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Civil War brings back fond memories for Jenson Former Oregon tackle received the game ball following 1984 tilt against Oregon State By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Steve Jenson played in one of the most memorable, and infamous, games in Civil War history. On a bitterly cold, windy and snowy day at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 19, 1983, Oregon and Oregon State battled to a 0-0 tie. Someone dubbed the game the "Toilet Bowl," an appropriate designation that has stood the test of time. "I remember walking off the field thinking that we had lost, because that's what it felt like," says Jenson, a Grants Pass middle school teacher and football coach who attended Wednesday's Duck Club Civil War luncheon at the Red Lion in Medford. It was an ugly game between two ugly teams on an ugly day, but Jenson had better days ahead. Oregon's starting left tackle came back the following season to help the Ducks to a 6-5 record - their first winning season since 1980 and only their second winning campaign since 1970. He helped lay the groundwork for Oregon teams that finished at, near or above the .500 mark for the remainder of the decade. The Ducks' breakthrough season came in 1989, when they finished 8-4 and appeared in their first bowl game in 26 years. Oregon has since gone on to eight more bowl games. "I think our group helped set the table for the winning teams that followed," Jenson says. "We had some great players - guys like Chris Miller, Lew Barnes, Gary Zimmerman and Mike Walter, who all went on to play in the NFL. "All we needed was a couple more." Jenson's fondest memories during the 1984 season were a 20-18 victory over UCLA that knocked the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl and the season-ending 31-6 romp over the Beavers in Corvallis that clinched the winning season. Jenson got the game ball following the Ducks' Civil War victory. He had started the game at tackle but had to move to center midway through the first quarter when starting center Ken Warner - Jenson's roommate - went down with a concussion. "I had played center a little during practice because I was one of the backups at that position," Jenson says. "But it was still nerve-wracking at first. A lot of things can go wrong - the snap, for one thing." But Miller and Jenson never mishandled the center-to-quarterback exchange and Jenson had one of the best games of his career. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti spoke via speaker phone to the roughly 300 fans who attended Wednesday's luncheon. Bellotti said he was a bit concerned about the Ducks' long layoff - they haven't played since their 21-20 victory over UCLA on Nov. 10 - but doesn't think it will affect their performance Saturday. "We've got fresh legs and a spring in our step," he said. "From a health standpoint, it's been a good thing." Bellotti said the only player ailing is offensive tackle Adam Snyder, who stepped in a hole Thanksgiving Day and sprained an ankle. He's questionable for Saturday's game. Although the weather forecast for Saturday is cool and sunny, the Ducks are preparing for the worst. "Our top priority will be to run the football," Bellotti said. "We're the top running team in the conference and we think we can have success Saturday. "The passing game may be limited if the weather is bad. We've been working on the short stuff in anticipation of that." Bellotti said the other priorities for Oregon are to stop OSU's running game and to excel at special teams. "You've got to handle snaps and get your kicks off in a game like this," he said. "Special teams can win it or lose it, especially in bad weather. We've been spending extra time on them in practice this week." Oregon Athletic Director Bill Moos , who attended Wednesday's luncheon, said the renovation and expansion of Autzen Stadium will begin at 6 a.m. Monday. The $89.7 million project will expand the stadium's capacity from 41,698 seats to 53,900. The stadium was built in 1967 at a cost of $2.5 million. "We're going to have the finest showplace in the Pac-10 Conference," Moos said. Moos said that the NexTurf playing surface that was installed earlier this year will be transported to an airplane hangar in Moses Lake, Wash., during the renovation. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.