From Deseret News archives:
Sans Ngata, Duck 'D' still tough
"They must grow them on trees," Utah coach Urban Meyer said. "They've got another one in there that looks just like him."
Two as a matter of fact.
Robby Valenzuela and strongman Igor Olshansky more than fill the sizable hole left by Ngata, a first-team freshman all-America who made 44 tackles in 2002 after graduating from Salt Lake City's Highland High.
The juniors, who stand 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-6, respectively, bring a combined 606 pounds of weight to the left tackle spot Ngata (6-4, 339) occupied.
They'll pose a considerable threat to Utah quarterback Alex Smith. He's been sacked just once this season 15 fewer times than Oregon's opponents through five games.
The Ducks, however, realize the disparity has a lot to do with Utah's unpredictable spread offense.
How good? Friday's game may hold an answer for both teams. Utah (3-1) and Oregon (4-1) were on opposite ends of the turnover spectrum last weekend. The Utes capitalized on six turnovers to edge Colorado State 28-21, while the Ducks fell victim to nine miscues (seven interceptions and two fumbles) and a pair of blocked punts in a stunning 55-16 home loss to Washington State.
"I told them after the game that we were going to toss this game where it belongs and that's in the garbage. We probably won't watch it. We'll flush it and we'll move on," Bellotti said. "It's still about the Ducks right now. It's not about who we play. It's about taking care of our house and the business within. We'll probably select about 15 plays to learn from, but that's about it."
Eager to restore order, Oregon's focus this week is very much internal. Comparing it with a bout with food poisoning, Bellotti said the Ducks visit Utah with a sense of urgency to get the bad taste of last week's loss out of their mouths.
"We're looking forward," he explained. "Because we don't want to look back."
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