Tale of the Tape Shows How Much Work the Ducks Have to Do

Oregon's two leading candidates for the center position have zero starts between them.  Hroniss Grasu is a redshirt freshman, 6-3, 278, and Karrington Armstrong a sophomore, listed at 6-2, 260.  Armstrong played in one game last season, Portland State, while the Spring Game was a Duck debut for Grasu.

It was a good spring game-no apparent serious injuries, young players got their feet wet, didn't give away any of the playbook. Great crowd, estimated at 43,000

The offensive line HAS to jell. Hit the gym, grab the jump rope. LSU has a strong, agile SEC defensive line and the Ducks have to be ready.

Urban Meyer's two concerns for the Ducks coming out of Spring Practice: downfield passing and offensive line play. Spot on. Thomas has to ready those newcomers.

Terrance Mitchell with a pick to end the game. He's two for two in spring games. Could become a Harris-like ball hawk.

Brent Musberger, please, please retire. He's officially an addled buffoon.

Troy Hill with a nice return. He's had a great spring. Made a good hit earlier in the game.

Beard 3-3. Good to see him get rhythm and confidence to carry into summer. Slumped slightly the end of last year.

Lache Seastrunk with a couple of nice runs, getting upfield better. Still has to fight the high school compulsion to bounce everything out.

Bennett has a nice, live arm and good pocket presence. He'll look better next year when he's throwing to those fast wide receivers.

Dion Jordan with a pair of sacks. He's destined for a breakout year. Big, agile and fast.

Lyerla short of the first down, but another nice catch in traffic, his third. Thomas developing a connection with him is a great sign. Thomas very sharp.

False starts, delays of game-it's a spring game.

James with a 62-yard run, Green leads 10-0. Good block downfield by Tuinei.

Players all have the rank of corporal. No doubt who the general is.

40 times are hype and nonsense. LaMichael James the fastest Duck, electronically timed at 4.59. All kinds of gaudy numbers are thrown around in recruiting.

Clemson, also 6-7, with six draft picks. Oregon won with underclassmen, great coaching, an innovative scheme and a team concept.

It's curious. Georgia, 6-7 in 2011, has had 5 players selected in the NFL draft. The Ducks, just one, Casey Matthews, in the 4th round. Auburn two 1st rounders.

His pre-trial machinations and histrionics will be wasted on the fast-talking New Englander, who prepares for a faceless opponent and an impartial scoreboard.

Of course part of the clownish image Miles plays up deliberately. He wants to be underestimated, much like a wily country lawyer-Matlock in cleats.

The Mad Hatter seems to win in spite of himself at times, stumbling in game and clock management, relying on a miracle, a trick or opponent's failure to count.

LSU returns a ton of size and talent, but they're replacing a 1000-yd rusher and the Jim Thorpe winner. Jury still out on qb Jefferson and Miles himself.

Besides the upset-minded, Ducks face Sporting News number one in the season opener, LSU. The Tigers are good, but ahead of Oklahoma and Alabama? Questionable.

Still, it's a tough league, and everybody will be Duck hunting, especially Luck, Barkley, Foles, Burfict, and rivals OSU and UW, wanting to end losing streaks.

Stanford's rank seems high. Luck is wonderful, but he doesn't have great targets. Lose an All-League player on both lines, replace both coordinators+Harbaugh.

Things might be tougher than we think in 2011: Sporting News early top 25 includes five PAC-12 teams. They rate North Division rival Stanford #4, Ducks at #5.

Cliff Harris, channeling greatness and new-found maturity

Bob Rickert wrote a story just this Wednesday for his Oregonian blog, and it reflects the growing maturity of Cliff Harris, the Ducks mercurial and uber-talented shutdown corner.

Speed kills, but discipline builds a future

Tacoi Sumler's got confidence, and that's a good quality in a receiver.  He told the Oregonian's John Hunt, "Speed kills, and I have it."

