Football Ducks do double duty with track team.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

Two Oregon football players will do double duty this week, combining spring practices in their primary sport with participation in track and field.

Defensive back Ryan Gilliam and wide receiver Brian Paysinger, both redshirt freshmen in football, plan to run the 100 meters in Saturday's Pepsi Invitational, a four-way meet at Hayward Field.

`We're ready to go in track at the college level, to see what it's like,' Gilliam said. `We've been working out twice a week with the track team. We want to do more but with the schedule (in football) and we've got school, it's been a little difficult.'

Gilliam said there had been a plan to field a 400-meter relay team of football players in track, but `we haven't really decided on the team,' so it won't happen Saturday.

Maybe later in the track season?

`It would be nice,' Gilliam said.

Gilliam showed his speed over the winter when he clocked a time of 4.23 seconds for 40 yards in football conditioning tests, breaking the UO record for defensive backs held by Rashad Bauman. But that's not even half of the 100 meters he and Paysinger will run Saturday.

`Paysinger may be one of the fastest guys out here for the 100 and he's also a long jumper,' UO coach Mike Bellotti said.

Senior defensive back Rodney Woods is still hopeful of competing in the triple jump for the Ducks this track season, but said `it depends on the coaches. I still want to if I could.'

Woods was a standout in the triple jump in high school and junior college.

Asked about his criteria for allowing his players to also participate in track and field, Bellotti said `the first question is their academic status. If they're in good status academically and they can help the (track) team, then I will allow them to do that.'

Bellotti said he has `a great relationship' with UO track coach Martin Smith and `we both try to help each other out whenever it's possible. Our relationship can only be beneficial to track and football, and if Rodney Woods or Ryan Gilliam can help (track and field), that's awesome.

`The biggest concern I have is that they're taking care of business academically. If that's done and they're up to date with their workouts in football, and if they can help the track team, I'm all for it.'

Woods said he is hopeful of competing in track later this season, and wasn't worried about a delayed entry into competition.

`I've been in training and I'm in shape,' Woods said. `Once you've got the technique, it stays with you. All you've got to do is refresh your steps and you've got it.'

A new role

In spring workouts last April, Demetrius Williams was one of the contenders for playing time at receiver, hoping for more action as a sophomore than his limited appearances as a redshirt freshman.

He begins this spring, in terms of health and playing experience, as by far the most proven of the UO wide receivers after 51 receptions in 2003.

`It's a lot different for me, I know I have to set the example,' Williams said. `There are times when I do things and I've got to make sure when I do it I understand it, because there are two people behind me who are looking at what I'm doing. I've got to make sure I'm doing the right things.'

If it's an increased role for Williams, it's certainly not an unwelcome one to sometimes be the tutor as well as a pupil.

`I think it's going to make spring go a little faster if the guys who know what to do can teach the young guys,' Williams said. `Sometimes when it comes from the coaches, there's a guy who doesn't want to listen as well as when it comes from a teammate.'

Schedule change

Oregon, which had been seeking to find an opponent for the Ducks' home opener in the 2006 season, is now also seeking a foe to come play at Autzen Stadium to begin the 2005 season.

The latest schedule opening came about when Nevada-Las Vegas, slated to play at Oregon on Sept. 3, 2005, asked out of an agreement that would have also sent the Ducks to play in Las Vegas in a future season.

Oregon's nonleague schedule for 2005 is thus left with the Ducks going to Indiana and playing at home against Fresno State. Oregon could afford to add a home game of relatively low interest to ticket buyers that season since the Pac-10 teams coming to Autzen that fall are USC, Washington, California and OSU, probably the most desirable quartet of league opponents from a fan's perspective.

Oregon's only nonleague game currently scheduled for 2006 is at Fresno State, so the Ducks would much prefer adding two nonleague home games for that season. Making one of them a high-profile opponent to spur ticket sales is a priority since the Ducks don't play either Washington or OSU at Autzen in 2006.