U of O Ducks
WHO WILL BE RANKED #1 IN PRESEASON POLLS
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Jun 302011
BCS National Championship: Win the day once more, and Oregon Ducks will make football history Published: Monday, January 10, 2011, 4:00 AM By Ken Goe, The Oregonian SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – So it’s come to this. Nearly a year after a fraternity break-in began a string of offseason legal problems that blackened the program’s reputation, five months after Oregon began putting the pieces back together in a big way, and more than the month since the Ducks wrapped up a perfect regular season, they will try to make football history. No. 2 Oregon (12-0) meets No. 1 Auburn (13-0) for the BCS National Championship at 5:30 p.m. Monday in University of Phoenix Stadium, and the Ducks never have played in a game of this magnitude. Once a college football afterthought, they went 26 years between postseason appearances after winning the 1963 Sun Bowl. Last year at the Rose Bowl, the Ducks sputtered through a 26-17 loss to Ohio State. The task is no easier now. Oregon faces an Auburn team boasting two of college football’s best players in Heisman Trophy-winner Cam Newton and ferocious defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who has 21 tackles for loss and won the Lombardi Trophy as college football’s best lineman. The Tigers represent the Southeastern Conference, which has won the last four national titles. Auburn is favored to win this one by a field goal. But if the Ducks are nervous about the size of the stage or the reputation of the opponent, it doesn’t show. “We talk about faceless opponents,” UO coach Chip Kelly said Sunday. “We obviously prepare against their schemes and what they do. We don’t really get caught up in anything besides that. Our guys have had the same mindset for 12 games. It’s the same exact same thing. It is about what we do, how we execute.” For the most part, Oregon’s execution has been flawless. Oregon running back LaMichael James won the Doak Walker Award as college football’s best running back while leading the nation in rushing with an average of 152.9 yards. The Ducks average 537.6 yards in total offense, 303.8 yards rushing and 49.33 points. Defensively, they forced 35 turnovers. They led the college level in punt returns. It’s an impressive set of numbers, but Auburn will put Oregon to the test. Oregon’s offense must find a way to keep Fairley and the Tigers’ rugged front four from disrupting things. The Ducks struggled to block California’s defensive line this season. It’s no coincidence that they spun their wheels offensively at Cal before pulling out a 15-13 victory. Oregon will need more than 15 points to beat Auburn. The 6-foot-5, 298-pound Fairley is a monster at the point of attack. “Very physical,” UO guard C.E. Kaiser said. “He gets real excited. You can tell he loves the game and loves what he’s doing. He’s a fun guy to watch play because you can see the excitement he brings to the field.” The Ducks predominantly use a zone-blocking scheme, and won’t depend on any one offensive lineman to handle Fairley. They don’t have to pancake him. They do have to slow him down. Against Oregon State, which had first-team All-America defensive tackle Stephen Paea, the Ducks used quick-hitting perimeter running plays to avoid directly challenging Paea up the middle, and to tire him out chasing the ball. If the Ducks successfully establish the run, it could open up their play-action passing game against an Auburn secondary that has been vulnerable. Opponents average 250.5 yards through the air against the Tigers. The go-go Oregon offense, which never huddles and reels off plays at an exhausting pace, simply has worn out defenses all season. But for that happen tonight, the UO defense has to do its part. Newton, a fleet, 6-6, 250-pound quarterback, has a formidable set of tools. He can beat a defense running or throwing the ball. Oregon won’t stop Newton and the Tigers cold. The Ducks employ a sophisticated defense, with multiple looks, blitzes, pressure packages and coverages. If they create confusion and force turnovers, Oregon’s chances improve. “What we would like to do offensively is keep the football and eat some clock, get some first downs,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “Obviously, scoring is the No. 1 objective. However, we know we can’t go into the game and turn the ball over. There is no question about that. We have to protect the football.” He also should make sure his punt team corrals Cliff Harris, who averaged 19.5 yards per return for Oregon in the regular season. “We have some dynamic returners,” Kelly said, alluding also to Kenjon Barner and Josh Huff. “I think it will be an interesting matchup. That battle could be a determining factor in the game.” Win or lose, the Ducks successfully have repaired an image tattered by last winter’s offseason troubles. Kelly points with pride to the 58 UO players who achieved a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher last term. The Ducks steered away from off-the-field trouble throughout the fall, played fast, clean and hard and marched through an unbeaten regular season. Now they are poised to do what last year’s Rose Bowl team could not: finish.
