1. LaMichael James' touchdown runs. They are electric, darting, spinning, athletic artistry with a sprinter's power and grace. He's a special running talent in the mold of Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders. Yeah, he's that good.
2. LaMichael James' touchdown celebrations. The frog jump. The Lambeau leap into his linemen's arms. The Russell Crowe roar and flex and howl. Are you not entertained? Yes, he's the most entertaining runner in Oregon history. His longest runs in each game this season: 72, 66, 40, 76, 55. Oh, and he also had an 87-yard catch-and-run on a wheel route. Many backs have one run like any of these in their careers. LMJ has one or two or three a week.
3. Darron Thomas's spirals. He lays the ball out to downfield receivers in stride, and the Oregon passing game is three notches better than it has been since Dennis Dixon dazzled the Michigan Wolverines in The Big House. He stands tough in the pocket, and just gives the interviewers the grin, answers every interview question with a broad smile and "we".
4. The Spiderman Jeff Maehl's tenacious running after catch. He'll weave, he'll bounce off defenders, he'll absorb a hit, but one way or another he'll make it to the chains.
5. Drew Davis and LT, doing anything they can to contribute to winning football games. Downfield blocking? A bruising seven-yard run with a quick pass? A shot at the end zone? Decoy? You got it coach. Love to see these two get a couple of moments in the spotlight. They may be the two hardest workers on the team, outside of Kenny Rowe.
6. The Silent Assassin Kenny Rowe. He's a fierce hitter and relentless, and sooner or later he's getting to the quarterback.
7. Brandon "The Beast" Bair, who has made himself a great player with technique, hard work and character. His pursuit and determination have contributed mightily to the big-play tenacity of the Oregon defense, disrupting offenses with batted passes, dogged penetration and swallowing up quarterbacks and tailbacks at an eye-popping rate. He's become a force in the middle, and his imposing presence there makes the entire defense better.
8. The exuberant athleticism of Cliff Harris. Harris brings the swagger and brash confidence, and backs it up with stunning ability. On the punt return versus Washington State, he makes the first defender miss with a crazy-legs move, bursts by two guys and then follows his blocks. Watch back his picks and pass breakups. He does things other players just can't do, leaping as high as the receiver's waist, turning for the ball like it was intended for him. He's here to lock shit down, and that's exactly what he does. How many picks will he have in the last six games? Will he return another punt for a touchdown?
9. The pile-driving front line. Asper, Holmes, Thran, Kaiser, York, Weems and Cody: these guys don't get a lot of credit and don't expect any, but when the offense has rolled for 54.3 points and 567 yards a game, they're the ones powering the truck. Thomas is just behind the steering wheel.
10. Josh Huff's quiet confidence. This is a kid who was picking up his prom date a few months ago, and now he's scoring touchdowns in the PAC-10, making plays like a veteran running and receiving. Number 4 has averaged 15.2 yards a carry running and 15.5 catching, and contributed several big plays in his first fall on campus. He's destined to become a four-year fan favorite, stepping in to add a key extra element to the Oregon offense.
11. Jackson Rice's educated foot. Oregon punt return yards: 405, 4 tds. Opponents punt return yards: 8. 2 touchbacks, 5 punts of more than 50 yards, 10 punts downed inside the 20. Oregon is one of the few schools to have a punter who plays smart enough to be a defensive weapon.
12. Casey Matthews big leap forward. He's become a middle linebacker who ranges into coverage and makes plays. Three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two of the picks and one of the fumble recoveries have come near the goal line. He is the don't break in the bend but don't break.
13. Rob Beard's consistency. The were questions preseason about whether the Ducks were solid at this position, but Beard stepped in in a fierce way. 33-33 on extra points, 5-5 on field goals, 9 touchbacks on kickoffs, and one huge onside kick recovery. Beard has been nails, continuing a fine tradition of solid, reliable Oregon kickers. Hard to believe the team has settled for field goals only eight times this year, versus 43 touchdowns.
14. The Ducks are 6-0, the number one team in the nation, and defending PAC-10 champions, on Game Day for the last two years, and on national tv for the next two weeks. It's been a long, strange trip from the Toilet Bowl to now, and it sure feels nice.
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