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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 21, 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 Prime Times 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 August 12, 2004 As practice kicks off, Beavers remember teammate Players memorialize cornerback Williams, then look ahead to extremely difficult schedule By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune CORVALLIS — Some losses they expected. This one they didn’t. As Oregon State prepared Wednesday to embark on what coach Mike Riley termed a "major time" in its football history, the Beaver players were still putting a major loss behind them. It was only three weeks ago that cornerback Justin Williams, a redshirt freshman, was killed in a car accident near Wilsonville. The 19-year-old wouldn’t have been a star, to be sure, but he was expected to contribute in a secondary considered to be the team’s strength. Advertisement "It’s always sad when you lose a member of your family," said Bill Swancutt, the Beavers’ preseason All-American defensive end. "We are all a family here." OSU players gathered for a memorial service for Williams, a Los Banos, Calif., native, on Tuesday, then were to meet for their first practice the following afternoon in anticipation of a season in which they will be the only team in the country to face the two defending national champions — LSU and Southern Cal. They’ll enter those frays with "JW" stickers on their helmets. "It’s really hard," said senior cornerback Aric Williams. "It just hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s such a surprise. It made me think about things in a different way and how I need to take the opportunity I do have playing for a Division I team and run with it. "I have to give it all I have. I know Justin would want that." He thought ahead to that first game Sept. 4 at LSU. Then he backtracked. The first practice was mere hours away. "We’re used to having him out here with us," said Williams. "I know he’ll never be forgotten through the whole season. At least, not by me. We’re going to play for him. I think that will help us through the season." The Beavers took time to honor the memory of Williams, but their attention will quickly turn to the task at hand. Riley made it clear as he spoke at media day: A schedule sprinkled with national champs, plus another one-loss team from last season — Boise State in Game 2 — and seven bowl teams from 2003 doesn’t present the luxury of tiptoeing into the season. "We literally have to live in the moment this year," said Riley, entering the second year of his second stint here. "We have to take advantage of each day. This is a major time for us. Fall camp will form the identity of our team now. What we do and can do well coming out of fall camp is who we will be." The Beavers will put in upwards of 1,000 plays, he said, the equivalent of an entire season, before the opener. After visiting LSU, OSU then has a short turnaround the following Friday night at Boise State. Both games will be nationally televised on ESPN. "We have to get a lot of work done," said Riley, "to have the poise and confidence it will take to compete in Death Valley (LSU’s home)." Despite the losses they expected — star tailback Steven Jackson, wide receiver James Newson, linebacker Richard Seigler — the Beavers are not without returning talent. They were 8-5 last season, finishing with a 55-14 rout of New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl. Senior quarterback Derek Anderson, whose career has alternately been one of greatness and gaffes, returns as the focal point on offense. A year ago, he became only the second Pac-10 Conference quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards, going for 4,058, which included a school-record 485 against USC. Behind Anderson, the Beavers ranked 10th nationally in total offense, but he also set a school mark with 24 interceptions, some coming at most inopportune times. Not to worry, said senior wide receiver Mike Haas, who joined Newson as a 1,000-yard receiver last season and had two 200 yard-plus receiving games. This is the first time Anderson has entered a season battle-hardened in a specific system. He played little as a freshman, was under Dennis Erickson as a sophomore, then Riley last year. "The more time you have in a system, I mean, look at Carson Palmer," said Haas of the former USC quarterback. "He was really a nobody until his senior year, then he won the Heisman. It’s just a thing of being in the system for a while. "I see big things for him. It’s his senior year, and he has all the physical potential you could ask for." Aside from Haas, center Matt Brock and tackle Doug Nienhuis, Anderson will be surrounded by mostly untested players. They include running back Dwight Wright, a senior slasher who takes over for the powerful Jackson after the latter entered the NFL draft early, and Joe Newton, a sophomore tight end from Roseburg. If the offense takes a while to come around, the defense should take up the slack. The Beaver defense ranked among the nation’s best in 2003 — fourth against the run and seventh overall — and it returns seven starters. Up front, Swancutt, already the school record holder with 25½ sacks, and linebackers Trent Bray and Jonathan Pollard lead the charge. In the backfield, Williams roams with two players on the Jim Thorpe Award "watch list" — safety Mitch Meeuwsen and cornerback Brandon Browner. Two players OSU counted on heavily last year but must now replace are kicker Kirk Yliniemi and punter Carl Tobey. Yliniemi left as the school’s all- time leader in field goals (37) and accuracy (37 of 43). The Beavers play three of their first four games on the road, but if there’s a positive side to what might be their toughest schedule in history, it’s that difficult Pac-10 games are at home: Cal, Washington State, USC and Oregon. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, 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. 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