Stanford Cardinal…
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Jan 042011
I hope the Nation is ready for the Cardinal to beat the bells off of Viginia Tech this evening! Jim Harbaugh has done a great job with this program and the Nation is going to see why Andrew Luck will be the #1 pick (in 2012). This is the most polished college QB to come along in quite some time. Great year for a Stanford fan! As for the SEC? 2-3 says it all about how that conference is over rated… Oregon is going to blow Auburn out next Monday! Think about that Bears – Patriots Super Bowl in ’86… The game will be close at halftime with the Ducks (Bears) starting to assert themselves… When it is over, the Ducks (Bears) will have won in convincing and dominant fashion!
Dec 192010
Report: Mike Leach Is Maryland’s Next Head Coach Not that anyone thought that wasn’t the case before. From OrangeBloods : Mike Leach is going to be the next head coach at Maryland, a key Big 12 source told Orangebloods.com. Chip Brown and OB are some of the kings of the football reporting world. They broke most of the conference realignment news, for example. Their word is gold, as far as I’m concerned. And yes, the fact that this all happened so fast means that Kevin Anderson likely had his ducks in a row when he made the change. Not a surprise. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it was a switcheroo, a coup of sorts, not a straight-up firing. I don’t think this had a ton to do with Fridge. It did have a lot to do with Leach. There are no contract details in the link above. I’m about to eat dinner. Until then, discuss. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Some people think so. I believe I read somewhere that Leach is friends with the Maryland AD so maybe this is for real. Interesting if true……
Attack of the Quack
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Nov 162010
Just thought I would touch base and let everyone know that unlike Jack, I am not in timeout. A few weeks ago an old friend of mine e-mailed me and dangled a couple of Duck tickets in front of me for the Washington and also the Arizona games. I told him I would think about it. That night as I was thinking about it dawned on me, what, am I freakin’ crazy? I have to think about this? After my wife died things have been crazy, so I packed up some clothes and drove cross country (Florida to Oregon) to go watch my Duck’s. I may never get to see them as the number one team ever again, so why not? I went to the Washington game and it was very exciting. Then I decided to travel to “Liberalville” and watch the Cal game. That was a tough decision because the ground in Berkley is crawling with Liberal Larvae. Now, I am hanging out in the bay area killing some time with the gays and doing some tourist crap because Oregon has this week off, but I still have tickets to both Arizona and Oregon State. I feel like I am about 20 years old. The excitement in Eugene is intoxicating. The Cal game was really weird because the team never panicked, and yet they seemed to always be in control. I know the score doesn’t show it, but our defense was really tough, after the opening drive. Cal has some very big and athletic Hawaiian dudes on their defensive line, and they could sure fake an injury. I got to watch the Ducks actually eat up over 9 minutes on a drive to end the game, and to actually take a knee at the end rather than add some points. The Cal fans were very complimentary about that gesture, it was cool. Even though Cal fans are not my kind of person, it was fun to go to a bar and have a few beers with them and actually have some great conversations. I have been reading about how terrible the Pac10 must be because of that game, yet I seem to remember when Kentucky beat South Carolina it was because the SEC is sooooo good. I also remember when USC lost a couple games like the one we just won. So, if you’re number one and the game is close, but you win, you’re not as good as you were the week before? How does that work? Isn’t the idea to win the game, and doesn’t a 1 point win count the same as a 30 point win? I think Oregon has shown us something that was in question, which is, can they win if you shut down their offense. I read some articles out here where they are really coming down on Utah for their game against Notre Dame. Cam looked good against Georgia and should win the Heisman, even though his dad is a retard. TCU stunk against San Diego State. Boise State played another puss, and why is LSU playing a team like that this late in the season? Is Syracuse really bowl eligible? Did Penn State really collapse that bad against the Bucknuts? Speaking of LSU, our schedule came out for next year and we start with LSU (@ Dallas), then Nevada, could be another interesting start. Well, I just thought I would write a note and let you all know that I am still alive and being totally out of control by doing this insane thing, but hey, you only live once and it never seems to be long enough. I won’t be back in Florida until mid December, but I will be checking in every now and then to see what kind of evil things you are saying about me. Oh, and one last thing, I am deeply saddened by the tragedy at Southern Miss. (The team must have really **bleep** Pom off.) This is an example of why these kids should stay away from establishments that are not controlled by the school. I hope they all recover. Later boys, Go Ducks