The Ducks need help at receiver this fall, replacing two graduated seniors who produced over 1500 yards of offense and a 3/4-ton pickup load of key blocks. A freshman who hopes to be in the starting lineup in Cowboy Stadium before a loud, crowded house full of mostly LSU fans has to have confidence.  One-on-one with cornerbacks where everyone can see their every mistake and all of their triumphs, receivers have to a special brand of "nothing bothers me; I'm an athlete."

Spring Game won't answer questions, but it will offer some intriguing hints

Whatever anxieties Duck fans have about the offensive line, replacing three starters after a subpar blocking performance versus Auburn, Darron Thomas doesn't share them.  After practice Friday he told KVAL he felt so comfortable behind this group, "I can sit in the pocket, eat my lunch."

Problem is, can Grasu and Mana Greig block Taylor Hart and Dion Jordan? DT may not have enough time to throw, which might spoil the show.

Dungy and Cole, paired with Thomas, will have a chance to make an impression not only on their coaches but on their quarterback.

Rob Moseley has rosters for Spring Game. Away features DT and LMJ, but James won't run much. They also look weaker on the lines. Take Home and the points.

One Man's Technical Difficulties are an IT Guy's Definition of "Operator Error"

The Tech team at Bloguin Network have the patience of a mother with three toddlers, and they have fixed all the glitches and user ineptitudes that have plagued our new home at duckstopshere.com.  The new site is now fully operational and pretty as a Christmas piglet.  Henceforth all new articles will forward to the new site after the jump, and eventually all the content and archive will migrate completely.

Errors in syntax, clumsy humor or poor taste remain completely my own.

Deep and Fast, Agile and Aggressive: Oregon's defense is taking wing this season

 Rob Moseley calls Dion Jordan "the breakout player on the breakout unit this spring." Over the last two seasons, Chip Kelly has turned Nick Aliotti loose, and the Ducks now have a defense to match the offense: deep, fast and aggressive.


Used to be, Oregon would have a handful of pretty good defensive players, but no depth. By game five or six of the season there were holes to exploit as the Ducks were forced to play without key people, Teams could beat Oregon by wearing down the defense, and by the fourth quarter, what some people (never Aliotti, by the way) called "bend but don't break" defense became bent and simply broken.

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Oregon's Talented Tight Ends Will Be Difference Makers in 2011

Watch out for Brandon Williams next year.  The 6-4, 237 tight end/h-back is fully healthy now and knows the playbook.  He was steady and reliable all through spring practice, with catches in traffic and a knack for getting behind defenders in the seam.  The Ducks looked poised to do more in power sets this fall with tight ends David Paulson, Williams and Colt Lyerla all having solid springs.

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The Prevent Defense Only Prevents One Thing

Winning. 

Loose, passive, scaredy-cat defenses invariably give the offense the edge, leaving huge marshmallow-soft holes in the middle and along the sideline.  A couple of quick outs, a seam route to the tight end rumbling down the middle, a quick time out, and the opponent's quarterback looks like Peyton Manning while the faithful are screaming at the tv and cursing the defensive coordinator's parentage.

I HATE that.  Keep playing the tough, agressive football that got you the lead in the other 56 minutes.

Local sports fans got a shining example of the sure-fire ineptitude of prevent defense in Thursday's Blazer game.  The sport was different, but the principle was the same.  The home team, down two games to none, built a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter but nearly urinated it all away by getting careful and cautious and methodical, playing, of all things, a prevent offense, dribbling down slowly, tap, tap, tapping the ball, a couple of tentative passes, then a last-second, off balance desperation shot just before the 24 second clock expired. 

They did this about six straight times down the floor until Dallas got within two.  The Blazers had the ball and barely got it in bounds, the Mavericks fouled, and then Portland sank the free throws, narrowly winning a game they should have won handily.

Prevent defenses and slowdown basketball usually flirt with disaster in just that way.

Last Chance at the Moshofsky Corral

Among the highlights yesterday:  the running backs had no fumbles.  Monday is the last contact practice, Moseley reports.  Wednesday is no pads, as the NCAA mandates at least three of the 15 practices must be non-contact.

