By Fred Delkin

Oregon’s Ducks have justified this writer’s pre-season pigskin 
prognostication to date, with a 7-1 record, but now face a major retooling at
quarterback before they take on California in two weeks. Fortunately, a 
schedule week-off enables an effort to replace the wizardry of QB Kellen 
Clemens, sidelined for  the rest of the year by a broken leg incurred in the 
Arizona win.

Now the rejuvenated Webfoot defense must come up even more ferocious  when Cal comes to town. Clemens will be replaced by subs Dennis Dixon 
and Brady Leaf, who stepped in when Kellen went down before the 
Wildcats.  Dixon was soon removed from that contest with a concussion, but
is now cleared to perform. He is an able runner, better suited to the new 
wide open UO offense than Leaf, who is more the classic drop-back passer.
We expect Duck coaches will do some alternating at the signal-calling post 
vs. the Bears.

Just when Clemens was on the verge of establishing new individual offensive
records and gaining national note! Already qualified for a bowl game, Oregon can still make one of the major saucer sessions if they can win out the regular season. We think they will. As for their Pac10 brethren, it’s shaping up as a  true donnybrook between UCLA and USC at season’s end, and UO can  continue to thank the sked-makers for leaving the still undefeated Bruins off 
the 2005 Webfoot slate. Oregon State is two wins away from  bowl-qualifying, with Arizona, Washington, Stanford and Oregon remaining. 

We expect the Beavers to make it to a minor bowl game. Looking at other 
collegiate grid programs in our state, Portland State Viking football euphoria 
(they now lead the Big Sky) will collapse in Montana. Linfield is on track to 
vie for a second straight national Division III NCAA championship behind
their Divison I QB transfer from Utah, Brett Elliott.

© 2005 Oregon Magazine