Oct 182010
Oregon soars to No. 1 in AP poll By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP Known for its ever-changing, often outrageous uniforms and a point-a-minute offense, Oregon now has a new distinction: No. 1 team in the country. The Ducks climbed to the top spot for the first time Sunday, moving up one position during an off week after previously top-ranked Ohio State lost 31-18 at Wisconsin on Saturday night. Boise State also moved up one place to No. 2. Oklahoma jumped three spots to No. 3, passing No. 4 TCU. Auburn moved up two spots to fifth, while the Buckeyes dropped to 11th. Oregon becomes the 43rd team to hold the No. 1 ranking in the AP media poll, which dates to 1936. The last time a team was No. 1 for the first time was almost 20 years ago to the day, when Virginia rose to No. 1 on Oct. 14, 1990. Ohio State’s loss came a week after then-No. 1 Alabama was beaten by South Carolina. Heisman Trophy contender LaMichael James and Oregon will try to avoid becoming the third straight No. 1 team to lose when it plays at home against UCLA on Thursday night. The Ducks received 39 first-place votes and 1,471 points. Boise State had 15 first-place votes and TCU (three) and Oklahoma (three) also got votes as the top team in the country. The first BCS standings, which use the coaches’ poll and Harris poll in its calculations, along with computer ratings, were due out Sunday night. The rest of the AP top 10 was LSU at No. 6, followed by Alabama, Michigan State, Utah and Wisconsin, which jumped eight spots after its big win at Camp Randall Stadium. Florida was one of four teams falling out of the poll. The Gators dropped their third straight game Saturday – 10-7 to Mississippi State – and are unranked for the first time since the final poll of the 2004 season. Also dropping out were Air Force, Nevada and Oregon State. Nebraska fell nine spots to No. 14 after losing 20-13 to Texas. The Longhorns moved back in at No.22, along with No. 23 Virginia Tech and No. 25 Miami. Mississippi State is at No. 24, its first ranking since 2001. That was also a breakout season for Oregon. Under coach Mike Bellotti, quarterback Joey Harrington and the Ducks finished No. 2 and probably should have received a chance to play for the national championship, but were squeezed out by a BCS formula that was later changed. Bellotti took over the program from Rich Brooks after the Ducks went to the 1995 Rose Bowl and Brooks bolted for the NFL. It was Oregon’s first Rose Bowl appearance in almost 40 years, a major happening for a program that had spent decades as an afterthought. The 1995 Rose Bowl trip was only the 10th bowl appearance in school history. Under Bellotti and with the help of a multimillion-dollar deal with Nike, which is run by Oregon alum Phil Knight, the program bolstered its facilities and resources, and Oregon became a consistent winner and contender in the Pac-10. But after that 2001 national title run, the Ducks slipped a bit as Pete Carroll and Southern California dominated the Pac-10. In 2007, it looked as if the Ducks were breaking through again, beating the Trojans and reaching No. 2 with Heisman contender Dennis Dixon running new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s spread attack. Dixon blew out his knee on a Thursday night against Arizona, though, and the Ducks went into a tailspin. After the 2008 season, Bellotti stepped down as coach and Kelly was promoted. Oregon finally unseated USC atop the Pac-10 last season and returned to the Rose Bowl with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli leading the way. Masoli was kicked off the team after legal problems, but the Ducks haven’t slowed down. Quarterback Darron Thomas has stepped into the role of dual-threat triggerman and James leads the nation in rushing at 169 yards per game. Running a high-speed spread that leaves opponents gasping for air and futilely grasping for ball carriers, the Ducks are averaging 54 points per game, tops in the nation. And now they’re No. 1 in the rankings, too. Oregon’s Pac-10 rival Stanford is No. 12, followed by Iowa, Nebraska and Arizona. Florida State was No. 16, followed by two surprising undefeated Big 12 teams – No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Missouri, which welcomes the Sooners to town on Saturday. South Carolina slipped nine spots to No. 19 when it followed up its upset of Alabama by losing to Kentucky 31-28. West Virginia is the lone ranked Big East team at No. 20, and Arkansas dropped nine spots to No. 21 after losing 65-43 to Auburn. The Associated Press
Sep 222010
