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CLEAR Temp: 63 °F Wind: WNW at 6 mph Friday, August 30, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend August 9, 2002 Outgoing QB Smith not done guiding OSU fortunes Commentary By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune CORVALLIS — Jonathan Smith doesn’t know what it’s like to be 6-foot-6 and weigh 235 pounds. That’s left to Oregon State sophomore Derek Anderson. Smith does, however, know the intricacies of being the Beavers’ quarterback. And that’s something Anderson has yet to pin down, causing some concern as Oregon State heads into the 2002 season. Enter Smith, who spent the past three years guiding coach Dennis Erickson’s team to heights not reached since the days of Terry Baker, Tommy Prothro and Dee Andros in the 1960s. Last season, Smith completed his OSU career ranked third in Pacific-10 Conference in passing and total offense and ninth in touchdown passes. If there’s an OSU passing record, rest assured that Smith’s name is attached to it. As a graduate assistant coach this season, Smith’s new goal is to pave the way for Anderson’s name to top those very same lists. And although most egos would cringe at that prospect, Smith welcomes the role with open arms. "I’ve really enjoyed the switch to coaching so far," says Smith. "I’m continuing to learn each day, and that excites me. "I think Derek’s very talented, and I’d be really surprised if he didn’t have a great career. Hopefully, I can help him in some way." Although Smith will have his fair share of film work and organizational duties, the key to this season will be his working relationship with Anderson and the other OSU quarterbacks under offensive coordinator Tim Lappano. "What Jonathan can do is be another guy to run things off of who just got done playing," says Erickson. "We can tell Derek and coach him, but, if he wants to, he can go to Jonathan, and I think that will make a difference. "He’ll ask Jonathan questions he won’t ask us, which is good. That gives him someone he can go to that he trusts and knows was just out there doing it." That relationship was formed last season when Smith gave way to Anderson during games late in the season. Instead of bemoaning his role on the sidelines, Smith embraced it and spent his time as a second set of eyes on the field. "Any time I have some insight I’ve learned over the past few years, I’m going to voice that," says Smith, "and that’s what I’ve been told to do by the coaching staff. Derek’s been pretty receptive to that, as have all the quarterbacks. I hope they value my experience because I made plenty of mistakes and, hopefully, they can go to spots and not make the same ones." Anderson, for one, has found his mentor’s words of wisdom invaluable thus far. "It’s nice to compare what he sees and what I see out there," says the sophomore. "It’s always nice to have somebody else’s opinion on what’s going on and what you can improve on. "He understands where I’m coming from and I understand where he’s coming from since we just played together. If we’re thinking and seeing the same things, then that’s hopefully good." While Anderson is supremely confident in his abilities, his mental game hasn’t caught up to his physical tools at this stage in his OSU career. "I think that’s where he’ll be able to help me out the most," adds Anderson. "He understands the offense enough to help me out. I just need to get out there and become fluid with it all, and that’s just something I need to practice on." And while the two may be inseparable this season, Smith clearly wants Anderson to walk his own walk at OSU. "Derek asks a lot of questions, and I voice my opinion a lot, but there’s also a careful line because you don’t want to throw so much at him that it hinders his talent," says Smith. "You don’t want him out there thinking too much because when his talent takes over, he’s really, really good." So good, in fact, that Smith doesn’t think Beaver fans should be concerned over the replacement of him at quarterback, or even Steven Jackson’s takeover at tailback for Ken Simonton. "Replacing Ken Simonton, and I suppose myself, those are some big shoes to fill, but both of those kids have big feet, if you know what I mean," says Smith. "They’ve got all the talent in the world. When you look at Steven Jackson, that guy’s a phenom, and Derek is right there with him. Derek can take the offensive to a level that I could not." ALTHOUGH ANDERSON and Jackson are the marquee talents, nothing will happen this season without another sophomore, former Roseburg High standout Matt Brock. Brock takes over at center this season for fellow Indian grad Chris Gibson, who was an all-Pac-10 honoree as a senior last year. "You can talk about having a quarterback and tailback, but none of that matters if you don’t have an offensive line," says Erickson. "If you’re pretty good on the offensive line, then you’re going to have a chance to be successful." Brock, a first-team all-state selection on both offense and defense, was also selected as the Southern Oregon Conference’s defensive player of the year as a senior at Roseburg. Erickson brought him in solely to become his team’s center, and that maturation process has helped Brock blossom to 301 pounds on his sturdy, 6-2 frame. "Matt Brock’s really athletic, and I really like where he’s at right now," says Erickson. "He’s going to do a good job for us in replacing Chris." For his part, Brock credits Gibson for putting him in the position he is heading into the 2002 campaign. "Chris kind of showed me little tricks of the trade out there and took me under his wing a little," says Brock. EVEN THOUGH freshmen rarely make enough of an impression to earn playing time in their first true collegiate season, that’s all thrown out the window when it comes to Joe Newton. Another former Roseburg standout, the 6-6, 231-pound tight end has wasted little time making an impression on Erickson and his staff. In fact, his was the first name brought up when the OSU coach spoke of newcomers. "With the freshmen, you just don’t know," said Erickson, "but I’ve been very, very impressed with Joe Newton. He’s been aggressive out there at tight end, and we’ll see how it goes when he gets out there with everybody else. The speed of the game will pick up for him when he has to break away from someone like Richard Seigler, so we’ll know in about 10 days where he’ll be." Oregon State’s preseason practice runs through Aug. 21, with the first contact in practice slated Sunday and scrimmages set Aug. 14, Aug. 17 and Aug. 21. Although junior Tim Euhus is penciled in as the starting tight end right now, Erickson isn’t counting out the prospect of Newton roaming the field in a position currently eight-deep. "What was a weakness for us last year at tight end has become a strength for us in terms of depth," says the coach. "I envision us running two tight end sets and changing things up this season because of that." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S