Duck Sports Now is down today, and that's a misery for Duck fans. Biggest game of the year two days away and we can't get our IV drip of constant Duck news. I feel like the steroid-abusing bouncer in a Carl Hiaasen novel.
Those Stanford guys are pretty smart. Is this some silicon boulevard chicanery from a Tree Hugger gone bad?
A number of national pundits, Wilner and Schlabach among them, pick the Cardinal to win Saturday. It's a good thing that those guys are usually wrong. The news flow seems to favor Harbaugh and his team; they are the jazzy story coming in with the physical play and culture change and Heisman-hyped quarterback. Owen Marecic is getting a lot of love for his toughness and two-way prowess. His coach says he never misses a block.
Tremendous video of new Duck recruits available at oregonlive.com. Check out Andre Yruretagoyena, their new four-star offensive tackle commit. The collisions and blows he delivers downfield are amazing. Opponents go down like he shot them with a stun gun. He's the most mobile, strong, agile high school tackle I have ever seen, and it's exciting to think of him blocking for Williams and Seastrunk in a couple of years. He may have the physical maturity to play immediately.
Moseley reports all Ducks are full-go except Darryle Hawkins. Brandon Williams seems to be catching the ball well even with the club. Weems and Thran are practicing, and Coach Kelly says the intensity and focus are excellent.
These are the two worst words in the world for a devoted Duck blogger: mandatory overtime. Had to pull an extra eight hours on the job today, so a quick note here and there is all I have time for. Tomorrow I'll have a Stanford defensive preview, a look at national games with Duck implications and a game preducktion.
Reached 13,500 hits in our second month full time at The Duck Stops Here. Thank you all for your support. Anybody want to buy a blog?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
PAC-10 Predictions: Elimination Saturday
Season record is 31-3, which means I'm a full dollar better than the Les Miles of PAC-10 prognosticators, ESPN's Ted Miller, who thus far stands at a paltry 27-7. Then there is Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury-News, who has successfully predicted 20 of the last three Oregon defeats. He picks the Ducks to lose nearly every week, guaranteeing he'll be right 15% of the time. Hope he's not putting real money on those games on his newpaperman's salary.
It's a tough week in the PAC-10, with some pivotal, season-changing matchups that could go either way. Here's a look:
USC 27, Washington 20
Washington will play tougher in this coaching grudge match, but they aren't likely to prevail on the road against a USC team that has a decided advantage in talent.
UCLA 38, Washington State 13
The Bruins pistol-whip the Cougars, who may win a PAC-10 game this year, but it will have to be in Pullman.
Oregon State 30, Arizona State 27 (OT)
The loser has to go way uphill for a bowl berth and probably is looking at a failed season. The Beavs are banged up, but look for them to rally in Reser.
It's a tough week in the PAC-10, with some pivotal, season-changing matchups that could go either way. Here's a look:
USC 27, Washington 20
Washington will play tougher in this coaching grudge match, but they aren't likely to prevail on the road against a USC team that has a decided advantage in talent.
UCLA 38, Washington State 13
The Bruins pistol-whip the Cougars, who may win a PAC-10 game this year, but it will have to be in Pullman.
Oregon State 30, Arizona State 27 (OT)
The loser has to go way uphill for a bowl berth and probably is looking at a failed season. The Beavs are banged up, but look for them to rally in Reser.
Blackout or Shootout? Neither is Likely to Materialize
Defense wins championships. And a championship defense asserts itself in a showdown game.
These are two well-coached, highly-rated, talented football teams. The team that makes tackles, creates more turnovers and forces more punts will probably win. One team has Andrew Luck and the other has Darron Thomas, Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James, and somebody has to stop somebody.
Shootouts rarely materialize. When all the signs point to an offensive explosion, somebody usually rises up, and early in a game like this, there’s a feeling-out process, like two heavyweight fighters circling each other in the ring. The strengths of the two teams tend to cancel each other out, and rather than raining haymakers, there are a few body blows and key punches that decide each round.
As for a blackout, what an utterly stupid idea. Black isn’t an Oregon color, and particularly for a day game, it doesn’t stand out or make a visual statement. It dilutes the home field advantage and rarely comes off due to a high rate of nonparticipation.
Yellow is the most traditional and visually distinctive color Oregon fans could wear, particularly on national tv at dusk. As for the team, I don't get a vote, but I hope they go with the throwback green and yellow they wore to trample Cal.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Mascot Competition Is No Competition
The Tree is the worst, most ill-considered and uninteresting mascot in all of college football, and the Duck is one of the best.Oregon's has sass and personality. Theirs is, well, a tree. A foam rubber tree with a ridiculous headdress and tennis shoes. How many pushups does the tree do a game? In fact, can the tree do anything, except maybe dance in the wrong place and serve as a target for the annual Cal Bear prank?
Stanford goes to great lengths to play up some kind of mythical and supposed connection to the Ivy league, with their offbeat nickname (a color, not a bird), their irreverent band and irrelevant mascot. They try too hard with this deliberate anti-tradition that does nothing to advance, inspire or represent Stanford athletics. Disheveled iconoclasts, out of step with each other and the disciplined, cut-from-stone excellence of Harbaugh and Marecic, the band and their tree create a hopeless brand confusion on The Farm. The school of Frankie Albert, John Elway and Toby Gerhart deserves better. A mascot that is neither funny or creative or entertaining is like the band's self-indulgent halftime shows, addicted to scattergun irony and the untuneful blare of their own horn.
The Duck adds mightily to the identity and uniqueness of the Oregon program, and is a large and positive part of the Autzen game day experience. It's been featured in ESPN profiles, and commercials that create a water cooler buzz. It means something to be a Duck. No ill-considered referendum can make a living tradition or sacred symbol out of a foam rubber tree.
You'd think all those great, creative Stanford minds could do better.
You'd think all those great, creative Stanford minds could do better.
Stanford Offense: Beatable and Overhyped
Football teams and football fans should approach most opponents with fear and respect, but a bold and opposite approach should be applied to the Stanford Cardinal.
The press is full of stories of their toughness, and homages to their impressive opening wins. They've intimidated opponents and rolled to one-sided victories over Sacramento State, UCLA, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
The Ducks shouldn't be intimidated. They shouldn't even be afraid. Stanford has gained a lot of traction with attitude and a bullying posture, but take a closer look, and this is a beatable, plodding football team.
UCLA hadn't yet found itself by game two and took a beating. Wake Forest and Notre Dame are down, way down this season. The Cardinal haven't played anybody. And they haven't played anybody that could stand up to them.
Notre Dame trailed only 19-6 going in to the fourth quarter and folded. Stanford had to settle for five field goals against a mediocre Irish defense, and ND quarterback Dayne Crist tossed up a fourth quarter pick-six to pad the lead.
Andrew Luck has the bloodlines, hype and NFL measurables, but he hasn't been overwhelming operating Jim Harbaugh's offense. Here are some revealing numbers from longtime Duck antagonist Jon Wilner. Luck has benefited in the early going from second-rate competition, and he and his offense haven't been tested by an aggressive defense:
The press is full of stories of their toughness, and homages to their impressive opening wins. They've intimidated opponents and rolled to one-sided victories over Sacramento State, UCLA, Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
The Ducks shouldn't be intimidated. They shouldn't even be afraid. Stanford has gained a lot of traction with attitude and a bullying posture, but take a closer look, and this is a beatable, plodding football team.
UCLA hadn't yet found itself by game two and took a beating. Wake Forest and Notre Dame are down, way down this season. The Cardinal haven't played anybody. And they haven't played anybody that could stand up to them.
Notre Dame trailed only 19-6 going in to the fourth quarter and folded. Stanford had to settle for five field goals against a mediocre Irish defense, and ND quarterback Dayne Crist tossed up a fourth quarter pick-six to pad the lead.
Andrew Luck has the bloodlines, hype and NFL measurables, but he hasn't been overwhelming operating Jim Harbaugh's offense. Here are some revealing numbers from longtime Duck antagonist Jon Wilner. Luck has benefited in the early going from second-rate competition, and he and his offense haven't been tested by an aggressive defense:
- Luck completed 74% of his passes for eight tds and no ints, against
Sacramento State and Wake Forest, which ranks 117th in pass defense. - Against UCLA and Notre Dame, he completed 53.5% of his passes with 3 tds
and 2 picks.
Luck has a good arm and great future, but what he doesn't have anymore is Toby Gerhart. The tailback committee of Stepfan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney, Usua Amanam, and Jeremy Stewart isn't anywhere near as imposing. Taylor is 5-11, 208; Gaffney is 6-1, 211. Neither is a power back, and between them they have one 100-yard rushing game on the season, Taylor's 28 carries for 108 yards against the Irish (a 3.8-yard average). He has a long run for the season of 17 yards, while Gaffney had a 32-yard burst against Wake Forest. Andrew Luck is the second leading rusher on the team with 163 yards and a 52-yard touchdown against Wake. So far this season Oregon's tandem of James and Barner have touchdown runs of 72, 40, 65, 35, 42 and 25 yards, plus Barner's 80-yard punt return and 60-yard pass reception for tds. The Ducks are faster and more explosive.
Harbaugh closes all practices and doesn't disclose injury information, so there's no update on leading returning receivers Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu, who've been hampered by injuries all year. In their absence career journeyman Doug Baldwin leads Stanford's receivers with 12 catches for 222 yards and 3 tds, but that includes an 81-yard touchdown against Sacramento State. Taylor comes next with six catches out of the backfield for 116 yards, but that total includes a 59-yard touchdown, also in the rout over Sac State.
Oregon matches up very well against this year's Stanford offense. When you go inside the numbers, they are very containable. Luck doesn't have imposing weapons around him, and if the Ducks are aggressive, play with urgency, and complete their assignments, they can shut down this offense. They have to avoid the breakdowns and missed tackles that plagued them against Arizona State, but the Stanford offense shouldn't be able to keep pace with Oregon's, provided the Ducks assert their advantage in speed and athletic ability.
Idiot! I Should Have Been a Top Ten Football Coach
The top ten coaches salaries, according to Americasbestonline:
Mack Brown, $5.1 million
Bob Stoops $4.3 million
Urban Meyer $4 million
Lane Kiffin, $4 million
Nick Saban $3.9 million
Les Miles $3.8 million
Jim Tressel $3.7 million
Mark Richt $3.1 million
Kirk Ferentz $3 million
Bobbie Petrino $2.9 million
According to Rob Moseley, Chip Kelly's new deal will pay him an average of 3.4 million per season. Plus he gets to enter this contest for a really cool trophy.
Mack Brown, $5.1 million
Bob Stoops $4.3 million
Urban Meyer $4 million
Lane Kiffin, $4 million
Nick Saban $3.9 million
Les Miles $3.8 million
Jim Tressel $3.7 million
Mark Richt $3.1 million
Kirk Ferentz $3 million
Bobbie Petrino $2.9 million
According to Rob Moseley, Chip Kelly's new deal will pay him an average of 3.4 million per season. Plus he gets to enter this contest for a really cool trophy.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ducks Ink Kelly to Long-Term Deal for Big Cash: Right Guy, Right Move, Right Time?
Rob Mullens first significant move as athletic director is to lock up Chip Kelly for five more years. Good move.
Chip Kelly is the most innovative, energetic, committed coach the Oregon Ducks could have. He's a motivator, a teacher, and a winner. He speaks with integrity and represents the university with commitment and character. He demands the same things from himself he expects from his athletes.
What Duck fans like best about him is the stand-up, focus-forward way he coaches. The loyalty he inspires from his players is legendary. These players believe and understand the vision. They're fully committed. They don't panic in adversity.
There are other great coaches around the country, but Chip Kelly is a tremendous fit at Oregon, the perfect coach to lead Oregon on their continued journey to excellence and prominence in college football. When he was hired, he asked, how do we get from number six to number one? No one ever rises to low expectations, and no one in Duck history has articulated expectations with greater clarity or consistency. The Ducks may lose some games this year. But they won't lose their heads, or their purpose, or their will to win.
Kelly has humor and style. He's fiercely individual and independent, constantly looking for ways to refine the process and communicate the vision.
Oregon is right to pay him this kind of money. He will produce results that justify this investment, raising the profile and profitability of the football team and athletic department.
When you have the right guy, you pay him what he's worth. And act proactively to keep him. Before long, someone would have come along and offered him substantially more.
Chip Kelly is the most innovative, energetic, committed coach the Oregon Ducks could have. He's a motivator, a teacher, and a winner. He speaks with integrity and represents the university with commitment and character. He demands the same things from himself he expects from his athletes.
What Duck fans like best about him is the stand-up, focus-forward way he coaches. The loyalty he inspires from his players is legendary. These players believe and understand the vision. They're fully committed. They don't panic in adversity.
There are other great coaches around the country, but Chip Kelly is a tremendous fit at Oregon, the perfect coach to lead Oregon on their continued journey to excellence and prominence in college football. When he was hired, he asked, how do we get from number six to number one? No one ever rises to low expectations, and no one in Duck history has articulated expectations with greater clarity or consistency. The Ducks may lose some games this year. But they won't lose their heads, or their purpose, or their will to win.
Kelly has humor and style. He's fiercely individual and independent, constantly looking for ways to refine the process and communicate the vision.
Oregon is right to pay him this kind of money. He will produce results that justify this investment, raising the profile and profitability of the football team and athletic department.
When you have the right guy, you pay him what he's worth. And act proactively to keep him. Before long, someone would have come along and offered him substantially more.
The Most Surprising Thing Revealed About Darron Thomas in His First Four Games
Darron Thomas is tough. Masoli made a name for himself running over safeties and defensive backs, but did you see the block Thomas laid on Vontaze Burflict? Thomas is a football player. He had another key block on James' long run for a TD in the Tennessee game. It really lifts a team in film study to have their qb singled out for blocking downfield like that. Little things like that solidify his position as a leader on the field.
He showed the same toughness making a one-on-one tackle after an interception in the New Mexico game, and in standing in to make good throws under pressure, for touchdowns twice against UT, repeatedly against ASU.