What desert ‘sickness’ will Oregon bring? By Ted Miller Oregon is just sick. And by “sick” we mean sick in the ironic way the cool kids talk. Just go look at these numbers . We’ll wait here. See? Sick. Oregon ranks No. 1 in the nation in just about all the cool statistical categories — total and scoring defense, total and scoring offense, etc. [+] Enlarge Kirby Lee/US PresswireDarron Thomas (left), LaMichael James and the rest of the Ducks are sitting atop the NCAA offensive rankings. Of course, not everything is perfect. Oregon only ranks No. 2 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging a scant 380.67 yards per game, so that’s a problem. Better get on that, Chip Kelly. It’s fair to ask if there’s anything the fifth-ranked Ducks aren’t doing well. “I don’t know the answer to that,” Kelly said. “We don’t put a whole heck of a lot into the stats after three games… I think we are playing well. I think we’re playing hard. I like our effort. But we still have a ways to go to be a really, really good football team.” Oregon is bringing its PlayStation numbers to Arizona State on Saturday. In the preseason, this game probably elicited a “meh” from most observers. Oregon was projected No. 1 in the Pac-10. ASU was tapped ninth. And two games into the season, the reaction was likely the same. But then the Sun Devils outplayed No. 11 Wisconsin on the road in a 20-19 defeat. There were so many ways that game could have turned in their favor , but there was an obvious positive spin, despite the loss: Arizona State can compete at a high level. No, coaches and players don’t like to talk about “moral” victories, but let’s just say Kelly won’t need to work hard this week to get his players to take their visit to Tempe seriously after they look at the Sun Devils-Badgers game film. Coach Dennis Erickson said his team is more confident. “I would say we are,” he said. “We had chance to win a football game on the road against what we thought was a good football team. And yet, in looking at it, we did not play like we’re capable of playing.” It’s another good sign for the Sun Devils that a question about “moral” victories and “gaining confidence” seems to make quarterback Steven Threet wrinkle his nose in irritation. “We didn’t feel like the underdogs,” he said. “I feel like going into it we knew we were a good team. I think some people thought it was a measuring stick for us, but I don’t think anybody on our team believes in moral victories. We went in there to win the game. That was our goal.” Oregon thrashed the Sun Devils 44-21 in 2009, but the offense the Ducks will face on Saturday is a far more talented and confident outfit. That can be traced first to Threet, who is second in the conference with 280 yards passing per game, then to better offensive line play — see 156 yards rushing per game — and a deeper, more athletic array of skill players who can punish a defense when it messes up an assignment. A lot like Oregon can. Of course, the Ducks defense will be the best unit the Sun Devils have seen. But the same can be said for the Ducks offense. In fact, if you are looking for a key matchup, start with Sun Devils linebacker Vontaze Burfict vs. the Ducks spread-option. While it’s always about disciplined team defense when opposing the Ducks misdirection, Burfict is the sort of individual talent who could make things tough on running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner . Burfict upped his game at Wisconsin and became a force. He needs to take it a few more clicks forward against the Ducks (without committing any boneheaded personal foul or conduct penalties). “That’s probably the best he’s played [at Wisconsin],” Erickson said. “But he hasn’t played near what he is capable of. He’s getting better all the time. You’ve got to be disciplined against any offense but particularly this one. If you make a mistake and miss a tackle against Oregon, they’ll take it to the house.” Another level of intrigue: Two Sun Devils have more than the obvious reasons to dislike the Ducks. Receiver Aaron Pflugrad transferred from Oregon to ASU after his father, receivers coach Robin Pflugrad, was fired by Kelly. And Sun Devils defensive tackle Bo Moos is the son of Bill Moos, who was forced out as Oregon’s athletic director in 2007. “Obviously, they both want to play well against the University of Oregon, where they have had ties over the years,” Erickson said. “But I think they’ll have the emotional aspect of it under control.” Oregon has looked sick on both sides of the ball thus far. But there will be strong emotions, newfound confidence, a home crowd and a hot desert evening swinging the Sun Devils way. Maybe all that will combine to make the Ducks just sick enough — in the traditional sense of the word — that the Sun Devils can notch the upset.
Quack Attack
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Sep 132010
Way to go Ducks, nice victory on the road with 102,000 plus fans to start the game, not many left after the Ducks scored 45 unanswered points, but better days ahead for The Vols! Good Luck Tenn.
Ducks Are Trying
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Jul 122010
With the new expansion of the Pac10 to the Pac”whatever”, Oregon sent out offers to the following schools for a home and home series; Florida, Alabama, and LSU from the SEC, and Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State from the Bigger than 10. All responded by saying they are not interested, that is all but LSU. LSU and Oregon are trying to work out a home and home series as we I write. This would be a great series with the first game being next year (2011). Oregon is Tennessee in the second game this year, and remember this was schedule when Fulmer was still around. It is sad to see the elite programs snub an up and coming program just because they don’t want the risk of losing. The money is there, the certain victory is not. Michigan is understandable because Oregon has their number, but the rest, I don’t know! I understand it, but I don’t agree with it. At least the Ducks are trying!!!!!