. He is also the third thing to win a game.” Bellotti at the age of nine, when the member of his family to compete in The national scene Ducks’ coach visited the Leaf family the Pac-10, as his cousin Matt Kegel to recruit older brother Ryan. quarterbacked Washington State After witnessing Ryan’s success- “He liked the program, and the during the 2003 season. ful high-school and collegiate ca- facilities are obviously some of the Yet, it is difficult to rattle the calm reers, Brady was eager to make a best,” John Leaf, Brady’s father, and composed demeanor of Brady name and distinguish himself. said. “He also liked the success of Leaf these days, who dismisses any His chance came midway the Oregon program.” notion of extra pressure. through his junior year when C.M. “I wanted to take a different Russell’s starting quarterback was Joining the Ducks path,” Leaf said, referring to his sidelined with a torn anterior cruci- Leaf has seen limited action on choice to play at Oregon instead of ate ligament. Brady started five the field thus far in his first two sea- Washington State. “The coaches games that season and threw for sons at Oregon, but continues to here are great, the players are great, 1,194 yards and 12 touchdowns. contribute as the team’s placeholder and they brought me in as Brady During his senior season, Leaf and scout team member. Leaf, not Ryan’s little brother.” broke out in a major way by He was awarded for his game TIM BOBOSKY | PHOTO EDITOR Leaf’s unruffled manner is repli- throwing for a school record 3,430 preparations four times in his ca- Reserve quarterback Brady Leaf surveys the field at a recent practice. The Montana native cated on the field by his unrivaled yards and 30 touchdowns, leading reer; once in 2004 against Indiana is the third member of his family, behind former Washington State standouts Ryan Leaf poise in the pocket, which under- the Rustlers to the AA State and Matt Kegel, to play in the Pacific-10 Conference. He currently sits third on Oregon’s standably draws many comparisons Championship game. LEAF, page 12 depth chart at quarterback, but hopes to lead the Ducks in the near future. go ducks! GAME GEAR AND SO MUCH MORE... Champs Copeland Sports The Duck Shop Foot Locker Lady Footlocker Lids Join us for late nights! PLUS 120 OTHER GREAT STORES We We offeroffer homemade homemade iceice cream cream andand mediterranean mediterranean Before and after the game visit Chili’s, Honey Baked Ham, Terrace Cafe, cocktails! cocktails! and the Valley River Center Food Pavilion.