For all the late-season grumbling about the bogus BCS selection process, Oregon fans had to be thrilled with the manner in which 2001 played out. The Ducks won the Pac-10 title outright, slugged Colorado silly in the Fiesta Bowl and rode the charismatic coattails of quarterback Joey Harrington to a number of thrilling wins and the No. 2 ranking. Now the question becomes: Can Mike Bellotti keep the Big Green mean?

"They say that getting there is difficult but staying there is much more difficult," Bellotti said. "Certainly the expectation is that we’re going to be a great football team. But it’s very important every year that we re-educate the kids in the program that [success] doesn’t happen just because you put the uniform on. Every year you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and jump back in and put in the hard work and reconfigure the unity and chemistry of the team. The best way I know how to do that is to get everybody working very, very hard and believing that there’s a little bit of potential left for us to achieve."

The 2001 campaign began with the Oregon athletic department spending $250,000 for a 10-story Harrington billboard in Manhattan. But his Heisman campaign was in peril from the season opener, as Wisconsin nearly stole a victory in Eugene. But Harrington threw three touchdowns and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a short plunge with 4:03 to play as Oregon pulled out a 31-28 win.

"You expected anything else from us?" joked Harrington, after his 22-of-47 passing day resulted in 277 yards.

Oregon earned its second win, 24-10, over Utah, but then Harrington needed another comeback as the Ducks edged Southern Cal, 24-22. Harrington moved his team 61 yards in the final 44 seconds to set up the game-winning field goal, spoiling a 411-yard passing day by USC’s Carson Palmer.

After a 38-21 win against Utah State, the Oregon offense really got rolling in a 63-28 rout of Arizona. Nine times in Tucson the Ducks scored touchdowns on drives that lasted less than three minutes, part of a 607-yard output.

Oregon’s defense appeared to begin playing up to its potential the following week in a 48-7 drubbing of Cal. The Ducks picked off three passes and held the Bears scoreless until the reserves took over late in the third quarter.

But with a 6-0 start and a No. 5 national ranking, Oregon was ripe for an upset, and that’s precisely what transpired when the Ducks’ defense and special teams backslid against Stanford. The Cardinal blocked two punts and recovered an on-side kick in a 49-42 upset that ended Oregon’s 23-game home winning streak.

The Ducks rebounded with victories over Arizona State (42-24) and UCLA (21-20), setting the regular-season finale against bitter rival Oregon State. With the Ducks seeking to win the conference title outright and the Beavers needing a win to become bowl-eligible, OSU led 6-3 until Keenan Howry’s 70-yard fourth-quarter punt return put Oregon ahead in a 17-14 win.

Following an amazing string of upset losses by Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee, the Ducks thought they deserved a shot at No.1-ranked Miami in the Rose Bowl. But the BSC formula spit out Nebraska as the challenger, leaving Oregon and Colorado to face off in Tempe. And Bellotti went mental, labeling the computer-aided ranking system "a travesty."

"I liken the BCS to a bad disease, like cancer," he said.

In the Fiesta Bowl, Oregon played perhaps its most complete game of the season, limiting Colorado’s vaunted rushing attack to 49 yards in a 38-16 rout. The Buffaloes entered the game ranked eighth in the country (228.5 yards per game) in rushing, but they were no match for the Ducks, who capped the first 11-win season in school history.

Harrington’s amazing career included a 27-3 record as a starter, complete with 10 fourth-quarter comebacks. He threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in his final bowl game, just a few weeks after losing out on the Heisman Trophy to Nebraska’s Eric Crouch. Harrington was third on Oregon’s career passing list with 6,911 yards and 59 touchdowns, and he became the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft, going to the Detroit Lions. Who at Oregon can replace him?

As spring practice progressed, the battle appeared to be between Jason Fife and Kellen Clemens .

Fife (6-4, 216), a junior, has played in only three games, completing 6-of-9 passes for 71 yards in 2001. But he did have a small speaking role in the 1993 film Addams Family Values. Neither Vossmeyer (6-3, 215) nor Clemens (6-2, 205) has taken a college snap -- or appeared in a movie.