He's taken shots, and never lost his composure.
There wasn't any doubt about his potential and upside, but courage and composure are something you can't coach, and something you can't be sure of until a quarterback takes live snaps under fire. Darron Thomas is a quality athlete, with the heart to lead a team.
No matter what the win-loss record winds up being, the coaches made an excellent choice.
He showed the same toughness making a one-on-one tackle after an interception in the New Mexico game, and in standing in to make good throws under pressure, for touchdowns twice against UT, repeatedly against ASU.
He's taken shots, and never lost his composure.
There wasn't any doubt about his potential and upside, but courage and composure are something you can't coach, and something you can't be sure of until a quarterback takes live snaps under fire. Darron Thomas is a quality athlete, with the heart to lead a team.
No matter what the win-loss record winds up being, the coaches made an excellent choice.
Finding Positives after a Sub-Par Performance: What the Ducks Have to Do Better to Turn Back Stanford
The Vegas line has Oregon a touchdown favorite,-7, but it's not clear whether the oddsmakers watched both teams last Saturday. They were probably counting their money while Stanford demolished Notre Dame or the Ducks were pushed all over the field by ASU. The Cardinal looked dominating. The Ducks looked ready for defense rehab and offensive line remedial school.
To win this Saturday Oregon needs a serious upgrade in scheme and execution. They've slid by for four weeks on a soft early schedule and deep talent, but now they're facing a team with a comparable arsenal and a tough attitude, and they'll have to play their best game of the year.
They can, but they'll have to be much more focused than they were last Saturday on the road. They must allow fewer explosion plays and big gains, shore up the soft spots in their run defense and against the mid-range pass, tackle better, and keep the front seven off Darron Thomas and LaMichael James. DT and LMJ got pounded in the Arizona State game. There were plays they could have sued their offensive line for nonsupport. It's amazing they're not in red jerseys this week.
In 17 games as head coach Chip Kelly has shown himself to be a master of preparation and development. The chief thing he's instilled in his team is resilience and focus, and they'll be ready Saturday with their best effort. Here are some impressions and notes on what will work for them this weekend, and what must:
Autzen and the home crowd
Conventional wisdom says home field is worth three points. That's a reasonable estimate, but Autzen is worth seven. The Ducks are so comfortable there, and so confident, and the unfailingly revved-up and knowledgeable home crowd is loud, disruptive, and a force in the game. Stanford will make brave statements this week about inviting the challenge and feeding off the competitive energy of a hostile environment, but nothing, nothing, prepares a visitor for the wall of sound that is Autzen in full throttle. Oregon State, right down the road and completely familiar with its imposing nature, came in last season and had seven false starts in a game for the conference championship. Andrew Luck is a great player, but the redshirt sophomore has never played in Autzen. Notre Dame is a football cathedral, but it's nothing like the home of the Ducks, not for noise or intensity. Nothing outside the SEC is. With GameDay in town, Eugene will be rocking like never before, and it's an atmosphere that matters, a visible, audible, physical force in the game. It lifts the Ducks and beats back the opponents. There's a divinity that shapes its ends, the fierce magic of all the magic that has happened there before.
Autzen will be a tangible difference maker in this game, and the home crowd will help itself by being in their seats for the second half kickoff. No glass of your favorite hooch is worth missing a critical moment of the most challenging game on the Oregon schedule. Drink later. Come to the stadium to watch football and celebrate a win.
The Return of the Burner Barner
The Oregon offense missed Kenjon Barner last week. If he is full-go this week in practice, and ready to run loose on Saturday, Oregon's offense has a critical dimension that was missing in Tempe. James and Thomas were getting beaten and battered, and the Ducks needed a counterpunch, need that vital third weapon that punishes defenses for overplaying and overpursuing and selling out to meet the zone read at the point of attack. Barner unleashed in misdirection exploits their aggressiveness. It gives them something they can't account for, too many options, too many keys. The defense has to choose, and suddenly every choice is wrong.
Oregon's return game was ineffective against the Sun Devils, and if Kenjon is back, so is another element of the Ducks potent equation. Big returns are momentum changers. They fire the crowd with energy and take the air out of opponents in a close game. Groin injuries linger, but if Jim Radcliffe and the Oregon trainers have stitched Barner back together, the Oregon offensive machine is dialed back to 11. Stanford's defense is good, but they haven't been tested, not like the Ducks can when they are playing well.
Taking the wraps off the Oregon offense, and Darron Thomas
Darron Thomas is ready to take a game into his own hands. Teams are committing to containing LaMichael James at all cost, and now the Ducks have to take the bold strategy of punching that strategy right in the mouth: use the pass to set up the run. Go up top. Find the seams, go downfield to Maehl and Tuinei and Paulson and Davis and Huff. Stretch the field vertically and sideline to sideline until they adjust, then give James the ball with lanes to run in.
Steve Greatwood has to lay down a challenge to the Oregon offensive line. They have to put their best four quarters together, give their tailback a surge and their quarterback room to set his feet. They've only allowed one sack this year, but Thomas has been hit and hurried far too often. They need to protect him. They need to give him time to scan the field and destroy the Stanford secondary. The Ducks have to puncture the Cardinal's arrogance, and the best way possible is to assert themselves with a fast start and a brutally efficient offense. The Ducks' front line needs to play its best, most complete game of the season. They need to make their young quarterback look good instead of putting him in harm's way and forcing him into hurried decisions. An extra second gives him time to set, survey and deliver. It turns those just-misses into long completions. He can choose his trajectory and put a little air under the ball. They need to pick him up and protect him.
Improved Defensive Technique
Oregon's defense has produced a lot of big plays, and played four dominating second halves, but they have come out flat and unprepared in two games against teams that could pass and run, Tennessee and Arizona State. In both those games they created a huge hole and a ten-point deficit for the Oregon offense, which the Ducks quickly erased, but they won't have that luxury against the Cardinal. A fast start would be a huge edge in this game, and a poor one could prove fatal. If Stanford gets up by ten they'll pound the Ducks with the power running game and it has the potential to be a very long day.
The Ducks must tackle better. The secondary has to give each other ball calls and defend the pass with more consistency, avoid those costly pass interference penalties. Most of all, they have to stop the run. Harbaugh wants to dictate the game with a physical running attack, and the Ducks have to use their quickness and athleticism and smarts to defeat it at the line of scrimmage. The defense needs to assert itself. They have to get some pressure on Luck, and force him into some bad decisions. Oregon can seize this game by the throat if their defense produces some turnovers and three-and-outs, particularly early.
Stanford is playing like the baddest, biggest bully on the block. The Ducks have to convince them that noise, swagger and cruelty won't win the day in Autzen stadium. The defending conference champions have to play like champions, inspired, disciplined, focused football from the opening kickoff on.
I don't bet college football, but if I did I'd give the points. A mature, businesslike team will play like a champion and defend their house on Saturday. Oregon will bring their best effort to Autzen, and answer the critics and the questions.
To win this Saturday Oregon needs a serious upgrade in scheme and execution. They've slid by for four weeks on a soft early schedule and deep talent, but now they're facing a team with a comparable arsenal and a tough attitude, and they'll have to play their best game of the year.
They can, but they'll have to be much more focused than they were last Saturday on the road. They must allow fewer explosion plays and big gains, shore up the soft spots in their run defense and against the mid-range pass, tackle better, and keep the front seven off Darron Thomas and LaMichael James. DT and LMJ got pounded in the Arizona State game. There were plays they could have sued their offensive line for nonsupport. It's amazing they're not in red jerseys this week.
In 17 games as head coach Chip Kelly has shown himself to be a master of preparation and development. The chief thing he's instilled in his team is resilience and focus, and they'll be ready Saturday with their best effort. Here are some impressions and notes on what will work for them this weekend, and what must:
Autzen and the home crowd
Conventional wisdom says home field is worth three points. That's a reasonable estimate, but Autzen is worth seven. The Ducks are so comfortable there, and so confident, and the unfailingly revved-up and knowledgeable home crowd is loud, disruptive, and a force in the game. Stanford will make brave statements this week about inviting the challenge and feeding off the competitive energy of a hostile environment, but nothing, nothing, prepares a visitor for the wall of sound that is Autzen in full throttle. Oregon State, right down the road and completely familiar with its imposing nature, came in last season and had seven false starts in a game for the conference championship. Andrew Luck is a great player, but the redshirt sophomore has never played in Autzen. Notre Dame is a football cathedral, but it's nothing like the home of the Ducks, not for noise or intensity. Nothing outside the SEC is. With GameDay in town, Eugene will be rocking like never before, and it's an atmosphere that matters, a visible, audible, physical force in the game. It lifts the Ducks and beats back the opponents. There's a divinity that shapes its ends, the fierce magic of all the magic that has happened there before.
Autzen will be a tangible difference maker in this game, and the home crowd will help itself by being in their seats for the second half kickoff. No glass of your favorite hooch is worth missing a critical moment of the most challenging game on the Oregon schedule. Drink later. Come to the stadium to watch football and celebrate a win.
The Return of the Burner Barner
The Oregon offense missed Kenjon Barner last week. If he is full-go this week in practice, and ready to run loose on Saturday, Oregon's offense has a critical dimension that was missing in Tempe. James and Thomas were getting beaten and battered, and the Ducks needed a counterpunch, need that vital third weapon that punishes defenses for overplaying and overpursuing and selling out to meet the zone read at the point of attack. Barner unleashed in misdirection exploits their aggressiveness. It gives them something they can't account for, too many options, too many keys. The defense has to choose, and suddenly every choice is wrong.
Oregon's return game was ineffective against the Sun Devils, and if Kenjon is back, so is another element of the Ducks potent equation. Big returns are momentum changers. They fire the crowd with energy and take the air out of opponents in a close game. Groin injuries linger, but if Jim Radcliffe and the Oregon trainers have stitched Barner back together, the Oregon offensive machine is dialed back to 11. Stanford's defense is good, but they haven't been tested, not like the Ducks can when they are playing well.
Taking the wraps off the Oregon offense, and Darron Thomas
Darron Thomas is ready to take a game into his own hands. Teams are committing to containing LaMichael James at all cost, and now the Ducks have to take the bold strategy of punching that strategy right in the mouth: use the pass to set up the run. Go up top. Find the seams, go downfield to Maehl and Tuinei and Paulson and Davis and Huff. Stretch the field vertically and sideline to sideline until they adjust, then give James the ball with lanes to run in.
Steve Greatwood has to lay down a challenge to the Oregon offensive line. They have to put their best four quarters together, give their tailback a surge and their quarterback room to set his feet. They've only allowed one sack this year, but Thomas has been hit and hurried far too often. They need to protect him. They need to give him time to scan the field and destroy the Stanford secondary. The Ducks have to puncture the Cardinal's arrogance, and the best way possible is to assert themselves with a fast start and a brutally efficient offense. The Ducks' front line needs to play its best, most complete game of the season. They need to make their young quarterback look good instead of putting him in harm's way and forcing him into hurried decisions. An extra second gives him time to set, survey and deliver. It turns those just-misses into long completions. He can choose his trajectory and put a little air under the ball. They need to pick him up and protect him.
Improved Defensive Technique
Oregon's defense has produced a lot of big plays, and played four dominating second halves, but they have come out flat and unprepared in two games against teams that could pass and run, Tennessee and Arizona State. In both those games they created a huge hole and a ten-point deficit for the Oregon offense, which the Ducks quickly erased, but they won't have that luxury against the Cardinal. A fast start would be a huge edge in this game, and a poor one could prove fatal. If Stanford gets up by ten they'll pound the Ducks with the power running game and it has the potential to be a very long day.
The Ducks must tackle better. The secondary has to give each other ball calls and defend the pass with more consistency, avoid those costly pass interference penalties. Most of all, they have to stop the run. Harbaugh wants to dictate the game with a physical running attack, and the Ducks have to use their quickness and athleticism and smarts to defeat it at the line of scrimmage. The defense needs to assert itself. They have to get some pressure on Luck, and force him into some bad decisions. Oregon can seize this game by the throat if their defense produces some turnovers and three-and-outs, particularly early.
Stanford is playing like the baddest, biggest bully on the block. The Ducks have to convince them that noise, swagger and cruelty won't win the day in Autzen stadium. The defending conference champions have to play like champions, inspired, disciplined, focused football from the opening kickoff on.
I don't bet college football, but if I did I'd give the points. A mature, businesslike team will play like a champion and defend their house on Saturday. Oregon will bring their best effort to Autzen, and answer the critics and the questions.
How Much Better Can the Oregon Defense Get in One Week?
It's the game of the year in the PAC-10. The winner will probably win the conference title. Can the Oregon defense stop Stanford, Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck?
On the surface the outlook is dismal. Last season the Cardinal clubbed Nick Alliotti's defense for 505 yards and 52 points, and this year Stanford is playing with even more attitude and swagger. They lost Toby Gerhart but still rank 19th in the country in rushing yards per game, and all-world quarterback Luck is a year better and more confident. Already this season he's passed for 912 yards and ran for 163, averaging 9.6 yards a carry when he pulls the ball down, including a 52-yard touchdown against Wake Forest.
The Cardinal combine a power running game with potent downfield passing, and the Ducks don't look ready for either. Last week they rallied for 4 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 3 fumbles, 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups, but looked utterly porous the rest of the time. Arizona State tore off chunks of yards with underneath passing and quick bursting runs. Review the video or the play-by-play and it gets a little scary. The Ducks didn't stop anybody in the ASU starting rotation, and Stanford has an offense that has produced 192 points in four games. Take a quick scan of the stat lines for the Sun Devils:
The point is, the Ducks didn't stop anyone in a Sun Devil uniform, and Stanford has better players. Last Saturday the Oregon defense lost every individual matchup. They even gave up a 25-yard scramble to slow-footed ASU quarterback Steven Threet. They can't count on the disciplined Cardinal to bail them out with seven turnovers. Right now Oregon's best chance of containing Jim Harbaugh's offense is to hope they are overconfident after watching the video. There are holes in the UO defensive scheme that Stanford's power attack could exploit all day.