Thus the body of the work is done for spring.  Monday is the last day to make a real impression before the Spring Game.

Rob Moseley's top five players who helped themselves (offense) in spring: Armstrong, Golpashin, Cole, Lyerla, Seastrunk. These 5 help answer some key concerns.

Saturday Two-Minute Drill

Here's the latest news and commentary on Duck football, with some notes and asides.

Faith without works is dead, but so is tempo without execution

There's still plenty of time for the offense to jell.  Five months, in fact. 

So far the struggles are a normal part of spring ball.  Check links and practice reports around the conference and the country and you'll read versions of this familiar story every year.  Offense struggles with newness.  The Ducks lost three starters on the offensive line, two in the receiver corps.  One player can make a defensive play, but offense requires synchronicity and timing, 11-on-11.  Offense always takes longer.

Carson York to Rob Moseley: "we've got 4 more practices to try to work out kinks and just figure out how everybody's working together, get timing down." WTD x 4

Fumble! Indiana-Oregon debacle was 04. Ducks had 4 fumbles and 3 ints to lose at home as a double digit favorite. Yesterday was equally ugly but doesn't count.

FishDuck observes in his scrimmage report, "the defense looks ready to play a game today." The offense does also, but it would be Boise State 09 or Indiana 05.

As the leader, maybe it's time for DT to call these guys out. A spring struggle is normal, but this is a complete loss of focus. Too many self-inflicted wounds.

I listed Hill twice. 2nd one was supposed to be Mitchell. Seven more fumbles and I'll tie the offense.

Stars of Spring: Heimuli, Hill, Jordan, Clay, Mitchell, Hill. Can the Duck offense pull it together with a week to go? Thus far they're disorganized and inept.

The Fish Report: Second Scrimmage

Special Guest Column by Charles "FishDuck" Fischer

The weather report for today was for sunshine and some clouds with a warming temperature that promised to take the rigid chill of winter away.  Yesterday gave us that warmth with blue skies in the background of some lovely pink flowering cherry trees.  Today—all we got was the promise; it started and remained in the low-forties, and the frigid breeze made it another very cold spring scrimmage.  It seems the offense performed like a bitter day, while the defense seemed to thrive on it.  I hardly know where to start!

Bottom -line? The offense was dramatically underperforming expectations and the defense has gone far beyond what I would have thought we’d see from new starters.

Number one offensive line has to start showing some progress. Poor execution. Too many self-inflicted wounds. Need to find some tempo and rhythm.

Scrimmage today. With a couple, three good plays today there are a handful of players who can put an exclamation point on a solid spring.

Learning from Spring Games Past

Madmike 1951 brings us eight minutes of highlights from last year's Spring Game, which included:


Terrance Mitchell snatching a pass Darron Thomas threw into double coverage, Mitchell taking it back for the first touchdown of the game. Thomas didn't throw a pick six all season, and rarely threw into double coverage. Mitchell has a bright future, but he redshirted in 2010.

Takimoto at ATQ had a good take about Darron Thomas. Shares credit, enthusiastic about teammates, no big ego. Perfect leader for this group. Looks 15, sounds 40

benzduck.com has a feature on Reggie Ogburn, the quick little qb who gave UO fans a 1st taste of hope . Would have been incredible in the Chip Kelly spread.

Hope Ramsen Golpashin makes it. Dude has one of the coolest warrior names, like a Bond villain who could squash you with his bare hands. Can play football, too.

Those who fail to learn from Spring Game history are destined to be misled. Rules tilted toward the offense, stars of spring don't always come out in fall.

Suddenly, this guy's arrival is a much bigger deal

Back in March Duck Territory's Justin Hopkins reported that the Ducks had signed Brennan Doty of Port Neches, Texas as a preferred walk-on at quarterback. 

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We've Moved

The Duck Stops Here is moving to its new home on the Bloguin Network.  Catch all our opinion, commentary and analysis at duckstopshere.com.

For the next two weeks, we'll be linking all articles over to the new site after the jump.

On Wednesday, FishDuck will have a new Fish Report on the scrimmage slated for practice 11.

