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SOU looking to make it five straight by Kris Henry Five missed field goals. Three interceptions deep in your opponent's territory. A triple-overtime loss. Those are the kind of stats that leave football coaches frothing at the mouth and eager for revenge. Just don't put SOU head coach Jeff Olson in that category. Olson's Raiders posted those exact numbers in last year's 27-24 loss to Willamette, but there has been no talk of revenge for fifth-ranked SOU (4-0) heading into Saturday's Homecoming game against the Bearcats. "I've really tried to stay away from looking back in the last couple years because when you talk about revenge, you're talking about a negative," says Olson, "and I'm not going to do that." Willamette (3-1) enters Raider Stadium unranked but still a threat thanks to its fly offense. The Bearcats lead the Northwest Conference in scoring (29.8 points per game) and rushing (279.5 yards per game). "They're just hammering people on the ground," says Olson. "You can stop 'em and stop 'em and then they just break one loose on you." Sophomore flanker Greg Reed (5-foot-8, 165 pounds) has proven to be the ointment that gets the fly offense moving. Reed rushed 15 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 32-20 win over Chapman University, earning him a share of offensive player-of-the-week honors in the Northwest Conference. Reed's four TDs were all consecutive, upping Willamette's 10-7 lead to 38-7 off runs of 20, 27, 1 and 27 yards. "He's the real deal," says Olson. "He's becoming their big-play guy. He's a real slasher and is very fast." Willamette will try to use its running attack to catch SOU off guard for a pass or two, but that may be it for the Bearcats. Starting quarterback Tyler Gaspard completed only one pass last weekend, but it went for a 42-yard score to sophomore Dustin Arn. "They get you thinking run, thinking run, thinking run and show you the same action and then a guy just sneaks out," says Olson. "When they hit their passes, quite often the people are wide open." The chore for SOU's defense will be to maintain assignments. "Breakdowns are going to cost you in any game, but against this offense, breakdowns are going to really cost you," says Olson. With Travis Mari settled in as SOU's quarterback, there won't be too many surprises about him taking to the air. Mari has completed almost 70 percent of his passes (64-for-92) for 832 yards and nine touchdowns. More importantly, he has been intercepted only twice this season. Led by free safety Matt Benjamin, Willamette will try to test Mari's marksmanship. The Bearcats have intercepted a Northwest Conference-leading 10 passes, with Benjamin pulling down two to go with seven tackles last week. Two players familiar to the area should also see playing time: Ken Halpin and Blake Cam. Halpin, a former North Medford High standout, came off the bench to record six tackles last week, while Cam, a freshman from Eagle Point, is listed as a backup defensive tackle. All the Bearcats will have their hands full - or maybe empty - in a matchup with SOU tailback Dusty McGrorty. The sophomore is coming off an impressive five-TD, 110-yard effort in the Raiders' 62-7 rout of Puget Sound. In limited action due to SOU's early leads and a case of bruised ribs, McGrorty has still rushed for 359 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.