Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 23, 2005 Clemens’ future with Oregon looks bleak Duck Notes By RYAN FINLEY for the Mail Tribune TUCSON, Ariz. — Kellen Clemens limped through the back door of Oregon’s locker room, crutches under each arm, following Saturday’s win over Arizona to find a steel chair waiting for him. Clemens, injured left ankle and all, rolled his eyes. "Shoot, I can stand," he said. Whether Oregon’s star quarterback will play again this season is another question altogether. Clemens severely sprained his left ankle when he was sacked with 7:38 left in the third quarter of the Ducks’ 28-21 win. He’ll be out a minimum of six weeks. Dr. Bob Crist, Oregon’s team physician, said Clemens could possibly have a broken left fibula, but won’t know for sure until the quarterback gets X-rayed in Eugene today. Advertisement "I just got rolled up on," said Clemens, who was 10 of 18 for 187 yards and a touchdown at the time of the injury. "We’ll take some X-rays and get it looked at." Did Clemens know he was hurt when it happened? "Before I even hit the ground," he said. The injury sidelined Clemens, one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in UO history, at the worst possible time. Heading into Saturday’s game, Clemens was fourth in the country in total offense with 346.7 yards per game. His passing efficiency of 153.1 was third in the Pac-10 and 15th-best in the nation. More importantly, Clemens’ 6-1 record heading into Saturday’s game had the 15th-ranked Ducks primed for their eighth bowl game in the last 10 seasons. "Clemens’ loss is huge," coach Mike Bellotti said. "He was a playing at a level with the best quarterbacks in the nation. He was finally getting some of the recognition that I think he has deserved for a long time. "I appreciate Kellen as a player and a person, and it’s going to be a tough loss for the team." Bellotti said Clemens’ two backups are capable of leading the team. Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf had mixed results after taking over in the second half. Dixon logged just one carry, an option run, before suffering a concussion that sent him to the locker room. Leaf, the Ducks’ 6-foot-5 sophomore, settled down after throwing an early interception. He finished 5 of 10 for 53 yards. "They trusted me to throw the ball," said Leaf, a cousin of former Washington State and NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. "I made a few mistakes early on, but the whole team stepped up." While Leaf helped cement the win, Clemens was signaling plays to the field from the sidelines, a role he promised to embrace in the upcoming weeks. "It’s kind of weird," he said, his eyes watering. "A lot of guys tell you, ‘Hey, make every moment count. It’s your senior year, and it could be over just like that. "I thought about it, and I think I did." CLEMENS’ INJURY MEANS that first-year offensive coordinator Gary Crowton will have to alter the Ducks’ play-calling in future weeks. With Dixon under center, the Ducks ran more spread option and veer plays to exploit his speed. But when Leaf took over, the Ducks ran almost exclusively basic pass plays to allow Leaf — a drop-back passer with average speed — to get comfortable. Bellotti said Dixon should start in two weeks against California. The Ducks have a bye next Saturday. BELLOTTI WAS ESPECIALLY PROUD of the way his special teams played Saturday, even if it wasn’t always pretty. The Ducks managed a special-teams touchdown when Justin Phinisee broke a 69-yard punt return in the first quarter, and blocked two UA punts down the stretch. They even managed to knock out the Wildcats’ two best special teamers, punter Danny Baugher and returner Syndric Steptoe, with jarring hits. But Oregon missed three key opportunities to widen their lead when walk-on freshman kicker Matt Evensen missed field goals of 36, 40 and 41 yards. Evensen’s struggles are a major change from what the Ducks were used to with Paul Martinez, who was 15 of 19 in field goals before going down with a quadriceps injury two weeks ago. SIX YEARS AGO, Bellotti turned to Joey Harrington to jump-start a stagnate offense in a big game at Arizona Stadium, and came away with a win. UA coach Mike Stoops used a similar strategy in the first quarter Saturday, replacing ineffective quarterback Richard Kovalcheck with true freshman Willie Tuitama. Tuitama, the Wildcats’ top recruit a year ago, finished with 18 of 34 for 182 yards and two touchdowns. "He did a nice job," Bellotti said. "He’s going to be a solid quarterback." Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Advertisement s