Bowl Championship Series - Players to Watch -- Oregon vs. No. 6 Wisconsin

Friday, December 13, 2002
Players to Watch -- Oregon vs. No. 6 Wisconsin
By Mike Diegnan
BCSfootball.com

JOSH JONES	JOEY FORSTER
Oregon	Oregon
Sophomore	Freshman
Left guard	Right guard
6-2, 286	6-4, 290
Glendale, Ariz.	Salem, Ore.

Career stats	Games	Starts
Jones	7	1
Forster	1	1

Oregon's offensive line posted big numbers in its season-opening victory over Nevada, but it will be a different story when it comes head-to-head with a Wisconsin defensive line headed by All-Big Ten tackle Wendell Bryant. Bryant must serve a one-game suspension for his role in Shoegate, but the junior should be in the lineup against a starting offensive line that returns three players from a year ago.


	Right tackle Lee Gundy will need to aid some of the Ducks' younger offensive lineman.

In the win over Nevada, Oregon rushed for 225 yards and took the pressure off quarterbacks Joey Harrington and A.J. Feeley. The Oregon rushing game received a boost from JUCO transfer Maurice Morris, who rushed for 166 yards on 20 carries.

Morris' biggest run of the game was a 66-yard touchdown run up the right side. Right guard Joey Forster and right tackle Lee Gundy will again need to open up holes on the left side of the defense.

Solid performances from Forster and Gundy will be vital if the Ducks are to have a successful ground attack. Wisconsin enters the game having held its last two opponents to negative rushing yards. More importantly, at left guard, Jones will go head-to-head with Bryant for much of the afternoon in his second career start.

Jones, who has alternated between center and guard during his two years at Oregon, will face one of America's top defensive lineman. In the season opener against Western Michigan, Bryant made three tackles (including one for a loss), forced a fumble, and had three quarterback hurries.

LEE EVANS	CONROY WHYTE
Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Sophomore	Junior
Wide receiver	Wide receiver
5-11, 186	5-7, 157
Bedford, Ohio	Boston, Mass.

Player	Season	G	Rec	Yards	TD
Evans	2000	1	3	55	0
	1999	9	3	76	1
	Career	10	6	131	1
Whyte	2000	1	2	35	0
	1999	6	2	26	0
	Career	8	4	61	0

For the rest of September, the question will loom until game-time: Who's going to play? With Shoegate interfering with Wisconsin's bid for a third consecutive Big Ten championship and Drew Henson's broken foot causing Michigan troubles, the conference has become a sole of big concern.


	Lee Evans led the Badgers with three receptions against Western Michigan.

While Wisconsin was emotionally spent due to the suspensions levied on the team just hours before kickoff, the Badgers nonetheless struggled to a 19-7 victory over Western Michigan that retained just four starters 10 days ago.

One of the hardest hit positions by the suspensions is wide receiver, where Nick Davis and Chris Chambers will both sit three games within the first four. Chambers will miss Saturday's game with a knee injury, but Davis will likely sit out the next two weeks and prep for the Big Ten opener against Northwestern on Sept. 23.

In their place, Barry Alvarez will start two unproven commodities, Lee Evans and Conroy Whyte, who have combined for 10 career receptions. Starting for the first time against Western Michigan, Wisconsin looked like the Badgers of old when Ron Dayne was in the lineup. Brooks Bollinger completed just 6-of-11 passes for 96 yards and Wisconsin relied on running back Michael Bennett to eke out the victory.

This week will present a stiffer challenge for Wisconsin. Evans and Whyte are going to need to get open against Oregon's secondary to give Bollinger other options. Evans is considered a future star at flanker, but the Ohio native will have to show off more than potential this weekend.

Mike Diegnan is the editor of BCSfootball.com.

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