The Ducks have four more practices to get better, improve their tackling and find consistency. One uneven defensive performance doesn't dictate a season, and they won, but if they don't play better defense against Stanford they will be embarrassed in their own building.
And that is the stark Stanford truth.
On the surface the outlook is dismal. Last season the Cardinal clubbed Nick Alliotti's defense for 505 yards and 52 points, and this year Stanford is playing with even more attitude and swagger. They lost Toby Gerhart but still rank 19th in the country in rushing yards per game, and all-world quarterback Luck is a year better and more confident. Already this season he's passed for 912 yards and ran for 163, averaging 9.6 yards a carry when he pulls the ball down, including a 52-yard touchdown against Wake Forest.
The Cardinal combine a power running game with potent downfield passing, and the Ducks don't look ready for either. Last week they rallied for 4 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 3 fumbles, 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups, but looked utterly porous the rest of the time. Arizona State tore off chunks of yards with underneath passing and quick bursting runs. Review the video or the play-by-play and it gets a little scary. The Ducks didn't stop anybody in the ASU starting rotation, and Stanford has an offense that has produced 192 points in four games. Take a quick scan of the stat lines for the Sun Devils:
Deantre Lewis, tailback 127 yards rushing. Big
plays: 53-yard run, 43-yard swing pass, 25 run 15 run, 12-yard pass
reception.
Gerrelle Robinson, wide receiver 7 receptions 94
yards. Big plays: catches downfield for 19, 19, 18, and 16 yards.
Cameron Marshall, tailback 18 carries, 79 yards,
including runs for 16 and 11 yards.
Mike Willie, wide receiver 5 catches 74 yards.
Touchdowns of 10 and 15 yards.
Kerrie Taylor, wide receiver 5 catches 65 yards, a
28-yard td between 2 defenders.
Aaron Pflugrad, wide receiver 3 catches 42 yards,
including one for 12 and another for 27 yards.
The point is, the Ducks didn't stop anyone in a Sun Devil uniform, and Stanford has better players. Last Saturday the Oregon defense lost every individual matchup. They even gave up a 25-yard scramble to slow-footed ASU quarterback Steven Threet. They can't count on the disciplined Cardinal to bail them out with seven turnovers. Right now Oregon's best chance of containing Jim Harbaugh's offense is to hope they are overconfident after watching the video. There are holes in the UO defensive scheme that Stanford's power attack could exploit all day.
The Ducks have four more practices to get better, improve their tackling and find consistency. One uneven defensive performance doesn't dictate a season, and they won, but if they don't play better defense against Stanford they will be embarrassed in their own building.
And that is the stark Stanford truth.
Monday, September 27, 2010
NCAA Needs an Anti-Flop Rule
Fast-paced no-huddle offenses put a lot of extra pressure on a defense. The Ducks have had several opponents counter this pressure with a curious number of one and two-play injuries, that seem to miraculously correspond to the exact moment Oregon gains a little momentum by increasing the tempo and pressure.
Vontaze Burfict looked like James Brown doing "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" in the mid-sixties. He had a dozen curtain calls in this game, limping off one play and crashing the line moments later. His recuperative powers should be studied by the Mayo Clinic. OSHU could do it, but the PAC-10 might not trust the findings.
There's a fine line between gamesmanship and World Cup soccer-style faking. College football is a beautiful game. I'd hate to see an exciting fast-paced offense undone by more fake falls than a WWE Summer Slam.
Not sure how you police this, but it's a trend that discredits the game. You'd think coaches would have more belief in their players than to resort to garbage like that.
Vontaze Burfict looked like James Brown doing "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" in the mid-sixties. He had a dozen curtain calls in this game, limping off one play and crashing the line moments later. His recuperative powers should be studied by the Mayo Clinic. OSHU could do it, but the PAC-10 might not trust the findings.
There's a fine line between gamesmanship and World Cup soccer-style faking. College football is a beautiful game. I'd hate to see an exciting fast-paced offense undone by more fake falls than a WWE Summer Slam.
Not sure how you police this, but it's a trend that discredits the game. You'd think coaches would have more belief in their players than to resort to garbage like that.
Ducks Feature "Circle of Life" at Practice: Maybe They're Just Wishing "Hakuna Matata" to the Tree
Rob Moseley reported that the featured song today at practice was karaoke standard “The Circle of Life” by Elton John and Tim Rice. Don’t know if there’s a deep meaning in the choice, but it does talk about despair and hope and finding our place. Certainly a football season has elements of all three. With the Ducks facing a top ten matchup this week with College Game Day in town, maybe it’s a reminder to have perspective and acceptance in the face of hype and frenzy.
Or maybe Coach Kelly just likes the soaring melody, or tweaking the ever-inquisitive media. Certainly with the Cardinal taking such pride in their cruelty, an appeal to wisdom and character doesn’t seem like a bad idea:
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
Music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice
Cruelty is the Absence of Character
Probably more than any team in the country, the Stanford Cardinal have taken on the character and personality of their coach. Jim Harbaugh has made his imprint on the Cardinal, who like to say they win with "character and cruelty."
Harbaugh adds a third element: contentiousness. Early on after being hired at Stanford in 2007 he invited controversy by publicly declaring Pete Carroll was exiting USC at the end of the year (Carroll did leave, but not for another two seasons.) His first year as head coach the Cardinal went 4-8, but with wins over the Trojans (as a 41-point underdog, the biggest upset ever in terms of point spread overcome) and arch rival Cal. Last year, his third season at Palo Alto, they rose to 8-5 and a bowl berth, with three wins over ranked opponents, including 51-42 over the number 7 Ducks.
Along the way he's ruffled a few feathers, most of them intentionally. He went for two against the Trojans up 27 in the fourth quarter, he iced the kicker against Wake Forest leading by 34, challenged an official's ruling on a fumble leading by 44, and last week at Notre Dame he tacked on a field goal leading by 20 with 1:29 to play.
The two-point conversion against USC led to the now famous exchange during the midfield handshake, Carroll greeting Harbaugh with, "What's your deal?" to which Harbaugh shot back, "What's YOUR deal?" The phrase is this year's Stanford football marketing slogan, and the Cardinal's deal appears to be, they want to win, but they also want the opportunity to rub your nose in it a little along the way.
Harbaugh has succeed in infusing his team with the trademark brand of toughness he learned first from his dad, a football coach for 41 years, and then playing for Bo Schemblecher at Michigan and Mike Ditka in the NFL. His Cardinal team sometimes runs 8-man lines with extra tackles at slot back and tight end. They are the anti-Ducks, in some ways. While everyone else is spreading the field and running PlayStation offenses the Cardinal play old school electric football, with all the players wedged in tight and tailback running right at you. They play with attitude in traditional uniforms, and Harbaugh's favorite player is his two-way fullback/linebacker Owen Marecic, a Jesuit High product from Portland, whom he calls "a true throwback." Harbaugh embraces modernity in other ways, like tweeting Michelle Wie.
The Cardinals are throwbacks, a team a traditionalist would love, with a hard-nosed attitude and a 4-0 record. They rolled Notre Dame 37-14 in Notre Dame stadium, pounded Wake Forest 68-24, embarrassed UCLA 35-0 in Pasadena, and steamrolled hapless Sacramento State 52-17 in their opener. Their quarterback Andrew Luck is the likely first pick in next spring's NFL draft. He torched Oregon last fall with big gains, and so far this year he has 11 tds against two interceptions. 6-4, 235, the son of a former NFL quarterback, Luck has good mobility and a strong arm, though he wasn't particularly sharp against Notre Dame.
But the Ducks weren't particularly sharp in beating ASU, and the thinking by many is they could be in trouble against the smashmouth Cardinal. Luck is light years ahead of Stephen Threet, and Threet and the Sun Devils ran and passed the Duck defense silly. Arizona's fast, pressure defense frustrated Oregon's offense, and the Cardinal are hard hitting and physical and playing with a Harbaugh-sized chip on the shoulder.
Fortunately, the Ducks have a Chip of their own on the sidelines. This game feels a little like the week leading up to last year's Cal game. Last season the Ducks had looked uneven in their early wins, and there were a lot of question marks about whether Oregon could match up with the talented, athletic, physical Bears. Oregon has many adjustments to make this week, some holes to plug, and an offense to tune up. But they also have a formidable home crowd and a hard-nosed attitude of their own. Cruelty won't win this football game. But character might.
Harbaugh adds a third element: contentiousness. Early on after being hired at Stanford in 2007 he invited controversy by publicly declaring Pete Carroll was exiting USC at the end of the year (Carroll did leave, but not for another two seasons.) His first year as head coach the Cardinal went 4-8, but with wins over the Trojans (as a 41-point underdog, the biggest upset ever in terms of point spread overcome) and arch rival Cal. Last year, his third season at Palo Alto, they rose to 8-5 and a bowl berth, with three wins over ranked opponents, including 51-42 over the number 7 Ducks.
Along the way he's ruffled a few feathers, most of them intentionally. He went for two against the Trojans up 27 in the fourth quarter, he iced the kicker against Wake Forest leading by 34, challenged an official's ruling on a fumble leading by 44, and last week at Notre Dame he tacked on a field goal leading by 20 with 1:29 to play.
The two-point conversion against USC led to the now famous exchange during the midfield handshake, Carroll greeting Harbaugh with, "What's your deal?" to which Harbaugh shot back, "What's YOUR deal?" The phrase is this year's Stanford football marketing slogan, and the Cardinal's deal appears to be, they want to win, but they also want the opportunity to rub your nose in it a little along the way.
Harbaugh has succeed in infusing his team with the trademark brand of toughness he learned first from his dad, a football coach for 41 years, and then playing for Bo Schemblecher at Michigan and Mike Ditka in the NFL. His Cardinal team sometimes runs 8-man lines with extra tackles at slot back and tight end. They are the anti-Ducks, in some ways. While everyone else is spreading the field and running PlayStation offenses the Cardinal play old school electric football, with all the players wedged in tight and tailback running right at you. They play with attitude in traditional uniforms, and Harbaugh's favorite player is his two-way fullback/linebacker Owen Marecic, a Jesuit High product from Portland, whom he calls "a true throwback." Harbaugh embraces modernity in other ways, like tweeting Michelle Wie.
The Cardinals are throwbacks, a team a traditionalist would love, with a hard-nosed attitude and a 4-0 record. They rolled Notre Dame 37-14 in Notre Dame stadium, pounded Wake Forest 68-24, embarrassed UCLA 35-0 in Pasadena, and steamrolled hapless Sacramento State 52-17 in their opener. Their quarterback Andrew Luck is the likely first pick in next spring's NFL draft. He torched Oregon last fall with big gains, and so far this year he has 11 tds against two interceptions. 6-4, 235, the son of a former NFL quarterback, Luck has good mobility and a strong arm, though he wasn't particularly sharp against Notre Dame.
But the Ducks weren't particularly sharp in beating ASU, and the thinking by many is they could be in trouble against the smashmouth Cardinal. Luck is light years ahead of Stephen Threet, and Threet and the Sun Devils ran and passed the Duck defense silly. Arizona's fast, pressure defense frustrated Oregon's offense, and the Cardinal are hard hitting and physical and playing with a Harbaugh-sized chip on the shoulder.
Fortunately, the Ducks have a Chip of their own on the sidelines. This game feels a little like the week leading up to last year's Cal game. Last season the Ducks had looked uneven in their early wins, and there were a lot of question marks about whether Oregon could match up with the talented, athletic, physical Bears. Oregon has many adjustments to make this week, some holes to plug, and an offense to tune up. But they also have a formidable home crowd and a hard-nosed attitude of their own. Cruelty won't win this football game. But character might.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Now That the Anxiety is Abated: Watching Back on the DVR
Really encouraged by Thomas' continued development. He stands in there. He's taken some incredible shots, this week from a very hard-hitting defense, and he has a lot of composure. His pocket sense will improve and he'll learn to step up or flush free once in a while, but even now he's not rattled by the score or a mistake, and he's made a lot of big plays. Twice this season they've fallen behind on the road by ten in front of a revved-up crowd, and both times he led two quick scores to turn the game around. The long passes to Paulson and Huff were beauties. He just missed on a couple to Maehl. Jeff had a frustrating night.
I'm really pleased with Scott Frost's wide receivers, on the whole. For one, they make a lot of blocks downfield, for each other and for James and Barner. I love how Tuinei has become more reliable, running tough, catching in a crowd. He caught one ball around his knees, which is harder for a taller receiver to do. Huff made a nice little adjustment on the 54-yard td and kept his feet. Sometimes an all-alone wide open receiver is the toughest play to execute. Both the passer and receiver have to just stay in rhythm and not get ahead of themselves. Huff has five catches for 103 yards as a freshman and a couple of nice runs, emerging as another weapon. Nice to see. His upside is tremendous.
David Paulson played the whole game after an injury scare during the week, and what a weapon he is becoming. He's averaging 22.4 yards per catch, with a couple of medium-range touchdowns, 8 balls for 179 yards. Now if Nike can develop some suction-magnet shoe technology, he could be All Pac-10 as a junior.
The defense has had their struggles, but they've produced 3 tds, 18 turnovers, and 4 wins. John Boyette had another monster game in Tempe, 11 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a pick six. The defensive line got tremendous pressure with sacks, hits, and hurries. Terrelle Turner had six tackles, 1.5 sacks, and Dion Jordan got his first sack. Zac Clark had five tackles, forced a fumble and made a huge tackle for loss on 4th and 1 at the six, and that's like another turnover. On Boyett's interception Kenny Rowe got a hurry, impeding Threet's arm on the throw. Pressure from the front four will be huge against Andrew Luck.
