Document text
50 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 3, 2003 Re-tooled Raider defense gets back to basics By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Whether you’re in a spelling bee or merely talking football, you would be correct to note that there is no "D" in Southern Oregon. At least not yet. In two games against Linfield and Humboldt State, the 24th-ranked Raiders have allowed an average of 479 yards of total offense — 748 passing yards overall. "It’s been a little frustrating, to be honest with you," SOU senior defensive lineman Garret Gelker says of his team’s slow start. "It’s been humbling, but we’ve played two excellent football teams." Advertisement Not surprisingly, SOU is 0-2 and in need of some serious adjustments if the Raiders are to maintain their fleeting NAIA playoff hopes. Gelker assures that adjustments have most certainly been made on the defensive side of the ball as SOU heads into a 6 p.m. contest Saturday at the University of San Diego. "We’ve taken a lot of confusion out of the defense," says the 6-foot-1, 225-pound NAIA All-American. "We still have a very large defensive playbook, but we’ve taken out some of the complications in assignments and gone more simplified." "There’s so much talent on the defense," he adds, "we’ve just got to find a way to harness it." That scaled-down attack has already reaped rewards during practice this week. "There’s less confusion so guys are concentrating more on playing football and running around and knocking heads than whether they’re lined up right," says Gelker. "That’s going to be good for us because when things just start becoming second nature, that’s when everything really starts to click." And Gelker and the Raiders realize there’s no time like the present to start clicking. "We just need to get that one win under our belt to let us know that we are as good as we need to be (to make the playoffs)," he says. "The good thing is, like coach (Jeff) Olson says, we hold our playoff chances in our own hands. Nobody’s really anxious or freaking out yet because the season is still up for grabs. It’s right on our doorstep, we just need to converge on it." To make the playoffs, SOU must finish among the top 16 in the NAIA’s final poll and be the highest-ranked independent. Entering this weekend, SOU trails independent mates Azusa Pacific (No. 8) and Southern Nazarene of Bethany, Okla. (No. 17). Both teams are on SOU’s schedule, with the Raiders hitting the road Oct. 18 to face Azusa Pacific and Nov. 1 at Southern Nazarene. Neither of those games will matter much if the Raiders don’t take care of business Saturday, so SOU’s focus is on San Diego and the challenging Toreros. "They’re definitely going to be a handful, but we want it," says Gelker. "We want to play the good teams because it sharpens us and lets us know how good we are and need to be." Led by 6-foot-3 senior quarterback Eric Rasmussen, the NCAA Division I-AA Toreros (3-1) are averaging 462.2 yards per outing, including 285 through the air. Rasmussen has thrown for 1,097 yards on 72-for-122 passing, with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. He ranks third nationally for pass efficiency and 10th for total offense and is 241 yards and five TDs away from breaking school records. The Raiders just hope they’re not broken Saturday. "We’re really just going to come out blazing," says Gelker. "If we’re ever going to do it, it’s gotta be now." Sophomores Nick Garton and Adam Hannula, who each have six TD receptions through four games, head San Diego’s receiving corps. Garton ranks fifth among Div. I-AA players for receiving yards (111.25 per game) on 24 grabs for 445 yards, while Hannula has hauled in a team-high 26 catches for 366 yards. Another sophomore, running back Evan Harney, helps complete the Toreros’ spread attack with a division-best 149.8 yards per game and seven touchdowns. On defense, San Diego is allowing 306 yards per game (185 passing, 121 rushing). In the only previous meeting between the two schools, SOU won 31-10 last year as tailback Dusty McGrorty rushed 37 times for a career-high 231 yards and two TDs. Safety Brad Kudlac, a Raider senior last year, earned NAIA player of the week honors by picking off two passes and recovering a fumble as SOU outgained the Rasmussen-led Toreros, 416 yards to 282 overall. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times