Fife has the strongest arm of the three and he displayed it during the spring game, hitting on 16-of-27 passes for 273 yards and three scores. He relished the springtime competition for the job.

The tailback combination of Maurice Moore and junior Onterrio Smith (5-11, 195) worked beautifully in 2001, with each surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. Moore has departed, leaving Smith poised to become the featured back as a junior. The former Tennessee recruit ran for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns last season (Moore had 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns), and showed the elusiveness that made him one of the nation’s most sought after runners out of Sacramento. His 6.3-yard average per carry was tops among Pac-10 regulars, but Oregon frequently turned to him during short-yardage situations as well.

Smith’s biggest game was a 285-yard effort against Washington State, which included a 73-yard touchdown run. That performance broke the school’s 30-year-old all-purpose yards record as Smith totaled 342 yards. He ranked 26th in the country in all-purpose yards per game at 128.

The No. 2 tailback job should fall to senior Allen Amundson (5-9, 185), who possesses 4.34 speed. He gained 238 yards as a sophomore and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Arizona State. His 36-yard run against Texas in the Holiday Bowl also set up Oregon’s winning score. But he was relegated to special teams last season, with the Smith-Moore tandem running wild. Amundson can be an effective pass catcher, especially on screens where he can slither into the open field.

Sophomore Ryan Shaw (5-11, 201) is coming off a red-shirt season in 2000. He had 30 yards on eight carries as a freshman in 2000, playing in three games.

Junior fullback Matt Floberg (6-2, 244) has battled knee injuries the last two seasons, but played in six games in 2001, carrying 10 times for 35 yards.

Howry’s 49 catches were sixth in the Pac-10, while his eight touchdowns tied for second among receivers. A senior, Howry (5-10, 170) is expected to succeed Harrington as the offense’s leader.

Howry garnered third-team All-America honors from The Associated Press after catching 52 passes for 682 yards and nine touchdowns, in addition to ranking eighth in the country in punt returns (14.5-yard average) and adding two more scores. His 133 career catches are 29 shy of the school’s career mark, his 19 touchdowns just five short.

Senior Jason Willis (6-1, 190) has shown steady improvement through his career, including a personal-best 43 catches for 448 yards last season. He made nine catches against Utah and six each against Stanford and Wisconsin.

Junior Samie Parker (5-10, 175) is the speed merchant of the group, having been timed at 4.36 seconds in the 40. His 32 catches as a sophomore included 12 that went for 20 yards or more.

Sophomore Keith Allen (6-1, 200) made seven catches as a freshman, with six of them going for first downs, and he continued to improve during the spring. He made two catches for 111 yards and one score during the Green and White game.

The Ducks must find a replacement for tight end Justin Peele, whose 29 receptions and eight touchdowns made him one of the conference’s best.

Junior George Wrightster (6-4, 249) ended spring as the starter, after making 12 catches for 126 yards last season.

Paving the way along the offensive line are three returning starters -- right tackle Corey Chambers (6-4, 285), right guard Joey Forster (6-4, 298) and center Dan Weaver (6-4, 295).

Chambers is a versatile player who overcame a shoulder injury last spring to start 11 games as a junior. He reported to spring practice 25 pounds lighter, which increased his mobility. Chambers will need to be light on his feet. He’ll be busy.

"He has to be the guy who can play all four positions, [everything] other than center," offensive line coach Neal Zoumboukos told the Eugene Register-Guard. "He’s certainly capable of doing it. He has the athletic ability to play inside [at guard] and the natural strength to play outside [at tackle]."

Forster, a two-year starter, earned all-conference honorable mention in 2001 and is poised to become one of the Pac-10’s best as a junior. Weaver started nine games as a sophomore and now looks entrenched in the No. 1 spot.

On the left side, Oregon must replace tackle Jim Adams and guard Ryan Schmid. Senior Phil Finzer (6-3, 300), sophomore Adam Snyder (6-4, 300) and red-shirt freshman Scott Parker (6-3, 270) are possibilities at tackle. The contenders at guard are senior Josh Jones (6-2, 280), sophomore Nick Steitz (6-4, 295) and red-shirt freshman Ian Reynoso (6-3, 300).

