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74 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 12, 2004 For now, Faaeteete bides time on sideline By DON HUNT Mail Tribune EUGENE — David Faaeteete stood along the Oregon sideline Saturday, helmet in hand, anxiously awaiting his opportunity to take the field against Indiana. It never came. However, the true freshman from North Medford High is expected to get in plenty of snaps before the season is out. Thanks to a strong fall camp, the 6-foot-2, 299-pound Faaeteete moved his way up the depth chart to No. 4 at defensive tackle. "David will play," Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said following Saturday’s 30-24 loss to Indiana. "He’s very raw at this point, and he’s still making a lot of mistakes. You’ve got to remember he’s only been with us for three weeks. Advertisement "But he’s a strong, explosive kid. He’s been fun to watch in practice." Redshirt sophomore Haloti Ngata, the Ducks’ 6-5, 345-pound mountain of a man, holds down one defensive tackle spot and 6-2, 310-pound senior Robby Valenzuela occupies the other position. Matt Toeaina, a 6-3, 285-pound sophomore, is currently next on the DT list and he had a solid game Saturday with one sack and two tackles for losses. "I think the main thing with David is he needs to get his pads lower," Bellotti said. "He could throw people around in high school, but at our level he needs to be more disciplined." QUARTERBACK DAVID DIXON , another of Oregon’s prized freshman class, got his feet wet Saturday when he replaced Clemens for one series midway through the second quarter. Dixon ran twice for 4 yards and then underthrew a slant pass on third down. Had the Ducks won in a blowout, he likely would have returned for another series or two. But he’s emerged as the Ducks’ backup signal-caller, beating out redshirt freshmen Johnny DuRocher and Brady Leaf, thanks in large part to his quickness and his ability to run. "That was the plan all along," Bellotti said of his decision to insert Dixon for one series. "Kellen is the only quarterback we’ve got who had taken a snap prior to today." WITH STARTING TIGHT END Tim Day still nursing a stress fracture in his foot, backup defensive end Nate LiaBraaten found himself starting on offense Saturday. The 6-5, 256-pound junior dropped the first pass that came his way, but latched onto the next one for 12 yards. OREGON PUNTER Paul Martinez, who finished last in the Pac-10 Conference last season when he averaged just 37 yards per boot, shanked his first two punts for 28 and 13 yards Saturday. That prompted Bellotti to insert junior college transfer David Dittman, who averaged 36.4 on his four attempts. OREGON’S KICKING WOES Saturday extended to the normally reliable Jared Siegel, who missed a 35-yard field goal with 4:33 to play that would have pulled the Ducks to within 30-27. Oregon faced a third-and-five play at the Indiana 18 and could have opted to go for it on fourth down. Bellotti defended his decision. "Our defense was playing so well in the second half and I figured they’d get the ball back to us again, which they did," he said. Bellotti also didn’t anticipate Siegel’s kick sailing wide to the left. He had made 40 of 55 field-goal attempts during his career and 14 of 16 between 30 and 39 yards prior to the miss. Siegel also had one of his kickoffs returned 98 yards for a touchdown Saturday. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, 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 © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities