Bacon earns starting middle linebacker role for Ducks

But sophomore Matthews also expected to play Saturday

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Aug 26, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

ERIC EVANS / UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

The Oregon Ducks say they have plenty of good linebacker candidates, including John Bacon, who will start in the middle Saturday against Washington.

Another three inches, and John Bacon would have been seriously hurt.

Sleeping in his bed one night this summer, Bacon awoke to a surround sound speaker crashing into his forehead, opening a gash that required nine stitches and keeping him out of some Oregon training camp practices. Gosh, what if it would have hit an eye?

"It had been bolted in forever and, for whatever reason, a lot of bass (being played at times, loosening the speaker) or whatever, it came out and hit me in the head," says Bacon, UO's starting middle linebacker. His knee, surgically repaired, had been fine in workouts and training camp; it was the forehead gash that kept him out.

"They wanted it to heal, instead of busting open, because it kept busting open."

The freak accident aside, the senior Bacon played well enough in training camp to regain the starting "Mike" linebacker spot. Sophomore Casey Matthews will also play – a sore knee limited him in training camp – but coach Mike Bellotti entrusts Bacon to start Saturday's 7 p.m opener against Washington at Autzen Stadium.

"They'll both play, and they have both proven they can win at this level," Bellotti says. "I feel we're blessed we have two guys who can start. I don't worry about that.

"I want to keep each of them fresh throughout game, and season. They both deserve to play."

In days of old, the "Mike" backer led UO in tackles, but the defensive scheme allows for defensive backs (see: Patrick Chung) to make more plays. Therefore, Bacon had only 42 tackles, including 18 solos, in nine games last season. Although, Bacon could get better at getting off blocks and wrapping up ballcarriers. It's a goal Bacon has for his senior season – make more tackles.

"A lot of it is getting back to fundamentals and having fun with it," he says. "A 'Mike' linebacker who is worried and anxious and mambi pambi isn't going to make plays. A 'Mike' linebacker has to be an emotional leader of the defense and have fun. That's what it's going to take, and it's something I'm going to focus on. I hate the word 'responsibility' (to make tackles), I look at it as an opportunity."

Bellotti describes production from the middle linebacker this way:

"That person is a key to what we do defensively – he makes a lot of calls directing things, making plays, can plug the inside, cover the deep middle, go to the flats, play man-to-man and blitz."

The 6-4, 230-pound Bacon, from Golden, Colo., suffered his blown-out knee in the ninth game last season against Arizona State – the same game Dennis Dixon first hurt his knee. He rehabilitated with Dixon, Jeremiah Johnson and Brian Paysinger, who also had knee injuries, and came out of things healthy.

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