Stephens Goes Down Chart

Jason Stephens has fallen and he can’t get up.

He has fallen all the way to third string at strong safety, having lasted one game as the starter and then one as the backup to Julius Williams before landing in his current predicament.

He’s down on the depth chart, behind Williams and new starter Ryan Roques, and down on himself.

“Because of my play, I’m not shocked at all,” Stephens said. “I haven’t played at all the way I should be playing or could be.

“It would be frustrating if I felt like I was doing the job. But I know I’m not. It’s kind of become a motivating thing. It’ll push me harder to get my spot back.

“In a way, I brought it upon myself. I have to do a better job. I have to work harder. A lot harder.”

Effort is not the only problem, though. Stephens, who started the final seven games last season as a redshirt freshman, missed tackles in the 1999 opener against Boise State, then had mental lapses last week at Ohio State, leading to blown coverages.

“I don’t know,” he said, searching for an explanation for his sudden demise. “It seems like that in the games, I have mental breakdowns.”

Said Coach Bob Toledo: “You’ve got to do what you’re supposed to do. He might be frustrated with me. But I’m frustrated too.

“He’s not playing as well as I would like. But he’s not alone.”

So much for the good news.

Injuries have been the other problem, and maybe part of the main one. Stephens twisted both knees during the three-week training camp and wore braces on each during the Ohio State game, before discarding them. By this week, he is down to only a sleeve on the right knee.

*

A final memory of a very young defense, before the reinforcements arrived this week:

On one play late in the Ohio State game, the Bruins had nine redshirt or true freshmen on the field: Sean Phillips, Rusty Williams, Steve Morgan and Saia Makakaufaki on the line; Marcus Reese, Asi Faoa and Chris Jackson at linebacker and Joe Hunter and Ricky Manning Jr. in the secondary. Only senior Joey Strycula, a senior, and Stephens, both in the secondary, had more than two games’ college experience.

Said Toledo: “You don’t think I was a little nervous?”

*

Split end Brad Melsby and tackle Brian Polak were named captains for Saturday, joining season-long choices Pete Holland and Danny Farmer.