Turns out the Bruins will duck this trip to Eugene for three or four years, but make no mistake: regardless of how they configured the conference, the road to the Rose Bowl travels up I-5 through Eugene for the forseeable future.
Tonight's game has nothing to do with next year's schedule, but the Ducks do have an opportunity to send Rick Neuheisel and his team back to LA with a lovely parting gift, and send a message to any recruits from Southern California who might be watching the nationally televised game: the best, most exciting football in the West gets played in Autzen stadium, before the most passionate crowd you'll find anywhere. If you want to win, win big, and win with style, come to Eugene. Your boys back home will see you in high profile games and on national TV.
The Ducks are on ESPN tonight, and it's another opportunity to showcase what they've built in Eugene, another opportunity to show why they are number one in the country. And it's another opportunity to play football, which they love to do.
We'll see how much improvement they've made in improvement week.
How does the game go? Here's what Duck fans would like to see:
They'd like to see a Duck team that comes out focused and flawless. No early turnovers, no dumb penalties. A decisive drive and an emphatic stop and a quick two touchdown lead. Another big play by special teams. Another score by the defense. Oregon first, last, early and often, and an efficient tuneup for USC. A game that leaves no doubt: we're number one and we intend to stay there.
The first game after a bye is critical, because it establishes a new level of tempo, commitment and execution for the second half.
It is particularly crucial for the defense. They showed flashes of brilliance in the first six games, dominated opponents in the second half of games. They were bold and opportunistic, leading the country in takeaways, scoring three times themselves. But at other times they were pushed around in conference play and on the road to Tennessee, trailing three times by double digits. Three different backs have run for a hundred yards on the Ducks, each of them for their season high. Steven Threet, Andrew Luck and Jeff Tuel all had big days passing. There were huge chunks of first and second quarter play where Oregon's defense looked exploitable and confused.
The Ducks defense has been flashy but not dominant, and they have the potential to be both. If they tackle better and execute their assignments better, they can put together four quarters that look more like the second half of their games. In order, these are Oregon's scores in the second half: 13-0, 35-0, 24-0,14-7, 28-0, 14-6. That adds up to 128-13 for the season after the break. That's a measure of how dominant Oregon's defense can be at their best.
Great defenses disrupt and deny what the opponent wants to do. And UCLA is a perfect opportunity for Oregon's defense to tune up for the tough road games at USC, Cal and Oregon State, and defending their 18-game home winning streak at Autzen versus Washington and Arizona. The Bruins don't pass well. There's no secret to what they do well. Stop Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman, and you stop the Bruins, stone cold. It the Ducks tackle, fill the gaps, and play inspired from the beginning, they could achieve another shutout today, and start themselves on the way to a second half where they answer all the questions and the critics: "we are the Oregon Ducks, and we're here to lock (stuff) down."
Preducktion: Oregon 66, UCLA O.
No comments:
Post a Comment