Sophomore Jared Siegel (5-10, 178) arrived at Oregon as one of the West’s most highly touted kickers, but his freshman season didn’t quite match expectations. His 32-yarder beat USC in the final seconds, but Siegel finished 6-of-11 on field goals. He possesses a strong leg, but needs to improve his accuracy after a 2-of-6 showing beyond 40 yards. He converted 46-of-48 extra points.

Two defensive line starters return from a unit that finished second in the Pac-10 against the run, allowing 121.3 yards per game. Defensive ends Seth McEwen (6-5, 266) and Darrell Wright (6-4, 258), both seniors, are dependable, disciplined players. McEwen is a three-year letterman who made 28 tackles and three sacks last season. Wright made 22 tackles, including 10 for loss, and had an interception against Wisconsin.

The competition should be fierce at defensive tackle, where Zack Feiter and Chris Tetterton have graduated. Junior-college signees Junior Siavii (6-5, 335) and Chris Solomona (6-5, 278) are on board, while Ukraine-native Igor Olshansky (6-6, 296), a sophomore, is finally gaining the football savvy to match his physical tools. Olshansky and senior Eric Johnson (6-3, 253), who has moved inside from end to provide depth, made nine tackles each during the spring game.

Sophomore Robby Valenzuela (6-1, 290) also was a productive player during the second half of last season, helping clog the run.

This unit lost only one starter, but Wesly Mallard was the Pac-10’s second-leading tackler with 98 stops. Sophomore Ramone Reed (6-2, 195) appears to be the only possibility to fill Mallard’s void. Reed played in 10 games, finishing with nine tackles and three pass break-ups.

None of the other outside linebackers on the roster -- senior Dan Johnson (6-2, 222), junior David Martin (6-0, 201) and red-shirt freshman Matt Haliski (6-4, 212) -- has ever played a Division I snap.

Martin, a transfer from Los Medanos (Calif.) College, missed all of last spring and half the fall nursing a hamstring injury.

Luckily for Oregon, there is experience returning at the other linebacking spots, with junior Kevin Mitchell (5-10, 210) and senior David Moretti (6-1, 235) inside.

Though undersized, Mitchell was the fourth-leading tackler in the conference with 94 stops as a sophomore and tied for the team lead with five sacks. He made a career-high 17 tackles in the win over Oregon State, after posting 15 tackles against Stanford. His fumble recovery in the final minute against Wisconsin sealed the win. Moretti played in every game, making 81 tackles, including nine for loss. He also broke up a pass in the end zone to preserve the slim win at Washington State.

Senior Garrett Graham (6-5, 226) is a two-year letterman, but injuries have curtailed his development. Red-shirt freshman Ryan Lofton (6-3, 230) spent last season on the scout team after returning from a two-year religious mission and impressed the Ducks’ coaches.

Transfer Tate Pitman (6-0, 226) also figures to press for playing time. He made 118 tackles at Arizona Community College last season, and landed on SuperPrep’s list of top 100 junior-college players.

Junior free safety Keith Lewis (6-1, 198) came of age last season, making 80 tackles and two interceptions. He joins senior rover Rasulie Webster (6-0, 214), who had 50 stops and six break-ups to spark the secondary.

Sophomores Marley Tucker (5-11, 173) and Stephen Clayton (5-11, 190) are the backups.

The Ducks lost both starting cornerbacks -- Steve Smith (six interceptions, 16 deflections) and Rashad Bauman (two interceptions, 14 deflections) -- to graduation. Smith added three picks to set a Fiesta Bowl record.

That means David Dixon (5-9, 166) of Palomar (Calif.) College should get a shot to step in right away. Dixon made JCFootball.com’s list of top 100 junior-college prospects in the country after picking off seven passes for a squad that reached the junior college national final.

Red-shirt freshman Justin Phinisee (5-10, 180) looks to be in the lead opposite Dixon, after picking off two passes during the spring game.