I'm really pleased with Scott Frost's wide receivers, on the whole. For one, they make a lot of blocks downfield, for each other and for James and Barner. I love how Tuinei has become more reliable, running tough, catching in a crowd. He caught one ball around his knees, which is harder for a taller receiver to do. Huff made a nice little adjustment on the 54-yard td and kept his feet. Sometimes an all-alone wide open receiver is the toughest play to execute. Both the passer and receiver have to just stay in rhythm and not get ahead of themselves. Huff has five catches for 103 yards as a freshman and a couple of nice runs, emerging as another weapon. Nice to see. His upside is tremendous.
David Paulson played the whole game after an injury scare during the week, and what a weapon he is becoming. He's averaging 22.4 yards per catch, with a couple of medium-range touchdowns, 8 balls for 179 yards. Now if Nike can develop some suction-magnet shoe technology, he could be All Pac-10 as a junior.
The defense has had their struggles, but they've produced 3 tds, 18 turnovers, and 4 wins. John Boyette had another monster game in Tempe, 11 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a pick six. The defensive line got tremendous pressure with sacks, hits, and hurries. Terrelle Turner had six tackles, 1.5 sacks, and Dion Jordan got his first sack. Zac Clark had five tackles, forced a fumble and made a huge tackle for loss on 4th and 1 at the six, and that's like another turnover. On Boyett's interception Kenny Rowe got a hurry, impeding Threet's arm on the throw. Pressure from the front four will be huge against Andrew Luck.
Tales from the Stat Sheet-- A Look at the Numbers, and the Key Contributions They Reflect
Any breakdown of Duck stats has to include punter Jackson Rice and his long snapper Drew Howell. On Saturday they had 11 punts, several in the shadow of his own goal, all flawless. Twice he got the Ducks out of the hole with boomers. Five times he pinned ASU inside the 20.
In fact, for his Oregon career, Rice has a TOTAL of two touchbacks. For this season he has average 43.6 yds per punt, and 42.2 net. On a night the offense sputtered and the defense struggled, Rice's (and freshman long snapper Howell's) consistency is a huge weapon. Here's another revealing statistic: for the season, the Ducks have returned 15 punts for 305 yards and 3 tds. Rice and the punt coverage team have limited opponents to 5 returns, net four yards. That is a lot of field position, and 21 points. Wow.
Casey Matthews is off to a tremendous start at middle linebacker. He's asserted himself as a defensive playmaker with tremendous instincts. Consider his stat line through four games: 16 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2.5 tackles per loss. His linebacker mates are following his lead. Spencer Paysinger had 8 tackles against ASU and a fumble recovery, Lokombo a fumble recovery for a td on a great hustle play, playing to the whistle and letting the referees sort it out.
In fact, for his Oregon career, Rice has a TOTAL of two touchbacks. For this season he has average 43.6 yds per punt, and 42.2 net. On a night the offense sputtered and the defense struggled, Rice's (and freshman long snapper Howell's) consistency is a huge weapon. Here's another revealing statistic: for the season, the Ducks have returned 15 punts for 305 yards and 3 tds. Rice and the punt coverage team have limited opponents to 5 returns, net four yards. That is a lot of field position, and 21 points. Wow.
Casey Matthews is off to a tremendous start at middle linebacker. He's asserted himself as a defensive playmaker with tremendous instincts. Consider his stat line through four games: 16 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2.5 tackles per loss. His linebacker mates are following his lead. Spencer Paysinger had 8 tackles against ASU and a fumble recovery, Lokombo a fumble recovery for a td on a great hustle play, playing to the whistle and letting the referees sort it out.
All of Football Can Be Summed Up in Just One Little Word: youneverknow.
Foles with another fourth quarter comeback, as the Wildcats escape Cal 10-9. Wouldn’t have guessed that total would go below 20.
Oregon-ASU was one of the ugliest games I have ever seen. Nine turnovers and 172 yards in penalties.
The Ducks’ offense was inept, beaten at the line of scrimmage, stretched out and defeated laterally. The blocking was horrible. ASU has a fast defense, but so do several of Oregon’s other opponents. The line looked overwhelmed, slow and intimidated.
Darron Thomas will have to make teams pay for overplaying LaMichael James. He has to continue to improve passing downfield, find targets and exploit what he has been given.
A lot of teachable moments. Some great resilience. Many contributions and big plays. A stubborn effort by the defense, which gave up a lot, but made up for it with ballhawking tenacity. They played hard and fought for the ball. Seven turnovers Is a good night’s work, and easily was the difference in this ball game.
Ducks were outgained 597 yards to 405. They have a lot of work to do before Stanford. Rich Brooks may be right. Maybe they are not physical enough for Arizona and Stanford. I think they can be, but it will take some resolve.
This was a win full of teachable moments. It won’t get any easier, but a win is better than a loss.
The Ducks will have to continue to improve to achieve their expectations, or ours.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Reminds me of an old John McKay quote.
One of his tailbacks carried the ball 30 times and he said something like, What’s the big deal? It isn’t heavy.
Vontaze Burfict has more entrances and exits than James Brown.
If the Ducks win, they’ll have achieved the fewest style points in NCAA history. Jackson Rice with another punt inside the 10. Six turnovers, or the defense would be toast.
The Sun Devils are the most arrogant 1-3 team in the country.
Cliff Harris always finds the ball!
Talmadge Jackson Found the Ball! Talmadge Jackson found the Ball!
That was a great moment in Duck history.
Now the fat kids living the dream have to make some blocks.
Stay Focused, Tackle and Find Your Heart
Losing contain on a quarterback as slow as Threet is just criminal.
Bad Time for a Touchback
Good time for a defensive stand. Brandon Bair, Kenny Rowe? Get Beastly and Tenacious.
A D Grade at Best
Worst performance by the Oregon offensive line ever. They are getting beat at the line of scrimmage, pure and simple.
4th Quarter, Time for a Decisive Drive and Some Suck It Up
David Paulson is the toughest man this side of John Boyette.
LaMichael James is open on the swing pass, if he can make the catch.
Ugly, penalty marred game.
The Longest Game in History
Someone make a play and put this one away.
They have to spring LaMichael one time.
Now Would Be a Good Time to Take Some Air Out of the Ball
A six minute drive for a touchdown would be a really good idea. The offensive line owes LaMichael some blocks.
They May Hang On and Win this Game
But they’re not going to win the conference with this kind of pass defense
4th Quarter: The Character Quarter
Play to the whistle! That’s winning football. Marshall gave up, and four Ducks chased the ball.
Football Drives Me Crazy Sometimes
Jeff Maehl did not help his quarterback on that series. Both of those balls were not perfect, but both could have been caught.
My wife is 50 and I'm 54
But I’m going to ask her if we can have another baby so we can name him Josh Huff Newton.
3rd Quarter: Gut Check in Tempe
Can they shake LaMichael loose one time, or find Paulson downfield again? A couple of tds would do a lot for my old ticker.
Everybody Get a Drink and Take a Deep Breath
Wild wooly shootout in Tempe.
Defense needs to start covering slot receivers, and get to Threet about four more times.
There are a lot of good quarterbacks in the PAC-10. Probably ought to learn how to play pass defense. Wonder if Andrew Luck is watching this on the plane ride home.
2nd quarter
Fox graphic: Jackson Rice 30 career punts inside the 20 1 touchback.
LaMichael goes to the sidelines; looks like a hand, and serious.
Too many big plays on defense—this looks like the bend but don’t break Ducks.
Great catch by the Maehl mani
David Paulsen! Inside the 10!
Big Stop by Tenacious D
That’s some serious defensive pride in a clutch situation. Mark of a disorganized team, ASU scrambling to get the play off. Great penetration. LMJ looks inspired tonight. Burfict limps off.
So Far Two Preducktions Have Come True
LaMichael James has asserted himself with a game changing play, and the Ducks have gotten pressure on Threet and returned one the other way. Kenny Rowe is in Rose Bowl form, quick and tenacious.
Unimpressive Wins and Lackluster Efforts: Welcome to Big 12 Football
#8 Oklahoma escapes on the road at Cincinnati 31-29, the Schooners not booming at 4-0 with a couple of narrow escapes sandwiched around a big win over Florida State.
#6 Nebraska sleepwalks to a 17-3 win over South Dakota State in Lincoln.
Utah trucks San Jose State 42-3.
The Oregon State Offense is James Rodgers and Blue Puff of Nothing
OSU 1-6 on third downs, Katz 5-12 passing. If this game were play in November, the Beavs might lead by two touchdowns at the half. But if if and buts were candy and nuts, Boise State might play more than two games a year.
The Old Ball Coach Redux
If #12 South Carolina beats Auburn on the road, the old ball coach will officially back to his old arrogant self. They lead 20-7 despite Marcus Lattimore being held to 23 yards on 10 carries. Stephen Garcia has a hot hand passing. Steve Spurrier may be the hardest coach in the country for a quarterback to play for. He is sarcastic and critical and doesn’t mind throwing them under the bus with the media. Mike Riley and Chip Kelly are probably two of the easiest.
Comparative Scores Will Give You a Spinning Headache Like Too Much Tequila
Stanford beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl 35-0. UCLA beat Houston and then number 7 Texas 34-12. Stanford could be really, really good, the PAC-10 conference could be really good, or UCLA is the most erratic or resurgent team in football history. Check with me in six weeks.
The Bruins are a perfect example of why it’s stupid to bet college football. Who could predict their last two games, based on their first two? Here’s another reason: college football is played by 18-22 year olds. They break up with their girlfriends, they stay up too late playing video games, they eat too much pizza. Bet on horses if you have to bet. They run truer to form, and someone monitors what they eat and when they have romance.
What's Your Deal? Tide Turning and JoePa Resuscitating, New Legends of the Fall
Penn State escaped with a 22-13 win over Temple, rallying in the second half with two field goals and a touchdown.
UCLA 34-12 winners over Texas. They have Washington State at home, then travel to Cal and Oregon.
Alabama rallies for 17 unanswered points in the second half and hunts down the Razorbacks 24-20. Mallett throws two fourth quarter picks. Tide controlled the ball for long stretches of the 3rd and fourth quarters, always a boost to the defense. Pardon me for being sacrilegious, but SEC football is kinda boring. It’s as though all the coaches are channeling Woody Hayes.
What’s your deal, Jim Harbaugh? Kicks a 29-yard field goal up by 20 with 1:49 to play. Stuff like that can come back to haunt you. Makes for frosty handshakes at midfield. Harbaugh doesn’t care. He might one day. Andrew Luck is leaving for the NFL at the end of the year.
Upon Further Review: Keeping Busy till Game Time
Check that: they’re still tallying style points in Columbus. Nine minutes to go, Ohio State 66-20. How many yachts can you ski behind, Jim?
Whoa Nellie! It's College Football on a Fall Afternoon.
Stanford 19-6 over Notre Dame in the fourth quarter. Stepfan Taylor is the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 18 carries for 71 yards. They’ll be 4-0, but I don’t think Jim Harbaugh’s offense has the same punch without Toby Gerhart. They haven’t run the ball particularly well in any of their games thus far.
Rick Neuheisel may coach for the Bruins but he has more lives than a cat. He will be the most popular 2-2 coach in the country on Sunday. He’ll probably get a standing ovation at the booster club lunch. Johnathan Franklin is over 100 yards, and Kevin Prince has a 38-yard touchdown run.
USC hits the half-century mark on Washington State, final 50-16. Barkley 16-25 290 yds, 3 tds, 2 ints. Tailback committee with 283 yards on the ground, Havili with a 59-yard scoring run and 107 yards receiving, five catches, one for 58 yards, another for a 22-yard touchdown. Fast backs with soft hands are a matchup nightmare downfield. I see them in my sleep, and Nick Alliotti probably does too.
Alabama closes within a field goal, 20-17. Ohio State in a snoozefest over Eastern Michigan 59-20, a final. Terrelle Pryor 20-26 and four tds. Has he ever been hit, rushed or pressured? Does Ohio State ever play anybody on the road? Don’t mind me, I’m just bitter.
Bulletins at Halftime, Shockers and Sobering Thoughts
I remember 2007, when about two dozen top ten teams were upset in the season's first 10 weeks, including about eight in the one or two position. This is starting to feel like one of those years.
I looked it up in wikipedia:
Arkansas is up 17-7 on Alabama at the half. Mallett 15-22 passing for 250 yards, ran for one score and passed for another. Mark Ingram had a 54-yard run for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Tennessee needed double overtime to beat Alabama-Birmingham 32-29. Looks like the Ducks may be more unproven than we thought. UAB outgained the Vols 544 yards to 287, come from behind after trailing 23-7 at the half.
ULCA is leading number 7 Texas at halftime 13-3. Looks like the conference is even more difficult than we thought. If that score holds, it is huge.
Stanford ahead of unranked Notre Dame at the half, 13-6.
USC throttling Washington State 36-13 in the third quarter.
Temple over #23 Penn State 13-9, also at halftime. In the words of the immortal Phil Collins, I can feel it, something in the air tonight. Oh, Lord.
A reminder of how quickly a season can go bad: both Michigan Starter Denard Robinson and backup Tate Forcier left their game today with knee injuries, the Wolverines losing two quarterbacks in a 65-21 victory over Bowling Green. Their is no waiver wire in College Football, and the turf is no respecter of strength of schedule. Injuries are the dreaded wild card in any forecast or ambition or vision. Both Robinson's and Forcier's knee sprains may turn out to be minor, but the point remains. You have to get a little lucky to win a conference or finish in the top ten, and injuries are just one of the ways.
The 85-man scholarship limit and the advent of cable television changed college football forever. There are talented players on every roster. It's another reason why it is the most exciting sport in the country, with parity nation wide.
Better strap on your helmets. It's a bumpy ride to Glendale.
I looked it up in wikipedia:
"An unranked or lower-ranked opponent defeated a higher-ranked opponent 59 times over the course of the season. A record-setting 13 unranked teams defeated
top five teams during the regular season. The number two ranked team
lost seven times throughout the year by December 1."
