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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us October 28, 2005 Raiders brace for high-scoring Baker team By Rich Rosenthal For the Tidings Even though an 0-7 record suggests otherwise, the Southern Oregon University football team has shown flashes of its old NAIA playoff-caliber self throughout the 2005 season, and the Raiders hope their offense and defense click simultaneously for the first time Saturday evening. A sizeable crowd is expected at Raider Stadium for the school’s 68th-annual Homecoming contest that pits Southern Oregon against an unfamiliar bedfellow: Baker University. Southern Oregon Interim Head Coach Shay McClure is looking to guide the Raiders past Baker on Saturday. Daily Tidings file photo In addition to fighting for regional pigskin pride, SOU hopes to end a 10-game losing streak and an unprecedented six-game slide at its Ashland digs at the expense of the pass-happy Wildcats (2-6), who are making a 1,900-mile journey from Baldwin City, Kan. via airplane and bus. Although the selection of a plump Homecoming patsy is a thing of the distant past, Southern has historically fared well in the annual marquee home game. The Raiders are 42-23-2 against Homecoming foes dating back to a scoreless tie against Eastern Oregon in 1931. A patsy Baker is not. Winners of two of their past three after an 0-5 start, the Wildcats upset 17th-ranked Missouri Valley, 45-24, on Oct. 8 and forced sixth-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene to overtime before falling the following week. BU, which ranks ninth in the NAIA for passing offense (269.5 yards per game), is coming off a 27-24 win at Heart of America Athletic Conference rival Avila, Mo. Saturday’s contest marks the final home game in the Raider careers of nine seniors: Justin and Brandon Despotakis, Chad Harrell, Chris Hill, Madison Caeser, Curt Stout, Johnny Brown, Dave Tippett and Jason Woody. Southern Oregon’s opponents have thrown an average of 32 passes through seven games, but Baker University might reach that total before halftime Saturday evening. The Wildcats have scored 19 of their 22 touchdowns this season via the pass. The key cogs in the aerial attack are 6-foot-5 sophomore quarterback Kendall Bradley (who is 99-for-198 for 1,306 yards and 11 scores) and receivers Ryan Pitts and Brandon Crosby. Pitts, a 6-5 senior, has 34 catches for 522 yards and six TDs, while Crosby, a 5-10 junior, has 33 grabs for 453 yards and five scores. Despite the high-wire act that has helped produce a healthy 25-point scoring average, the Wildcat ground game is merely a rumor at a Heart of America Conference-worst 72-yard-per-game pace. Making the program’s first trip to the Pacific Northwest, Baker has been challenged defensively and has surrendered at least 24 points in all seven outings. But the suburban Kansas City school surprised Missouri Valley on the road and has lost three games by a total of 10 points, not including a 32-20 overtime setback to former Ashland High all-star quarterback Jimmy Werbin and MidAmerica Nazarene. BU’s roster contains players from 11 different states, including 13 from southern California. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Free Music Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Online Casinos FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products best online casino teleconferencing High-End Gaming Computers Diamonds Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Discounted Website Hostings Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Myspace Layouts Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Student Loans Bonus Casino ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Canadian Pharmacy Casino Gambling Sites Backpacks Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams