Matthews likes speed of Oregon’s defense

By jason vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Aug 6, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

JAIME VALDEZ / TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Oregon tight end Ed Dickson (left) evading the Oregon State defense in the 2008 Civil War, expects to be quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s top target this season.

EUGENE – It’s his junior season, and Oregon’s Casey Matthews “definitely” expects to ascend to be one of the Pac-10’s best linebackers.

The 6-2, 235-pound Matthews, the son of former NFL great Clay Matthews, has set a goal of getting more than 100 tackles and helping lead the Ducks to a Bowl Championship Series game.

He draws some inspiration from his brother, Clay Matthews Jr., who went in the first round of the NFL draft last spring.

“I look at him as my role model,” says Casey Matthews, a middle linebacker. “I want to follow in his footsteps.”

But Casey Matthews also laughs off the suggestion that he might leave for the NFL after three years at Oregon.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Ducks develop on defense this year and in training camp, which opens Friday. The defensive line, outside of end Will Tukuafu, has some questions. But with Matthews and Spencer Paysinger back at linebacker and T.J. Ward and Walter Thurmond in the secondary, Oregon has some top-notch players behind the front four.

Coach Chip Kelly wants coordinator Nick Aliotti’s unit to play fast and aggressively, which Matthews likes.

“We definitely have a lot of team speed this year,” Matthews says. “This defense is going to be pretty special.”

Seniors Blake Ferras and Simi Toeaina and others will try to step up and play solidly at D-tackle.

“They’re buying into what coaches are telling them, and doing their job, which is to keep linemen off us,” Matthews says.

• Toeaina, brother of former UO D-linemen Matt Toeaina and cousin of QB Jeremiah Masoli, says he will enter his final season with much more determination and intensity – two things lacking in his first four years with the Ducks. It’s why he has barely seen the field.

“I’ve got to try to put three years into one,” the 6-4, 320 Samoan says.

Oregon coaches have always felt that Toeaina had the ability to play and play well. It’s just been a matter of getting him to practice hard and keep the right attitude.

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