Arkansas is up 17-7 on Alabama at the half. Mallett 15-22 passing for 250 yards, ran for one score and passed for another. Mark Ingram had a 54-yard run for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Tennessee needed double overtime to beat Alabama-Birmingham 32-29. Looks like the Ducks may be more unproven than we thought. UAB outgained the Vols 544 yards to 287, come from behind after trailing 23-7 at the half.
ULCA is leading number 7 Texas at halftime 13-3. Looks like the conference is even more difficult than we thought. If that score holds, it is huge.
Stanford ahead of unranked Notre Dame at the half, 13-6.
USC throttling Washington State 36-13 in the third quarter.
Temple over #23 Penn State 13-9, also at halftime. In the words of the immortal Phil Collins, I can feel it, something in the air tonight. Oh, Lord.
A reminder of how quickly a season can go bad: both Michigan Starter Denard Robinson and backup Tate Forcier left their game today with knee injuries, the Wolverines losing two quarterbacks in a 65-21 victory over Bowling Green. Their is no waiver wire in College Football, and the turf is no respecter of strength of schedule. Injuries are the dreaded wild card in any forecast or ambition or vision. Both Robinson's and Forcier's knee sprains may turn out to be minor, but the point remains. You have to get a little lucky to win a conference or finish in the top ten, and injuries are just one of the ways.
The 85-man scholarship limit and the advent of cable television changed college football forever. There are talented players on every roster. It's another reason why it is the most exciting sport in the country, with parity nation wide.
Better strap on your helmets. It's a bumpy ride to Glendale.
Scoreboard Watching: News and Notes from Games around the Country
#21 Michigan is handily out in front of Bowling Green 37-14 in the third quarter , but ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reports Denard Robinson left the game with a left knee sprain. The Wolverines have Indiana next week, but they follow that game with three ranked opponents. They host #25 Michigan State, #18 Iowa, then travel to Happy Valley to meet #23 Penn State.
If Robinson's injury turns out to be serious, and it was serious enough to shut him down for the day, the Wolverines take a big hit. He's the dynamic force in their offense. Tate Forcier had the job and lost it.
Elswhere in the Big Ten, Iowa and Wisconsin are winning big in cupcake games, over Austin Peay and Ball State. Michigan State leads Northern Colorado 42-7. This is the consequence of an eight-game versus a nine-game conference schedule. The Big Ten and SEC schools get an extra week of games against the Florida Atlantics and Western Michigans, while the PAC-10 gets nine extra losses a year. It makes for a true champion in the conference, but it ratchets down perception of every team in the conference. At the end of the year 8-4 looks like a top 20 team, and 7-5 doesn't. And then their fans say, yeah, but we played four top twenty teams. Sure you did.
If Robinson's injury turns out to be serious, and it was serious enough to shut him down for the day, the Wolverines take a big hit. He's the dynamic force in their offense. Tate Forcier had the job and lost it.
Elswhere in the Big Ten, Iowa and Wisconsin are winning big in cupcake games, over Austin Peay and Ball State. Michigan State leads Northern Colorado 42-7. This is the consequence of an eight-game versus a nine-game conference schedule. The Big Ten and SEC schools get an extra week of games against the Florida Atlantics and Western Michigans, while the PAC-10 gets nine extra losses a year. It makes for a true champion in the conference, but it ratchets down perception of every team in the conference. At the end of the year 8-4 looks like a top 20 team, and 7-5 doesn't. And then their fans say, yeah, but we played four top twenty teams. Sure you did.
Something That Always Bugs Me: Saturday Morning Chalk Talk
Why do announcers always say, "The defense has been on the field too long." Hasn't the offense been on the field the same amount of time?
I realize defense takes more effort than offense, and they have to go backwards, but still.
These are highly conditioned twenty year olds. They train year round. There's a two-minute tv timeout after every change of possession and twice a quarter. Unless the opponent is running a no-huddle offense there's 15 seconds of live action followed by 25 seconds of rest, and even versus no-huddle, there are stoppages to set the ball and the chains, penalties, reviews, timeouts, and if need be, a player down on the turf with a timely "injury." Ohio State and Tennessee seemed to have a lot of one or two-play injuries versus the Ducks.
Particularly in the case of the Oregon defense, they practice at the fastest tempo in the country. Practice is way more tiring than games. Doesn't a Division 1 football player want to be on the field?
Yet any time an offense scores and then makes two first downs on a subsequent possession some color man, usually an ex-coach or a washed-up player in his forties, will trot out this well worn cliche.
Anbody want to step up to the dry erase board and chart this thing out? Inquiring Ducks want to know.
I realize defense takes more effort than offense, and they have to go backwards, but still.
These are highly conditioned twenty year olds. They train year round. There's a two-minute tv timeout after every change of possession and twice a quarter. Unless the opponent is running a no-huddle offense there's 15 seconds of live action followed by 25 seconds of rest, and even versus no-huddle, there are stoppages to set the ball and the chains, penalties, reviews, timeouts, and if need be, a player down on the turf with a timely "injury." Ohio State and Tennessee seemed to have a lot of one or two-play injuries versus the Ducks.
Particularly in the case of the Oregon defense, they practice at the fastest tempo in the country. Practice is way more tiring than games. Doesn't a Division 1 football player want to be on the field?
Yet any time an offense scores and then makes two first downs on a subsequent possession some color man, usually an ex-coach or a washed-up player in his forties, will trot out this well worn cliche.
Anbody want to step up to the dry erase board and chart this thing out? Inquiring Ducks want to know.
Friday, September 24, 2010
National Games with Duck Implications
When a team is ranked number five in the country, a much broader range of games have implications for the season. For example:
(Thursday night) #19 Miami 31, Pittsburgh 3
The Canes crushed Pittsburgh at Heinz field last night. Jacory Harris threw for 248 yards and two scores, while the Hurricane defense forced three turnovers and held the Panthers to 232 yards.
Duckplication: Miami, which doesn't have a ranked opponent left on their schedule in the ACC, is likely to continue to move up in the polls, which helps strengthen #2 Ohio State's suspect strength of schedule. The Buckeyes beat Miami last weekend in the Horseshoe, aided mightily by Harris' four interceptions.
(Friday night) #4 TCU 41, SMU 24
SMU hung with the Horned Frogs for a while but got steadily worn down and outmanned. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton isn't a top flight passer but he doesn't have to be. The Frogs don't venture outside the Mountain West for the rest of the season, and a November 6th date at Utah is their only remaining game with a ranked opponent.
Duckplication: If TCU continues to play only to the level of its competition, the Ducks will probably vault them if they keep winning, perhaps as soon as next week should they get past Stanford.
Saturday games of interest:
#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas, 12:30 PST
Behind another former Michigan QB, Ryan Mallett, the Razorback fans have their highest expectations in quite a while, getting Alabama early and at home in a matchup of 3-0 teams. Mallett has thrown for 1081 yards and 9 tds so far this season. They won at Georgia last week 31-24. The Tide has rolled to three easy wins so far, but in the next three weeks they face Arkansas, host #9 Florida, visit #12 South Carolina, and they travel to #15 LSU on November 6.
They host Mississippi and former Duck Masoli on October 16th.
Duckplication: If Mallett gets a hot hand, who knows? On the other hand, if Alabama survives this gauntlet, they are a unanimous number one in every poll. Wouldn't it be a story if Masoli stole one from Alabama?
#24 Oregon State at #3 Boise State
The Beavers have an inexperienced sophomore quarterback who will be good but hasn't begun to put it together yet, and they have little-to-no pass rush. Bronco quarterback Kellen Moore, an accurate, precise passer, will thrive with time to pick his receivers. Unless the Beavs make a big leap forward, BSU will move on to WAC play without a blemish on their record, and just enough on their resume to maintain credibility as they roll through an easy conference schedule. The closest thing to a difficult game on their remaining slate is a November 26th tilt at Nevada.
Duckplication: The Beavers would be celebrated across the country if they pull off the upset. If they don't it's up to San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and the rest. The Broncos schedule ranks 103rd among FBS teams, and OSU is rationality's last chance against the-one-hard-game-and-ten-byes Broncos. Oh by the way, number two Ohio State hosts Eastern Michigan tomorrow. #6 Nebraska hosts South Dakota State. The Huskers schedule is barely more difficult than Boise's: they play one remaining ranked opponent, number 7 Texas in Royal Stadium on October 16th.
On the other hand, if USC, Stanford, and Arizona keep winning, that sets the Ducks up with three games against top 10-15 opponents, plus competitive games with Cal and OSU. The Ducks will have plenty of strength of schedule within conference play to make a case for moving up.
Provided, of course, they keep winning. Starting with Arizona State in 22 hours.
(Thursday night) #19 Miami 31, Pittsburgh 3
The Canes crushed Pittsburgh at Heinz field last night. Jacory Harris threw for 248 yards and two scores, while the Hurricane defense forced three turnovers and held the Panthers to 232 yards.
Duckplication: Miami, which doesn't have a ranked opponent left on their schedule in the ACC, is likely to continue to move up in the polls, which helps strengthen #2 Ohio State's suspect strength of schedule. The Buckeyes beat Miami last weekend in the Horseshoe, aided mightily by Harris' four interceptions.
(Friday night) #4 TCU 41, SMU 24
SMU hung with the Horned Frogs for a while but got steadily worn down and outmanned. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton isn't a top flight passer but he doesn't have to be. The Frogs don't venture outside the Mountain West for the rest of the season, and a November 6th date at Utah is their only remaining game with a ranked opponent.
Duckplication: If TCU continues to play only to the level of its competition, the Ducks will probably vault them if they keep winning, perhaps as soon as next week should they get past Stanford.
Saturday games of interest:
#1 Alabama at #10 Arkansas, 12:30 PST
Behind another former Michigan QB, Ryan Mallett, the Razorback fans have their highest expectations in quite a while, getting Alabama early and at home in a matchup of 3-0 teams. Mallett has thrown for 1081 yards and 9 tds so far this season. They won at Georgia last week 31-24. The Tide has rolled to three easy wins so far, but in the next three weeks they face Arkansas, host #9 Florida, visit #12 South Carolina, and they travel to #15 LSU on November 6.
They host Mississippi and former Duck Masoli on October 16th.
Duckplication: If Mallett gets a hot hand, who knows? On the other hand, if Alabama survives this gauntlet, they are a unanimous number one in every poll. Wouldn't it be a story if Masoli stole one from Alabama?
#24 Oregon State at #3 Boise State
The Beavers have an inexperienced sophomore quarterback who will be good but hasn't begun to put it together yet, and they have little-to-no pass rush. Bronco quarterback Kellen Moore, an accurate, precise passer, will thrive with time to pick his receivers. Unless the Beavs make a big leap forward, BSU will move on to WAC play without a blemish on their record, and just enough on their resume to maintain credibility as they roll through an easy conference schedule. The closest thing to a difficult game on their remaining slate is a November 26th tilt at Nevada.
Duckplication: The Beavers would be celebrated across the country if they pull off the upset. If they don't it's up to San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and the rest. The Broncos schedule ranks 103rd among FBS teams, and OSU is rationality's last chance against the-one-hard-game-and-ten-byes Broncos. Oh by the way, number two Ohio State hosts Eastern Michigan tomorrow. #6 Nebraska hosts South Dakota State. The Huskers schedule is barely more difficult than Boise's: they play one remaining ranked opponent, number 7 Texas in Royal Stadium on October 16th.
On the other hand, if USC, Stanford, and Arizona keep winning, that sets the Ducks up with three games against top 10-15 opponents, plus competitive games with Cal and OSU. The Ducks will have plenty of strength of schedule within conference play to make a case for moving up.
Provided, of course, they keep winning. Starting with Arizona State in 22 hours.
A Key Adjustment Darron Thomas Has to Make
Arizona's linebackers are much faster and more mobile than any group Thomas has faced in games 1-3. In the passing game, he must expand his vision wider to see defenders cutting across passing lanes, and be more more mindful of his targets, his trajectory, and looking off defenders as he reads his options. He has to be decisive and hit open receivers when they are open.
Most of all, he has to trust himself, trust his teammates, and keep playing with the heart and confidence and courage he has displayed so far.
Most of all, he has to trust himself, trust his teammates, and keep playing with the heart and confidence and courage he has displayed so far.
Duck Fans Will Find Out Something Important about a Key Player Saturday
LaMichael James ran for 227 yards against Portland State last week, and in the interview room after the game he expressed disappointment in himself. He said he didn't run well, that it was one of the worst games of his career at Oregon. He danced too much, his coaches told him. He let up and didn't finish runs. He had the best statistical day of his career, but didn't run with purpose or focus. He expects more from himself, he said.
LaMichael James is a focused guy. On Saturday, he will face a fast, aggressive, highly-rated defense that is poised to stop him in their own house. We'll find out how great a running back LaMichael James can be.
He'll get hit a few times in this game. The first four or five times he carries the ball, with the crowd in full throttle and the defense playing with a surge of emotion, there might not be a hole. The pace of the game might go away from him early on, with the real openings in the passing game, or the best options for Darron Thomas to keep or pitch wide. He might be a decoy 80% of the time. Versus Arizona and Oregon State late last year, James didn't get going in the Oregon offense until later in the game.
If LMJ wants to be a truly great back, he'll have to find ways to assert himself in games like this. He might have to do it with a block, a pass reception, or a perfectly-carried-out fake. He might have to do it with patience or determination or toughness, by turning two yards into four, and four yards into six, until he gets his one opportunity to break free for a big, momentum-changing gain.
But I have no doubt he will do it. One way or the other, LaMichael James will show he is the best player on the field on Saturday. And before the night is finished, he might go old school Bo Jackson on Vontaze Burfict. That would be something to see.
Watching a truly great running back, on any given play, you have the opportunity to see something you have never seen before. LaMichael James is in the rare category of running backs that can change a game on one play.
The first conference game, on the road with a young quarterback, this is a great stage for a great player. Duck fans are looking forward to seeing how he responds.
LaMichael James is a focused guy. On Saturday, he will face a fast, aggressive, highly-rated defense that is poised to stop him in their own house. We'll find out how great a running back LaMichael James can be.
He'll get hit a few times in this game. The first four or five times he carries the ball, with the crowd in full throttle and the defense playing with a surge of emotion, there might not be a hole. The pace of the game might go away from him early on, with the real openings in the passing game, or the best options for Darron Thomas to keep or pitch wide. He might be a decoy 80% of the time. Versus Arizona and Oregon State late last year, James didn't get going in the Oregon offense until later in the game.
If LMJ wants to be a truly great back, he'll have to find ways to assert himself in games like this. He might have to do it with a block, a pass reception, or a perfectly-carried-out fake. He might have to do it with patience or determination or toughness, by turning two yards into four, and four yards into six, until he gets his one opportunity to break free for a big, momentum-changing gain.
But I have no doubt he will do it. One way or the other, LaMichael James will show he is the best player on the field on Saturday. And before the night is finished, he might go old school Bo Jackson on Vontaze Burfict. That would be something to see.
Watching a truly great running back, on any given play, you have the opportunity to see something you have never seen before. LaMichael James is in the rare category of running backs that can change a game on one play.
The first conference game, on the road with a young quarterback, this is a great stage for a great player. Duck fans are looking forward to seeing how he responds.
Week 4 Preducktion: Oregon at Arizona State
The Ducks are finishing their morning run-through, and I'll assume the news is good.
If Barner and Paulson are running around, and Weems has mobility, the Ducks are at full strength. Oregon at full strength is more than the Sun Devils can handle, even with a diminutive wide receiver bent on avenging the family name and a head hunting linebacker bent on making a name for himself.
The storylines are just distractions: Oregon has a clear vision and a clear purpose. They'll remember to hydrate, and aren't likely to let the Arizona heat or the Sun Devil pressure cramp their style. They've faced tougher crowds, and the ASU quarterback, a stationary target, is bound to face some pressure of his own, from The Beast, The Spiderman, Zac Clark and Kenny Rowe. With the innovative pressure schemes Nick Alliotti is able to unleash from this deep, fast, athletic group, Threet will be hurried and disrupted. He won't be able to sit back. He won't be comfortable in the pocket. It will be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. The Ducks will close gaps faster than the plodding Badgers, so his running game won't provide much relief. Threet has a big arm but slow feet, and Rowe and his Murderers Rowe will know just where to find him. Tenacious D will have a field day. I forecast four picks, one a bat down by The Beast, swooped up and returned for a score.
I think Oregon's defense is tired of the offense getting all the headlines. Not really, they're not an attention-hungry bunch, but it is true that one fact gets lost in all the gaudy numbers and highlight runs: Oregon has a tough, hard-hitting defense, capable of making a few plays of its own. All the talk this week has been about ASU's fearsome linebackers. They're good, and Burfict is quick and aggressive, but the Ducks are seven-deep at linebacker, and every bit as efficient as the Sun Devil group, just not as likely to commit a costly personal foul. Matthews, Clay, Kaddu, Lokombo, Littlejohn, Stuckey and Paysinger have 61 tackles between them in three games, and Eddie Pleasant, who's a linebacker in a safety disguise, has another 14. That's a lot of fierce hitting, a lot of being in the right place at the right time. They just do it without beating their chests or jumping offsides.
I think Oregon's defense gets off the plane ready to bring a little heat of their own, and things could get rashy, prickly and sweaty in the Sun Devil backfield, which produced one score of its own in the Wisconsin game. Burfict will get in a couple of shots that make his personal highlight cut-up, but the Ducks play a team defensive game that's effective and statement-worthy.
Preducktion: Oregon 31, Arizona State 13
If Barner and Paulson are running around, and Weems has mobility, the Ducks are at full strength. Oregon at full strength is more than the Sun Devils can handle, even with a diminutive wide receiver bent on avenging the family name and a head hunting linebacker bent on making a name for himself.
The storylines are just distractions: Oregon has a clear vision and a clear purpose. They'll remember to hydrate, and aren't likely to let the Arizona heat or the Sun Devil pressure cramp their style. They've faced tougher crowds, and the ASU quarterback, a stationary target, is bound to face some pressure of his own, from The Beast, The Spiderman, Zac Clark and Kenny Rowe. With the innovative pressure schemes Nick Alliotti is able to unleash from this deep, fast, athletic group, Threet will be hurried and disrupted. He won't be able to sit back. He won't be comfortable in the pocket. It will be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. The Ducks will close gaps faster than the plodding Badgers, so his running game won't provide much relief. Threet has a big arm but slow feet, and Rowe and his Murderers Rowe will know just where to find him. Tenacious D will have a field day. I forecast four picks, one a bat down by The Beast, swooped up and returned for a score.
I think Oregon's defense is tired of the offense getting all the headlines. Not really, they're not an attention-hungry bunch, but it is true that one fact gets lost in all the gaudy numbers and highlight runs: Oregon has a tough, hard-hitting defense, capable of making a few plays of its own. All the talk this week has been about ASU's fearsome linebackers. They're good, and Burfict is quick and aggressive, but the Ducks are seven-deep at linebacker, and every bit as efficient as the Sun Devil group, just not as likely to commit a costly personal foul. Matthews, Clay, Kaddu, Lokombo, Littlejohn, Stuckey and Paysinger have 61 tackles between them in three games, and Eddie Pleasant, who's a linebacker in a safety disguise, has another 14. That's a lot of fierce hitting, a lot of being in the right place at the right time. They just do it without beating their chests or jumping offsides.
I think Oregon's defense gets off the plane ready to bring a little heat of their own, and things could get rashy, prickly and sweaty in the Sun Devil backfield, which produced one score of its own in the Wisconsin game. Burfict will get in a couple of shots that make his personal highlight cut-up, but the Ducks play a team defensive game that's effective and statement-worthy.
Preducktion: Oregon 31, Arizona State 13
Friday Walk-Through: News, Notes and Web Bites on Oregon at Arizona State
The crabby fighting Duck can stand the heat. He can get up in your kitchen too.
Chip Kelly eats breakfast 47 miles from 105 Beavers who are trained to kill him, and the tense border war that is the PAC-10 season opens Saturday with an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with a jacked-up Sun Devil defense. Yesterday Duck fans got great news broadcast by Rob Moseley in a tweet: Kenjon Barner and David Paulson have had time to nurse their injuries and are ready to ratchet up the intensity. The big fella's got a helmet, and all we need him to do is roam up field and raise his hands.
Midweek, it looked like Oregon would face the Devils with two-fifths of their offense missing, a daunting task for a young quarterback on the road. Now it's less likely that ASU's front seven can tee off on Thomas and James. The Ducks have their multiplicy of weapons, counters and options, misdirection and unaccounted-for threats. Despite winning big in games 1-3 they haven't had to go deep into the playbook. They have plenty of new stuff to throw at the Sun Devils, plenty of ways to get them frustrated and out of position.
Despite Rich Brooks protestations to the contrary, Oregon can line up and play physical too. You don't rack up a school record 511 rushing yards in one game without winning at the line of scrimmage. Arizona State played the Vikings too, and didn't run for half that.
Here are some links and web bites to get you ready for the game:
George Schroeder explores how Chip Kelly keeps his mind and body fresh in the stress of coaching.
Here's a breakdown of how Arizona State played against a common opponent.
Rob Moseley features Jeff Maehl, quietly emerging as one of Oregon's great wide receivers of all time.
Ken Goe has a video forecast of Oregon-ASU game. The weather's a factor, but it's far from the only one.
The crabby fighting duck loves a business trip. Especially when he can mix in a little border tussle too.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Strong Negative Opinion from an Unlikely Source
Rich Brooks told Ivan Maisel he doesn't think the Ducks are physical enough for Stanford and Arizona.
He's seen the last two Oregon games, and apparently thinks Oregon is a finesse team.
Bo Thran, Brandon Bair, Casey Matthews, Eddie Pleasant and John Boyett are not physical?
The coach deserves a lot of credit for where Oregon football is now, but he missed the mark on this one. LaMichael James may be fast, but he runs as tough as anyone. And Jeff Maehl will run through three guys to get a first down if the Ducks need one.
Of course in the Brooks era being physical often meant off tackle right, off tackle left, draw play, punt. The Adidas-clad crabby fighting Ducks of his era never averaged 38 points a game or 5500 yards of offense in a season, which Oregon has done the last three years.
Yet Oregon is more physical than any team Brooks had at Kentucky. Just because they have a fast, dynamic offense, it doesn't mean they can't matchup. Even Oregon's receivers are tough. Check some videotape and watch the downfield blocking. Finesse teams don't have that kind of dedication to excellence in blocking, special teams and pursuing defense.
We'll have a lot better idea of how physical the Ducks can be after Saturday's road battle with Vontaze Burfict and ASU. In eight days they'll get a first-hand look at the "character and cruelty" Cardinal.
I'm thinking character, speed, depth, talent, discipline and preparation win out over cruelty, but that's next week.
We'll have to ask the coach what he thinks at the end of the year. Wonder if he's a little jealous of the advantages the Ducks have now. He had to win games in far more difficult circumstances during his tour at Oregon, playing with two-star kids and modest facilities. USC and UCLA used to stockpile all the best talent on the West Coast, and Oregon didn't venture across the country the way they do now.
Pac-10 Predictions, Week 4: Whacking Stick Saturday
Season record is 26-2. With PAC-10 play kicking in, the picking just got harder.
#14 Arizona 31, Cal 24
Cal travels to Tucson after a pratfall in Reno last week, while Nick Foles and the Wildcats are coming off a big upset win over then-number 9 Iowa. This is a matchup of two teams going in opposite directions. Cal has to bounce back, and Arizona has to keep their heads on straight in the high altitude of a fast start and a shot at the big time.
The Bears' best chance for an upset win is a steady dose of Stanford-style smashmouth, handing the ball to Shane Vereen about 30 times, but does Tedford have the courage and coaching chops to adjust his trademark pro-style offense to the reality of Kevin Riley's mediocrity? All-world middle linebacker Mike Mohamed is out, so the Bears ought to go with Vereen left and Veeren right, and Vereen on a swing pass on third down. Already this season he has 324 yards and 6 tds, including two long ones against Nevada, but Tedford oddly stopped giving him the ball in the second half, even though the Wolfpack didn't have an answer for him.
If Tedford plays Tressel ball, the Bears have a chance, but Tedford isn't that flexible. He'll have Kevin Riley throwing, and Riley will make more mistakes on the road, and UA will get to him with pressure, leading to one or two more inevitable mistakes.
Nick Foles is the real deal, 77-98 passing for 877 yards and 5 tds. Every story about him now includes the word "Heisman" somewhere in the second or third paragraph, and with three fourth-quarter comebacks and nine wins in his short career as a starter, he's starting to look stiff arm hype-worthy. If Foles and the Wildcats stay on track, they have a Nov. 6 game at Stanford and a November 26 visit to Autzen stadium to look forward to. But none of that matters if they slip up against the Bears.
Boise State 28, Oregon State 20
Duck fans would love to see the Broncos upended, but Ryan Katz is a few weeks away in his development to keep the Beavers competitive in a tough road environment. He will be a much better quarterback by week seven or week 8, and certainly by the Civil War, but right now things aren't clear enough to him. The Beavs will probably keep this game close for a while, but their lack of a pass rush and lack of offensive cohesion at this point in the season (they've only played twice) leads to them falling away at the end.
Texas 38, UCLA 10
The Longhorn defense held Texas Tech to 144 yards of offense last week, and they will have their way with Norm Chow's Pistol. The Bruins struggle for balance offensively. Johnathan Franklin, their young tailback busted loose against Houston in the Rose Bowl, but Texas will be ready for him, and Kevin Prince just hasn't found himself at quarterback. Royal stadium is a tough place to start that journey. For the Longhorns, sophomore Garrett Gilbert has completed 60% of his passes and seems to be finding his rhythm.
#16 Stanford 34, Notre Dame 21
Andrew Luck has thrown 10 touchdowns without an interception, and Notre Dame has an undermanned defense, allowing 443.7 yards per game so far. Brian Kelly has a tough task in turning around Notre Dame football, and he's not likely to make significant progress against Harbaugh's loaded merciless football team, which likes to say it wins "with character and cruelty." They'll pound the Irish, and it will be increasingly difficult for the Notre Dame faithful to stay patient.
#20 USC 31, Washington State 14
The schedule allows the Trojans to mail it in for a fourth straight week, but they have Washington, Stanford, Cal, and Oregon in October. Curiously, USC started the season at #14, but they have fallen two spots after each of their three wins. This may be one of the quietest, somber games on the college football schedule. The talent disparity is too great to make it interesting in any way, and the Trojans will continue to play the uninspired mercenary football that has brought them to 3-0. They have enough to simply outrun the Cougars, but they won't be able to hide next month.
#14 Arizona 31, Cal 24
Cal travels to Tucson after a pratfall in Reno last week, while Nick Foles and the Wildcats are coming off a big upset win over then-number 9 Iowa. This is a matchup of two teams going in opposite directions. Cal has to bounce back, and Arizona has to keep their heads on straight in the high altitude of a fast start and a shot at the big time.
The Bears' best chance for an upset win is a steady dose of Stanford-style smashmouth, handing the ball to Shane Vereen about 30 times, but does Tedford have the courage and coaching chops to adjust his trademark pro-style offense to the reality of Kevin Riley's mediocrity? All-world middle linebacker Mike Mohamed is out, so the Bears ought to go with Vereen left and Veeren right, and Vereen on a swing pass on third down. Already this season he has 324 yards and 6 tds, including two long ones against Nevada, but Tedford oddly stopped giving him the ball in the second half, even though the Wolfpack didn't have an answer for him.
If Tedford plays Tressel ball, the Bears have a chance, but Tedford isn't that flexible. He'll have Kevin Riley throwing, and Riley will make more mistakes on the road, and UA will get to him with pressure, leading to one or two more inevitable mistakes.