Juniors Steven Moore (5-9, 165) and Courtney Miller (6-2, 189) also are competing at the corners. Last season Moore was the nickel back when Oregon needed extra pass coverage. And he also saw time in relief of Bauman and Smith.

Senior Jose Arroyo (5-11, 185) would like to lengthen his 38.5-yard average, which was only eighth among Pac-10 punters. But in fairness, he was kicking on one-half of the field much of the season; hence, he had 21 punts pinned inside the 20 along with 10 touchbacks.

The Ducks led the league in kick returns, averaging 25.8 yards, thanks to the duo of Amundson and Smith. They were second in punt returns, courtesy of Howry.

Amundson now ranks eighth in Oregon career kick return yards with 1,062. He ranked 13th nationally and fourth in the Pac-10 at 27.2 yards per return last year. His best game featured 181 kickoff return yards against USC, including a career long of 62 yards and another of 61. Smith earned second-team All-Pac-10 kickoff returner honors, finishing the season averaging 28.2 yards per return.

Howry’s punt-return average of 14.5 yards was third best in the conference, and his penchant for scoring touchdowns came in handy.

Oregon’s largest haul was among defensive backs, signing five. Dixon came from the junior-college ranks and should be the earliest contributor. The prep signees are led by Arques Binns (5-10, 153) of Los Angeles, who was one of the top defensive back prospects in the Far West according to SuperPrep magazine as well as ranked as one of the top 20 cornerbacks in the nation by Student Sports. The L.A. City Section Player of the Year broke up 19 passes.

Aaron Gipson (5-8, 170) of Alta Loma, Calif., projects as a speed cornerback after rushing for 14 touchdowns and 500 yards as a prep senior.

Parris Moore (5-11, 173) of Santa Ana, Calif., ranked as one of the top 100 prep prospects in the Far West region by SuperPrep magazine. He made 70 unassisted tackles during his senior year and deflected four passes, in addition to rushing for 610 yards and five touchdowns.

Tarell Richards (5-10, 176) of West Valley City, Utah will move to the secondary after starting all 34 games of his high school career at quarterback, where he totaled 3,393 yards passing, 54 touchdowns and close to 1,000 rushing yards. Richards made six interceptions as a free safety in addition to returning kickoffs and punts his final year.

The Ducks signed three offensive linemen, led by Albert Toeaina (6-4, 345) of Pittsburg, Calif., who was rated among the nation’s top 10 linemen by Student Sports magazine.

Jermaine Randolph (6-5, 251) of Fremont, Calif., may have attracted more attention if not for a string of injuries during his junior year. He rebounded as a senior, recording 47 pancake blocks, He also did not allow a sack for a team that averaged 20 pass attempts per game. Meanwhile, Enoka Lucas (6-4, 287) of Honolulu, Hawaii has the kind of quickness for which Oregon’s linemen have become known.

Oregon’s lone quarterback signee is Andy Collins (6-1, 197), who accumulated big numbers in playing Class 1A ball in Zillah, Wash. A three-year starter, he amassed 4,676 career passing yards. As a senior, Collins threw for 2,076 yards and 22 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

"Remember the Ducks!" became a fashionable war cry for BCS critics, and Oregon’s mathematical snub led to more modifications in the way college football determines its national championship match-up.

Maybe Harrington gives Miami fits in the Rose Bowl pairing that wasn’t, but it’s more likely that the talent-soaked Hurricanes would have won the title easily. Forced to replace some of its critical components, Oregon won’t get so close to a BCS debate in 2002.

The Pac-10 rotating schedule does the Ducks no favor this season, forcing them to miss bottom-feeder California. Even more challenging is the fact that Oregon must visit UCLA, Washington State and Oregon State -- three of the most experienced clubs in the conference. The prospects of taking an inexperienced quarterback into such venues doesn’t bode well, unless Fife and his talented cast of receivers develop chemistry in a hurry.

Still, Bellotti appears to have slump-proofed the Oregon program, meaning that even a rebuilding season such as this one won’t be overly painful. The Ducks will go bowling again and appear to be an eight-win team at worst.