FREEDOM BOWL NOTES : An All-Out Approach to Practice Isn’t Always the Most Dangerous

As Colorado State practiced this week at Orange Coast College, a ballcarrier turned the corner and headed for the sideline.

Three other Colorado State players converged on him with a crash of helmets, riding him out of bounds. For good measure, another defender hit him suspiciously late, and for a moment, tempers flared.

When the Rams scrimmage, everyone is live.

“Everyone but me,” quarterback Mike Gimenez said with a smile. “Anyway, that’s nothing.”

You don’t often see the players pulling up short of being tackled, or a defender placing two hands on a ballcarrier for emphasis, as if to say, “You’re tackled.”

Earle Bruce’s team doesn’t hesitate to have full-contact sessions in practice, even at the risk of putting one of their own out in the final days before the Freedom Bowl Saturday at Anaheim Stadium.

By contrast, Oregon’s practices at UC Irvine have been more reserved. The Ducks have only a few minutes here and there reserved for full-contact drills. Even then, there are a half-dozen or more players on the field in red-cross jerseys, signaling that they are not to be hit because of an earlier injury or other fragility.

What has the seeming recklessness cost Colorado State? So far, no new injuries.

And Oregon? Ironically, the cautious Ducks have the most serious new injury, linebacker Peter Brantley’s strained knee ligaments, suffered during a few minutes of full-contact drills Friday. He has not practiced since, and his availability for the game is uncertain.

The many local players from both teams were free to spend Christmas with their families, and neither team practiced Tuesday.

Some local players took teammates home with them, but for the players who stayed at the hotel, there was a second Christmas dinner, in addition to one served for each team Sunday at a restaurant.

Other than that, Christmas Day was a time for phone calls home and watching football on TV.

“Some of the players from Oregon, New York, or Colorado probably wish they could get home for Christmas,” said Steve Hellyer, Oregon’s sports information director. “But I think they’re really glad to be here, and glad to be playing football.”

Statistical battle to watch: Colorado State is a strong running team, averaging 219 yards.

Oregon’s defense is giving up only 105 yards a game on the ground, 13th best among Division I teams.

Something has to give. And the team that gives away less of its average will probably be the winner of the game.

Double Duty: If you think Colorado State’s fans will be hurried Saturday, rushing to the Freedom Bowl at 5 p.m. after a 1 p.m. basketball game against Cal State Fullerton in Titan Gym, consider radio play-by-play man John Rebenstorf.

Rebenstorf, the color man on UCLA’s football broadcasts this past season, is Fullerton’s basketball announcer.

He is hoping there will be no overtime played at Titan Gym, because as soon as that game is over he will rush to Anaheim Stadium to broadcast the Freedom Bowl for KORG 1190. Craig Fertig will handle the color.

But what if there were some hang-up--a late start at Titan Gym coupled with quadruple overtime and a monster traffic jam on the way to Anaheim Stadium?

Rebenstorf laughs.

“I’ll make it,” he said.

The toughest part: The two broadcasts are being done with the same radio equipment, which has to be dismantled, transported, and set up again.

Oregon also has a basketball game Saturday, against archrival Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.

Duck fans can’t pull double-duty like Colorado State fans, but Oregon has arranged for them to be able to listen to the game. San Diego station XTRA (690) will broadcast the game.

The Freedom Bowl will be heard in the Persian Gulf and beyond. Armed Forces radio will pick up Oregon’s broadcast.