Nick Foles is the real deal, 77-98 passing for 877 yards and 5 tds. Every story about him now includes the word "Heisman" somewhere in the second or third paragraph, and with three fourth-quarter comebacks and nine wins in his short career as a starter, he's starting to look stiff arm hype-worthy. If Foles and the Wildcats stay on track, they have a Nov. 6 game at Stanford and a November 26 visit to Autzen stadium to look forward to. But none of that matters if they slip up against the Bears.
Boise State 28, Oregon State 20
Duck fans would love to see the Broncos upended, but Ryan Katz is a few weeks away in his development to keep the Beavers competitive in a tough road environment. He will be a much better quarterback by week seven or week 8, and certainly by the Civil War, but right now things aren't clear enough to him. The Beavs will probably keep this game close for a while, but their lack of a pass rush and lack of offensive cohesion at this point in the season (they've only played twice) leads to them falling away at the end.
Texas 38, UCLA 10
The Longhorn defense held Texas Tech to 144 yards of offense last week, and they will have their way with Norm Chow's Pistol. The Bruins struggle for balance offensively. Johnathan Franklin, their young tailback busted loose against Houston in the Rose Bowl, but Texas will be ready for him, and Kevin Prince just hasn't found himself at quarterback. Royal stadium is a tough place to start that journey. For the Longhorns, sophomore Garrett Gilbert has completed 60% of his passes and seems to be finding his rhythm.
#16 Stanford 34, Notre Dame 21
Andrew Luck has thrown 10 touchdowns without an interception, and Notre Dame has an undermanned defense, allowing 443.7 yards per game so far. Brian Kelly has a tough task in turning around Notre Dame football, and he's not likely to make significant progress against Harbaugh's loaded merciless football team, which likes to say it wins "with character and cruelty." They'll pound the Irish, and it will be increasingly difficult for the Notre Dame faithful to stay patient.
#20 USC 31, Washington State 14
The schedule allows the Trojans to mail it in for a fourth straight week, but they have Washington, Stanford, Cal, and Oregon in October. Curiously, USC started the season at #14, but they have fallen two spots after each of their three wins. This may be one of the quietest, somber games on the college football schedule. The talent disparity is too great to make it interesting in any way, and the Trojans will continue to play the uninspired mercenary football that has brought them to 3-0. They have enough to simply outrun the Cougars, but they won't be able to hide next month.
Goe on Bair: Attitude Reflects Leadership, and the Ducks are Loaded with It
Ken Goe has a great story on Oregon Defensive Tackle Brandon Bair, and it's the kind of story that inspires and gives you insight into the strength and character of Bair and the Oregon football team as a whole.
The leaders on this team speak with one voice. They are quietly confident, focused, remarkably mature. The maturity showed in the come-from-behind win over Tennessee. We'll see more evidence every week.
The Ducks are for real, because they ARE real.
Character rises above adversity. Hotheads and head hunters fall apart when things are going bad. They usually compound things with a costly penalty, or take themselves out of position, biting on a fake. Character players stay exactly where they should be.
Oregon has players with character and talent. It's a group that is all about winning, and winning the right way.
Duck fans have always liked Bair as a player. Goe has given us an excellent glimpse into Brandon Bair as a person, and most readers will come away liking him even more. The Oregonian beat writer quotes position coach Jerry Azzinaro:
The leaders on this team speak with one voice. They are quietly confident, focused, remarkably mature. The maturity showed in the come-from-behind win over Tennessee. We'll see more evidence every week.
The Ducks are for real, because they ARE real.
Character rises above adversity. Hotheads and head hunters fall apart when things are going bad. They usually compound things with a costly penalty, or take themselves out of position, biting on a fake. Character players stay exactly where they should be.
Oregon has players with character and talent. It's a group that is all about winning, and winning the right way.
Duck fans have always liked Bair as a player. Goe has given us an excellent glimpse into Brandon Bair as a person, and most readers will come away liking him even more. The Oregonian beat writer quotes position coach Jerry Azzinaro:
"You've got a 6-foot-7, 275-pound young man who really cares, whose
character is above reproach, who is very athletic, who has a work ethic that
is second to none, well, would you bet on that man? I would."
A Telling Tidbit from the Coach
On his weekly coach's show Chip Kelly observed that on the 47-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Maehl early in the first quarter, Maehl was Darron Thomas's fourth option, and on his 8-yd scoring pass to Malachi Lewis, Lewis was the third option.
Thomas' completion percentage numbers are not yet gaudy, but these facts reflect a crucial part of his development and progress. Most young quarterbacks have trouble learning this phase of the game.
Thomas is an excellent student in film study, and his poise in the pocket is well ahead of the curve. Kelly told the press this week that he is way ahead of where Masoli or Dixon were after three games. He's putting the ball in good places, getting it to the right people, and moving the team. He hasn't been error-free, but he's been effective, and he is constantly learning.
Duck fans have to love the enthusiasm and positive confidence DT expresses in interviews. He is unfailingly team-first, win-first, focused forward.
That makes him the perfect quarterback for these Oregon Ducks. And if I read Rob Moseley's tweets accurately, he'll have his full complement of weapons on Saturday.
With Paulson to throw to and Barner to pitch to, Arizona's athletic linebackers will have too many chances to make the wrong choice. The Ducks have the weapons to exploit their aggressiveness, and frustrate them.
Thomas' completion percentage numbers are not yet gaudy, but these facts reflect a crucial part of his development and progress. Most young quarterbacks have trouble learning this phase of the game.
Thomas is an excellent student in film study, and his poise in the pocket is well ahead of the curve. Kelly told the press this week that he is way ahead of where Masoli or Dixon were after three games. He's putting the ball in good places, getting it to the right people, and moving the team. He hasn't been error-free, but he's been effective, and he is constantly learning.
Duck fans have to love the enthusiasm and positive confidence DT expresses in interviews. He is unfailingly team-first, win-first, focused forward.
That makes him the perfect quarterback for these Oregon Ducks. And if I read Rob Moseley's tweets accurately, he'll have his full complement of weapons on Saturday.
With Paulson to throw to and Barner to pitch to, Arizona's athletic linebackers will have too many chances to make the wrong choice. The Ducks have the weapons to exploit their aggressiveness, and frustrate them.
A Sweet Tweet from the Minister of Information
Rob Moseley sends this gem:
"Ducks are in Autzen Stadium for today's practice. Injury report
doesn't include any potential members of the two deep."
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Alarming Signs We Hope to Ignore
Kenjon Barner, David Paulson and Spencer Paysinger are banged up and not practicing. There's depth at linebacker so Paysinger can be replaced, even though his senior leadership will be missed in the first conference game on the road, but Paulson and Barner are big weapons with a big dropoff with those two not at full-go.
Fortunately they're young, and young bodies recover quickly. I play volleyball at a family picnic on the weekend and I hurt till Thursday. If Paulson can't go Malachi Lewis starts, with a couple of walk-ons behind him. Curtis White has a shoulder, and Brandon Williams still has a cast on his hand. It's feeling like one of those Old West movies with a horizon full of Indians. The other guys are dressed better for the heat, and there's more of them.
Cliff Harris is sure-handed and elusive returning kicks, but Barner's an X factor in the offense. Arizona State will sell out to stop LaMichael James, and if Barner were practicing, Kelly and Helfrich would have a whole 'nother set of options for punishing that strategy. Not having Barner puts more pressure on Darron Thomas, and leaves the Ducks with much less firepower in the running game. Alston and Reed are capable, but they don't have the burst and playmaking ability of a burner like Barner. Oregon's 1-2 punch is down to a punch and a half.
It may be on the defense to win this one. Not completely, but it would reduce the towel-chewing, pillow-throwing factor if the UO defense picked this week to be stifling and assertive and turn the ball around the other way about four times. A couple of picks and sacks to shake Threet's apparent confidence would be just what the Alliotti ordered. Brandon Bair keeps batting down passes; this would be the perfect weekend for one of those bat-downs to fall into the waiting arms of Eddie Pleasant.
Oregon is a solid favorite in this game, but Duck fans will breathe a lot easier if the fourth quarter rolls around and 1) the Ducks' offensive line has found a solution to the ASU front seven, 2) Threet's receivers are not having a party downfield and 3) Oregon leads by two touchdowns. There's every reason to expect things will develop this way. I'll just feel a lot better when they do. Nothing is guaranteed in the PAC-10. It takes a championship effort every week to be champion.
Fortunately they're young, and young bodies recover quickly. I play volleyball at a family picnic on the weekend and I hurt till Thursday. If Paulson can't go Malachi Lewis starts, with a couple of walk-ons behind him. Curtis White has a shoulder, and Brandon Williams still has a cast on his hand. It's feeling like one of those Old West movies with a horizon full of Indians. The other guys are dressed better for the heat, and there's more of them.
Cliff Harris is sure-handed and elusive returning kicks, but Barner's an X factor in the offense. Arizona State will sell out to stop LaMichael James, and if Barner were practicing, Kelly and Helfrich would have a whole 'nother set of options for punishing that strategy. Not having Barner puts more pressure on Darron Thomas, and leaves the Ducks with much less firepower in the running game. Alston and Reed are capable, but they don't have the burst and playmaking ability of a burner like Barner. Oregon's 1-2 punch is down to a punch and a half.
It may be on the defense to win this one. Not completely, but it would reduce the towel-chewing, pillow-throwing factor if the UO defense picked this week to be stifling and assertive and turn the ball around the other way about four times. A couple of picks and sacks to shake Threet's apparent confidence would be just what the Alliotti ordered. Brandon Bair keeps batting down passes; this would be the perfect weekend for one of those bat-downs to fall into the waiting arms of Eddie Pleasant.
Oregon is a solid favorite in this game, but Duck fans will breathe a lot easier if the fourth quarter rolls around and 1) the Ducks' offensive line has found a solution to the ASU front seven, 2) Threet's receivers are not having a party downfield and 3) Oregon leads by two touchdowns. There's every reason to expect things will develop this way. I'll just feel a lot better when they do. Nothing is guaranteed in the PAC-10. It takes a championship effort every week to be champion.
Up in the Air: O-Zone's Eleven Fly South to Quiet a Burfict Storm
In the days of the leatherheads, when football players had nicknames like Chick and Red and Bronko and Greasy and Slingin' Sammy, football games turned on razzle-dazzle, flying wedges, spinners, buck laterals and wingback reverses. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Oregon's spread is a harmonizing kid brother to the old single wing. Chip Kelly's been known to break out the Statue of Liberty or a sweep pass, and he and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich are working from dusk till dawn, looking for ways to stun and topple over Burfict and ASU's front seven. Kelly and Helfrich are the men who stare at notes, mapping a strategy that gets Oregon's three kings, Thomas, Barner and James, breaking free in the desert with the Arizona State gold.
It's a tough task. Yesterday in his weekly news conference Kelly said Arizona State by far was the toughest defense the Ducks have faced this year, with a very strong linebacking corps and a fierce defensive line. Dennis Erickson has the kind of players he likes in this group, fast, agile, athletic, and a little mean. They will be tough to block. Kelly noted that last year they were at or near the top in most of the conference's statistical categories, and the unit has returned intact and improved. They're tired of losing and a little angry, and that makes them eleven dangerous young men.
Vontaze Burfict gets the headlines, but the entire group has a lot of talent. Last year they led the conference in total defense. Through three games they haven't allowed a point in the fourth quarter, limiting opponents to an average of 103 yards a game on the ground. They are swarming and very quick laterally. Burfict in particular is tough to block. DT Lawrence Guy, 6-5, 300, and DE James Brooks, 6-5, 272, anchor the line.
Burfict has a certain NFL future, and probably a legendary one. Dennis Erickson said he played the best game of his career against Wisconsin last week with 10 tackles, two for a loss and two pass breakups. The wild man middle linebacker seemed to play more in control, avoiding the personal foul penalties that have marred the otherwise stellar performances of his 14-game career. Playing every game as a true freshman, the Corona, California native is 6-3, 245, as fast and tough sideline-to-sideline as any player in the country, disruptive and uncontainable, a fierce hitter. He has a nasty streak, and it's imperative that the Ducks offensive line is disciplined and consistent across from him. Part of their job Saturday is to protect Darron Thomas and LaMichael James from deliberate injury or an early exit. Second on the team in tackles last season, Burfict was the PAC-10 defensive freshman of the year, after being a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, the highest-ranked player ever to sign at ASU. He wears number 7 because he was a fan of John Elway growing up, but says he patterns his game after the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis. It shows.
Helfrich noted that all three of the Sun Devil linebackers wear single-digit numbers, and that is a bad sign. It means that all three are athletic enough to be skill position players. On either side of #7 Burflict are #6 junior Shelly Lyons and #8 junior Brandon Magee. Curiously, all three played at Centennial High in Corona. The three are like brothers, roommates off the field. Lyons, 6-2, 230, had 17 tackles as a sophomore. Magee was dinged up in the Wisconsin game and may be limited, but backup Gerald Munns is a capable replacement. Magee is 5-11, 230. He had 34 tackles and two sacks last season, and may be the best all-around athlete on the defense. He plays outfielder for the ASU baseball team that has gone to the College World Series twice, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2008.
Up front, Guy and Brooks are a load. They demand so much attention from the offensive line it often allows the athletic linebackers to roam free and tee off on quarterbacks and running backs with a running start. Guy, a junior, had 37 tackles last year, and was honorable mention all-PAC-10 as a freshman. He had seven tackles for loss in 2009, and led the team with four and a half sacks. He erupted against Cal, with two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Jordan Holmes, Asper and Thran can't let him get that kind of a push on Saturday. Sealing him properly gives them leverage to get a hat on Burfict. At 300 lbs. Guy is listed as running a 4.8 40. Even hand-timed, that's impressive for his size, making him the fastest, strongest, most athletic tackle the Ducks may face all year. Scout.com listed him as the number 67 rated player in the country coming out of high school.
