Skipper joins UO punter competition.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

Oregon's quest to improve its punting performance took an intriguing twist Thursday when Tommy Skipper, a pole vaulter and decathlete for the track and field team, walked into Autzen Stadium in uniform and participated in the football practice.

`I'll punt the ball a little bit and see how it goes from there,' Skipper said. `I'm real excited about it, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I thought I might as well seize the opportunity.'

Though Skipper hasn't punted in a game since he was at Sandy High School, he did previously flirt with punting for the Ducks. He worked out on the sidelines for a couple of days during spring drills in April of 2004, did some punting that summer, and UO coach Mike Bellotti said he would have been a contender for the punting position in the 2004 season but decided not to turn out for football.

Skipper attempted to contact Bellotti earlier this month but didn't make contact, then called again Wednesday night and the two met Thursday morning to discuss the situation.

`I thought he was an exceptional athlete, and he can punt the ball very well,' Bellotti said. `Tommy Skipper is a world-class athlete, so I don't think you ever hurt yourself by taking chances with world-class athletes joining your program.'

Besides his prowess in track and field, Skipper was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 2003 professional baseball draft though he hadn't played the sport in high school

Though the arrival of Skipper to the 23rd-ranked Ducks was only 48 hours before their Saturday matchup with top-ranked USC, Bellotti wouldn't quite dismiss the idea of Skipper's participation in the game.

`I haven't given that a lot of thought,' Bellotti said. `I think that would be a little presumptuous, but we'll see. I'm not going to rule anything out.'

Skipper is the second athlete from the track and field program to make a bid for a spot with the football team, following wide receiver Jordan Kent, who also plays basketball for the Ducks.

Describing it as `definitely motivating to see Jordan come out,' Skipper also said he was looking for a diversion from track and field.

`It kind of mixes things up,' Skipper said. `I really believe that if you put all your focus in one area, it's hard. ... I think you need a break every now and then.'

Bellotti said he had discussed Skipper's situation with Vin Lananna, the associate director of athletics in overall charge of track and field, `to explain the history of this.'

When Skipper was asked about his track coach's reaction, his response was `ummm' as if that meeting hadn't yet occurred.

Oregon is ninth in the Pac-10 in punting, with a net of 33.3 yards when return yardage is deducted from the distance of punts. Junior transfer Matt Dragich punted in the first three games of the season but after he averaged 29.6 yards on five punts against Fresno State, Bellotti said the position was open for competition, with junior Aaron Knowles the other anticipated challenger. Placekicker Paul Martinez, who punted for the Ducks two years ago, said he was not interested in attempting to punt again.

`We'll see what happens,' Bellotti said of adding another punter to the competition. `I don't have any preconceived notions about anything, but I think it's good for our team if that type of athlete wants to come out.'

If Skipper does play in a game, his scholarship would be assigned to the football program, as it was with Kent's when he played for the first time. NCAA rules require any scholarship athlete who plays football, no matter what his primary sport is, to be counted against football's limit of 85 scholarships.

While Skipper will be a junior in eligibility for the track and field team in the spring, he can be considered a redshirt freshman in football since he didn't enroll at Oregon until winter term of the 2003-04 academic year.

OREGON UPDATE

The question remains: UO coach Mike Bellotti has predicted that `special teams will be crucial' Saturday when the Ducks play top-ranked USC, but who can know how good the Trojans are in that area?

USC has only punted twice this season, for an average of 34.5 yards, but all-league punter Tom Malone is back after being hampered by a hip injury. The Trojans have yet to return a punt, though Reggie Bush is perhaps the most dangerous returner in the country.

The Trojans have attempted only one field goal, which they missed. USC has shown its kickoff units, returning seven for an average of 25.9 yards, while its coverage unit has allowed returns for an average of 25.1 yards, with seven other kickoffs going into the end zone for touchbacks.

The end of it: The return from a knee injury of senior Devan Long at defensive end gives the Ducks several options since four players have started this season at the end spots.

If Long starts, the Ducks could return Matt Toeaina to tackle, where redshirt freshman Cole Linehan started last week. Or it could be Long and Toeaina at ends, with Darius Sanders not starting for the first time this season at one of the end positions. The sure thing is Haloti Ngata at one of the tackle positions.

`Matt Toeaina is the wild card in all that,' Bellotti said. `Devan certainly gives us a better pass-rushing presence. It will fall on (Linehan and Sanders), and whichever is playing the best' will probably be in the lineup, and determine where Toeaina lines up.

Injury update: Besides the return of Long and the possible season debut of receiver Brian Paysinger, who missed the first three games with ankle and knee injuries, strong safety Anthony Trucks (ankle) is back after being held out of practices for a couple of days. Bellotti said that Trucks, who played in the last game after suffering the injury, was `held out to ensure his recovery' for Saturday.

Also in uniform Thursday was freshman tailback Jonathan Stewart, who aggravated his ankle injury during drills Tuesday.

`Jonathan is still a little iffy, but it's going to be a game-time decision,' Bellotti said.

Next game: Saturday against USC at 4 p.m. in Autzen Stadium. TV: Televised live on ABC (KEZI in the Eugene-Springfield area).