Rebuilding the Oregon Defense, part two

Back on August 31st, we predicted the 2010 Oregon defense would be special.  It didn't take the Amazing Kreskin or Chriss Angel to figure that out.  Not even Lee Corso or Lou Holtz.  The Ducks' Tenacious D held opponents to just 244 points in 13 games. and kept the National Champion Auburn Tigers to 22.  They were fast, hard-hitting and resilient.  They forced 37 turnovers and dictated the outcome of games.  They were exciting to watch, and played with enormous heart.

And now, half of the starters will be gone.  Nick Aliotti has the uneviable task of replacing Brandon Bair, Kenny Rowe, Zac Clark, Spencer Paysinger, Casey Matthews, and Talmadge Jackson III.  These were six warriors that Duck fans will remember a long time.  Each brought leadership, experience, and a fierce will to win.

Players with that kind of integrity and effort are not found hanging around the student union, or on the web pages of some recruiting service.  Players like that are made in the weight room, the film room, the practice field, and the living rooms of the families that shaped their character.  They won't be easily replaced.

But this is college football, and part of the charm and challenge of the sport is that this happens every four years.  Memorable players come through our lives and win our hearts, and then they move on to their careers and lives outside of college football.  A few will go on to the NFL.  All of them will remain Ducks, and each will receive a warm greeting any time they return to Autzen Stadium.  A special thank you has to go to these six, for the standard they set, the fierce effort they made, and the pride they brought to Oregon football.  They were the backbone of what may be the best defense the UO has ever had.  They are two-time Conference Champions, 22-4 over the last two years, 41-11 in the last four.

Paysinger and Matthews formed one of the most effective linebacker tandems since Asher and Ruhl.  Their work ethic and maturity set the pace for the defensive unit, and on the field, each could be counted on to make plays and be in the right place.  Bair carried on a fine tradition of Oregon defensive tackles, from Steve Baack to Rollin Putzier to Haloti Ngata.  He improved steadily and got the most out of his ability.  Rowe and Clark added pursuit and tenacity, the effort to make big stops.

Talmadge Jackson III drew pointed criticism from Duck fans, but he became a complete player through hard work, turning up with a big interception in the Civil War, proving himself to be a sure tackler and a dependable corner.   Secondary John Neal praised him as a player who consistently did everything right, every meeting, every practice, every class.  He was on time. He was where he was supposed to be.  And as the season wore on, opponents completed fewer and fewer passes to his side, until it seemed they were avoiding him altogether.  Cliff Harris got the headlines, and we love Cliff, but TJIII became a guy everyone overlooked, but his teammates could count on every play.

This winter and this spring, Nick Aliotti begins the imposing task of replacing these six, a half dozen Ducks who help bring Oregon defensive football to a new level of speed and intensity.  A flashy offense got the headlines, but they were the substance behind the flash.