#34 Brooks had 17 tackles and three and a half sacks as a sophomore, and he intercepted a pass against Oregon and returned it 13 yards, broke up two passes and forced a fumble. He got the best of the Ducks offensive line in a big loss, and Steve Greatwood will no doubt goad his tackles to contain him better this time. An in-state product from Flagstaff, Brooks had 15 sacks as a high school senior and was offensive player of the year as a tight end.
Brooks and Guy are joined on the front by junior defensive tackle Bo Moos, 6-0, 297, whose father Bill was Oregon athletic director for 12 years. The younger Moos prepped at Sheldon High in Eugene, Defensive Co-Player of the Year and 2nd-team All State as a senior.
This front seven is an extraordinarily athletic group, and a big step up for the Oregon offensive line over what they have faced so far. Look for the Ducks to try to counter some of the Sun Devils' aggression with misdirection, get them to take themselves out of the play and get them thinking, less free and reactive. They held #11 Wisconsin to 20 points on the road, and they'll be aiming to contain LaMichael James in a way no one ever has. ASU defensive coordinator Craig Bray has probably laid down a challenge: corral James, and you ground the Ducks, putting the game in the hands of Oregon's relatively untested sophomore quarterback. They'll bring fierce pressure on Thomas, trying to pressure him into mistakes in the zone read and passing game.
An aggressive, attacking, disruptive defense is the toughest matchup for a spread offense. The Oregon offensive line has to complete their blocks, and the Ducks' best chance for success early might be through the air. Wisconsin's ball control offense had 246 passing yards on the Arizona State secondary, which is relatively inexperienced. Junior cornerback Omar Bolden, #3, is ASU's top returnee back there, and he missed eight games last season with a knee injury. Bolden returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown versus the Badgers. On the other side, 5-11 senior LeQuan Lewis is a converted wide receiver who has been clocked at 4.29 in the forty.
It's a tough task. Yesterday in his weekly news conference Kelly said Arizona State by far was the toughest defense the Ducks have faced this year, with a very strong linebacking corps and a fierce defensive line. Dennis Erickson has the kind of players he likes in this group, fast, agile, athletic, and a little mean. They will be tough to block. Kelly noted that last year they were at or near the top in most of the conference's statistical categories, and the unit has returned intact and improved. They're tired of losing and a little angry, and that makes them eleven dangerous young men.
Vontaze Burfict gets the headlines, but the entire group has a lot of talent. Last year they led the conference in total defense. Through three games they haven't allowed a point in the fourth quarter, limiting opponents to an average of 103 yards a game on the ground. They are swarming and very quick laterally. Burfict in particular is tough to block. DT Lawrence Guy, 6-5, 300, and DE James Brooks, 6-5, 272, anchor the line.
Burfict has a certain NFL future, and probably a legendary one. Dennis Erickson said he played the best game of his career against Wisconsin last week with 10 tackles, two for a loss and two pass breakups. The wild man middle linebacker seemed to play more in control, avoiding the personal foul penalties that have marred the otherwise stellar performances of his 14-game career. Playing every game as a true freshman, the Corona, California native is 6-3, 245, as fast and tough sideline-to-sideline as any player in the country, disruptive and uncontainable, a fierce hitter. He has a nasty streak, and it's imperative that the Ducks offensive line is disciplined and consistent across from him. Part of their job Saturday is to protect Darron Thomas and LaMichael James from deliberate injury or an early exit. Second on the team in tackles last season, Burfict was the PAC-10 defensive freshman of the year, after being a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, the highest-ranked player ever to sign at ASU. He wears number 7 because he was a fan of John Elway growing up, but says he patterns his game after the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis. It shows.
Helfrich noted that all three of the Sun Devil linebackers wear single-digit numbers, and that is a bad sign. It means that all three are athletic enough to be skill position players. On either side of #7 Burflict are #6 junior Shelly Lyons and #8 junior Brandon Magee. Curiously, all three played at Centennial High in Corona. The three are like brothers, roommates off the field. Lyons, 6-2, 230, had 17 tackles as a sophomore. Magee was dinged up in the Wisconsin game and may be limited, but backup Gerald Munns is a capable replacement. Magee is 5-11, 230. He had 34 tackles and two sacks last season, and may be the best all-around athlete on the defense. He plays outfielder for the ASU baseball team that has gone to the College World Series twice, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2008.
Up front, Guy and Brooks are a load. They demand so much attention from the offensive line it often allows the athletic linebackers to roam free and tee off on quarterbacks and running backs with a running start. Guy, a junior, had 37 tackles last year, and was honorable mention all-PAC-10 as a freshman. He had seven tackles for loss in 2009, and led the team with four and a half sacks. He erupted against Cal, with two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Jordan Holmes, Asper and Thran can't let him get that kind of a push on Saturday. Sealing him properly gives them leverage to get a hat on Burfict. At 300 lbs. Guy is listed as running a 4.8 40. Even hand-timed, that's impressive for his size, making him the fastest, strongest, most athletic tackle the Ducks may face all year. Scout.com listed him as the number 67 rated player in the country coming out of high school.
#34 Brooks had 17 tackles and three and a half sacks as a sophomore, and he intercepted a pass against Oregon and returned it 13 yards, broke up two passes and forced a fumble. He got the best of the Ducks offensive line in a big loss, and Steve Greatwood will no doubt goad his tackles to contain him better this time. An in-state product from Flagstaff, Brooks had 15 sacks as a high school senior and was offensive player of the year as a tight end.
Brooks and Guy are joined on the front by junior defensive tackle Bo Moos, 6-0, 297, whose father Bill was Oregon athletic director for 12 years. The younger Moos prepped at Sheldon High in Eugene, Defensive Co-Player of the Year and 2nd-team All State as a senior.
This front seven is an extraordinarily athletic group, and a big step up for the Oregon offensive line over what they have faced so far. Look for the Ducks to try to counter some of the Sun Devils' aggression with misdirection, get them to take themselves out of the play and get them thinking, less free and reactive. They held #11 Wisconsin to 20 points on the road, and they'll be aiming to contain LaMichael James in a way no one ever has. ASU defensive coordinator Craig Bray has probably laid down a challenge: corral James, and you ground the Ducks, putting the game in the hands of Oregon's relatively untested sophomore quarterback. They'll bring fierce pressure on Thomas, trying to pressure him into mistakes in the zone read and passing game.
An aggressive, attacking, disruptive defense is the toughest matchup for a spread offense. The Oregon offensive line has to complete their blocks, and the Ducks' best chance for success early might be through the air. Wisconsin's ball control offense had 246 passing yards on the Arizona State secondary, which is relatively inexperienced. Junior cornerback Omar Bolden, #3, is ASU's top returnee back there, and he missed eight games last season with a knee injury. Bolden returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown versus the Badgers. On the other side, 5-11 senior LeQuan Lewis is a converted wide receiver who has been clocked at 4.29 in the forty.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Making a Bid for Greatness
The Great teams in football history were dominant. They didn't just get by their opponents. They destroyed them.
Great teams play Mongol horde, Viking pillage, blitzkrieg, shock and awe football. They unleash waves of mayhem and bursts of electricity. They put their foot on opponents' necks and leave an imprint on history. The '85 Chicago Bears went 15-1, and outscored three playoff opponents 91-10. In the regular season they beat down the Dallas Cowboys 44-0, the Redskins 45-10, the Falcons 36-0. The 17-0 Miami Dolphins shut out the Colts twice, and beat the New England Patriots 52-0, achieving the only perfect season in NFL history, most of it with a backup quarterback. In fact, neither of the two most dominant teams in NFL history had a great quarterback. Darron Thomas is easily a better athlete than Jim McMahon or Earl Morrall.
In the college ranks, the '71 Nebraska Cornhuskers scored more than 39 points a game and allowed 8.2. They clubbed Alabama in the Orange Bowl 38-6 for a perfect 13-0 record, number one in the country. Coach Bob Devaney's powerhouse featured a devastating running game, a middling quarterback with good game management skills, an electrifying kick returner, and a stifling defense. Does that sound familiar to anyone? They opened that season with a 34-7 victory over hapless Oregon, traveling across country for a paycheck. Times have changed.
These were Nebraska's scores on the way to the Game of the Century, a titantic Thanksgiving Day battle with Oklahoma people still remember: 34-7, 35-7, 34-7, 42-6. 36-0, 55-0, 41-13, 31-7 (versus #9 Colorado), 37-0, 44-17. Then on Thanksgiving Day they faced #2 Oklahoma, in front of a TV audience of 55 million on ABC. Keith Jackson called the game, Nebraska scoring first on a 72-yard punt return by Kenjon Barner, er, Johnny Rodgers. Oklahoma pulled ahead at the half. The Huskers struck back with two touchdowns in the third quarter. The Sooners surged back. Down by three with time winding down, Nebraska drove for a deciding touchdown, tailback Jeff Kinney plunging over for the win, 35-31.
The 1972 USC Trojans went 12-0. That team had Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Anthony Davis and Lynn Swann. Some slouch named Pat Haden played quarterback. They beat Ohio State 44-17 in the Rose Bowl, beat Oregon 18-0, Washington State 44-3, Oregon State 51-6, Michigan State 51-6. They annihilated people. They ran and passed the PAC-8 silly. They beat Notre Dame by three touchdowns. Notre Dame won the national championship a year later.
Why am telling you this? Because I think the 2010 Oregon Ducks will make a bid for greatness. We're entering a new golden age of sport, like the '20s and '30s, the era of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and Sea Biscuit and Red Grange. The economy is in ruins, so people's focus naturally turns to diversions and athletic mastery. The Ducks can fill the void. They are fast, exciting and deep, a team with no apparent weakness, a team with imposing strengths. They play a fast, dynamic style of football, with playmakers of dazzling skills. I watched Johnny Rodgers run. I saw Anthony Davis. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner are better. James runs for 227 yards and he isn't happy with himself. Neither one of them has played four quarters in a game this year, and their starts are already eye-popping.
On the field and in practice, Chip Kelly and the Ducks won't voice thoughts like this. Of course they won't. But I am telling you with cold-eyed sober seriousness, that the 2010 Ducks could be the greatest team in Oregon history, a team to be remembered forever. It isn't just the early scores and the stats. It's the way they win, the purpose they show on every snap and in every practice. They have incredible talent and fierce resolve. They have great senior leadership and a deep bench. They have a coach with an intelligent scheme and a rare gift for teaching and motivation. They will be as good as any team you will see in your lifetime. Save your Sunday papers and a couple of videotapes. You are going to need them one day.
Great teams play Mongol horde, Viking pillage, blitzkrieg, shock and awe football. They unleash waves of mayhem and bursts of electricity. They put their foot on opponents' necks and leave an imprint on history. The '85 Chicago Bears went 15-1, and outscored three playoff opponents 91-10. In the regular season they beat down the Dallas Cowboys 44-0, the Redskins 45-10, the Falcons 36-0. The 17-0 Miami Dolphins shut out the Colts twice, and beat the New England Patriots 52-0, achieving the only perfect season in NFL history, most of it with a backup quarterback. In fact, neither of the two most dominant teams in NFL history had a great quarterback. Darron Thomas is easily a better athlete than Jim McMahon or Earl Morrall.
In the college ranks, the '71 Nebraska Cornhuskers scored more than 39 points a game and allowed 8.2. They clubbed Alabama in the Orange Bowl 38-6 for a perfect 13-0 record, number one in the country. Coach Bob Devaney's powerhouse featured a devastating running game, a middling quarterback with good game management skills, an electrifying kick returner, and a stifling defense. Does that sound familiar to anyone? They opened that season with a 34-7 victory over hapless Oregon, traveling across country for a paycheck. Times have changed.
These were Nebraska's scores on the way to the Game of the Century, a titantic Thanksgiving Day battle with Oklahoma people still remember: 34-7, 35-7, 34-7, 42-6. 36-0, 55-0, 41-13, 31-7 (versus #9 Colorado), 37-0, 44-17. Then on Thanksgiving Day they faced #2 Oklahoma, in front of a TV audience of 55 million on ABC. Keith Jackson called the game, Nebraska scoring first on a 72-yard punt return by Kenjon Barner, er, Johnny Rodgers. Oklahoma pulled ahead at the half. The Huskers struck back with two touchdowns in the third quarter. The Sooners surged back. Down by three with time winding down, Nebraska drove for a deciding touchdown, tailback Jeff Kinney plunging over for the win, 35-31.
The 1972 USC Trojans went 12-0. That team had Sam "Bam" Cunningham, Anthony Davis and Lynn Swann. Some slouch named Pat Haden played quarterback. They beat Ohio State 44-17 in the Rose Bowl, beat Oregon 18-0, Washington State 44-3, Oregon State 51-6, Michigan State 51-6. They annihilated people. They ran and passed the PAC-8 silly. They beat Notre Dame by three touchdowns. Notre Dame won the national championship a year later.
Why am telling you this? Because I think the 2010 Oregon Ducks will make a bid for greatness. We're entering a new golden age of sport, like the '20s and '30s, the era of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and Sea Biscuit and Red Grange. The economy is in ruins, so people's focus naturally turns to diversions and athletic mastery. The Ducks can fill the void. They are fast, exciting and deep, a team with no apparent weakness, a team with imposing strengths. They play a fast, dynamic style of football, with playmakers of dazzling skills. I watched Johnny Rodgers run. I saw Anthony Davis. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner are better. James runs for 227 yards and he isn't happy with himself. Neither one of them has played four quarters in a game this year, and their starts are already eye-popping.
On the field and in practice, Chip Kelly and the Ducks won't voice thoughts like this. Of course they won't. But I am telling you with cold-eyed sober seriousness, that the 2010 Ducks could be the greatest team in Oregon history, a team to be remembered forever. It isn't just the early scores and the stats. It's the way they win, the purpose they show on every snap and in every practice. They have incredible talent and fierce resolve. They have great senior leadership and a deep bench. They have a coach with an intelligent scheme and a rare gift for teaching and motivation. They will be as good as any team you will see in your lifetime. Save your Sunday papers and a couple of videotapes. You are going to need them one day.
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