Document text
Raiders hope to continue winning ways SOU looking to become just the fourth team in school history to start the season 4-0 By KRIS HENRY On paper, Saturday's football game between Southern Oregon and Puget Sound is a mismatch. After an impressive 3-0 start to the season, the fifth-ranked Raiders find team members all over the NAIA national rankings of statistical leaders. Rankings for Puget Sound (0-2) are of the more dubious sort, with the Loggers coming up last for offense and defense in the Northwest Conference listings. While the two teams appear headed in opposite directions, SOU coach Jeff Olson is not ready to abandon his typically cautious approach for every opponent. "I'm certainly not approaching it like it's a mismatch," says the sixth-year coach. "I know Puget came into the season very encouraged since they were coming off their first winning season since 1987. We've got to go up and play football and not expect anything to be handed to us." Southern Oregon will look to become the first Raider team to open the season 4-0 since 1983 when Olson's bunch takes the field at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Puget Sound. With all due respect to the Loggers, Olson says SOU's biggest challenge Saturday will be how the Raiders respond to their first test on the road. "It's not really a concern, it's just an unknown right now," says the coach. "We have enough guys on our team who have traveled with us and have won on the road so we should be OK. It's a mature group and I sense that they will handle themselves real well." SOU has outscored its opponents 126-25 this season, while the Loggers dropped their season-opener to Simon Fraser (39-0) and last week's game to Willamette (43-20). Although Dusty McGrorty saw limited action in last week's 49-19 win over Simon Fraser, the sophomore standout will slip back into full duty as Saturday's starting tailback. Sophomore Shawn Wilson has filled in nicely over the past two games with McGrorty slowed by bruised ribs. Wilson's steady presence now allows Olson a nice 1-2 punch that should keep both running backs fresh throughout the season. SOU's only other main injury continues to be starting linebacker Erube Maga�a, who will be in uniform for the second straight week solely as the Raiders' backup long-snapper. Maga�a suffered a high ankle sprain in SOU's 29-0 rout of Linfield two weeks ago and still is struggling with lateral movement. "If we could hold him out that would be great," says Olson. As a team, the Raiders rank third among NAIA programs in scoring defense (8.3 points per game), fourth in scoring offense (42.0), fourth in total defense (178.0 yards per game), fifth in total offense (460.3) and sixth in passing (264.7). Puget Sound has been outgained by a 477-235 clip in its two games, sporting a 29.5-yard rushing output compared to a 362 per-game average for opponents. The Loggers' bright spot is in a passing game that features 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior quarterback Bret Burton and receivers Bryan Siu, Adrian Evans and David Estermann. Burton has completed 4 of 88 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns to date, while all three receivers have hauled in 11 passes. Siu has stretched the defense the most with 138 yards receiving. "They've got some wide receivers that are dangerous," says Olson. "They're very fast and certainly can create some problems." SOU leads the all-time series against Puget Sound 10-4-1 dating back to 1967, but nine of the contests were decided by a TD or less. Three of SOU's most successful teams (1983, 1987, 1990) were defeated by the Loggers. Saturday's game marks the first appearance in Tacoma, Wash., for the Raiders since 1995. SOU won the last meeting of the two teams with a 35-26 win in 1996 at Raider Stadium. 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.