Door is open for linebacker reserves.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

Kevin Mitchell, a two-year starter at inside linebacker, watched practice, an ice bag taped to the front of his right thigh. Ramone Reed, Mitchell's backup, stood alongside Mitchell with an ice bag taped to a knee.

Not far away was Jerry Matson, his ice bag on a sore hamstring muscle.

Uh, is this any way for Oregon's most experienced inside linebackers to prepare for a season opener that's a little more than two weeks away?

`We need to get to a certain point and get that group working together,' UO coach Mike Bellotti said.

It's not likely to happen until next week, when Matson is cleared to rejoin drills. Reed and Mitchell are more on a day-to-day evaluation, going easy for most of the past week but considered possible participants in Saturday's scrimmage.

On the outside, the injury report wasn't such an issue. The contenders for the starting spot are senior David Martin and sophomore Anthony Trucks. Except for Trucks' brief absence for a minor injury himself, the two have been waging their own version of the quarterback duel to be the starter.

`That may be the best battle on the team,' UO linebackers coach Don Pellum said. `It's an unbelievable battle.'

Minus Mitchell and Reed at the `Will' linebacker on the inside, redshirt freshman Robert Hamilton was working with the first defense much of the week. Hamilton missed last season with a knee injury.

Matson's spot as the No. 1 `Mike' linebacker might have been filled by sophomore Justin Andrews, except he was cleared for full participation in drills only this week, the result of a knee injury that put him out of action after one game in 2002.

So who was suddenly the designated first-string middle linebacker for the Ducks? That would be junior Scott Vossmeyer, switched from quarterback after last season.

`I see him still learning, still in the transition mode,' Bellotti said. `He seems to be having fun, he's focused and excited.'

Vossmeyer suffered an ankle injury during the first week of spring drills, which halted his initial on-field preparation for this season.

`He sat in the meetings but never got the reps which would have put him ahead,' Pellum said. `We're waiting to see him in (Saturday's) scrimmage because we've never seen him in the fast action. I'm excited to see that.'

Vossmeyer is simply enthused about his new position and new chance to earn playing time.

`The truth is I played more linebacker than quarterback in high school, and in my years in (youth) football before that,' Vossmeyer said. `I loved quarterback and that was a dream I wanted to pursue, but it didn't work out, so I couldn't be happier playing linebacker.

`I'm having a blast. I'm having more fun than I've ever had here.'

The change for Vossmeyer is about as drastic as it can be for a football player. Instead of knowing what the play is going to be, analyzing what he sees and deciding what he'll do from behind the center, he's now making those decisions across the line of scrimmage from the center and reacting to what the offense does.

`I'm definitely starting to pick it up a little better,' Vossmeyer said. `I'm starting to understand it and gain a little more confidence. I'm doing less thinking on the field and more just reacting.'

Among the other contenders with Vossmeyer to be the backup to Matson - and what if that hamstring problem lingers? - is junior college transfer Marcus Miller.

`Athletically he could play any of the (linebacker) positions,' Bellotti said. `From a learning standpoint, we've got to put him (one) place,' and, the coach added, `force feed him' the knowledge a linebacker needs to succeed in Oregon's defense.

`He has the athleticism that can help us,' Bellotti said. `We just need to get him comfortable in the system.'

Saturday's scrimmage will be a definite test for Vossmeyer, Miller and the other backups on the inside, including redshirt freshmen Brent Haberly and Jonathan Levine, both walk-ons who stood out on the scout team last fall.

And this should be an opportunity with a capital O for the backup linebackers. Bellotti made the point that healthy or not, he wouldn't expect a veteran like Mitchell `to take lot of reps in the scrimmage.' The Ducks are also likely to be careful with Reed to avoid a setback, and Matson definitely won't be involved in this scrimmage, though he certainly projects as a starter Aug. 30 at Mississippi State.

`I trust Jerry, he knows what we're doing,' Pellum said. `He's played all three positions in games, so he understands the defense.'

Except, he's not ready for action, so Saturday will help greatly in deciding who might be a potential replacement.

`In that scrimmage, there are going to be mistakes, but we're looking for who can cut it loose, who can tackle, who can go make plays,' Pellum said. `When we come out of that scrimmage, we can say `we saw something in these guys, we didn't see enough in those guys' and get a depth chart and roll from there.'

CAPTION(S):

Kevin Mitchell isn't likely to see a lot of playing time in Saturday's scrimmage. Kevin Clark / The Register-Guard Ex-quarterback Scott Vossmeyer (10) is learning the defensive ropes.