The Light's Coming On for Pleasant

Eddie Pleasant is making crucial progress as a safety, secondary coach John Neal says.

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Nothing to fear but fear itself

Time to step back from the ledge; Josh Huff is apparently okay and looking like he might run a route or two in the spring game. John Hunt of oregonlive.com had this update:

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Lyerla Flashes His Potential

Another update from John Hunt, this time on everybody's favorite five-star freshman:

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Haines arrested. Inexcusably stupid behavior in an otherwise quiet off season. Leaves Ducks with a numbers problem at qb, hampers Hawkins' development in the slash role.

Report in the Vancouver Sun that the Edmonton Eskimos are working out Jeremiah Masoli. His game is perfectly suited for the CFL-a haven for mobile quarterbacks.

Consistency matters most. Chip Kelly is a body-of-work guy, and Scott Frost is a"no block, no rock" guy. Have to pass both tests to play, plus go to class.

The last few practices and the spring game are especially critical for the receivers, who'll face more competition starting in June, an infusion of raw speed.

Today is the 10th practice out of 15 allowed for spring ball. Twos and threes are running out of reps in this go-around. Shine today or work like crazy in fall.

New website location: duckstopshere.com

Relationships Matter

George Schroeder of the Eugene Register-Guard has a column on the Oregon coaching staff, and what a competitive advantage it is to have longevity and stability on the staff. 

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We're Moving

Please visit us at our new home http://www.duckstopshere.com/.    Save the url to your favorites and pass it on. We're moving to the Bloguin network to improve visual appeal, user experience and promotion of the site.

Please be patient during the construction phase--I have to figure out all the new tools and toys, twitter, facebook and the other 21st-century stuff. 

One of the great features of the new site will be a dedicated main page for The Fish Reports and FishDuck archives.

We'll have the same commitment to Duck football, opinions, commentary and analysis, and as always we welcome your contributions, comment and input.  Reader submissions are welcome, and you can comment by using the comments section, or by sending me an email to duckfanmo@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Some men dream things that never were and ask "why not?"

Cynicism is easy; belief is hard.

Cynics sneer at the very act of belief. They call it "drinking the kool-aid." "Fan is short for fanatic," they'll say with dismissive glee.

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The Two-Deep with Two Weeks Left in Spring Ball

Oregon's rotations won't be as deep next fall, particularly for the opener.

A lot can change between now and then, but patterns are emerging in practice.  Here's an early guess at the players who will see the field against LSU on September 3rd, starting with the defense, starters in bold:

It's not bragging if you can do it: so far Cliff Harris has delivered on every brash promise, and now he's talking new maturity and a national championship.

How many punts did Maehl down inside the ten? Ask Jackson Rice. Executing that play properly is a huge weapon for the defense.

Much has been written about the Ducks' crucial need to replace Jeff Maehl at receiver. True, but the guy was also one of the best punt cover gunners at UO ever.

Does Brandon Hanna Remind You of Anyone?

Brandon Hanna is having a great spring.  He's flying around, along with the rest of the defensive line, who have been the MVPs of spring camp, and making plays.

Never Count Out a Coach's Kid

It isn't because of favoritism.  Coach's kids invariably make smart football players.  They grow up around the game, and the motivated ones absorb it.

Which is part of why Eric Dungy is an intriguing addition to the Oregon receiver corps.  Rob Moseley noted today that Dungy stood out in an otherwise lackluster morning for the receiver corps.  Cole and Tuinei dropped the ball.  Justin Hoffman blocks well, but has trouble getting open.

An Immodest Proposal

In today's practice report, Rob Moseley noted that depth at linebacker remains a concern for the Ducks, and it's time to consider alternatives.

Helfrich Goes Back to the Future

Today Duck Sports Authority's A.J. Jacobson interviewed Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich on the progress of his quarterbacks.  About 2:20 in, Helfrich observes that Bryan Bennett is a better runner and a better athlete than Darron Thomas.

Report in the Wall Street Journal says commissioner Larry Scott is seeking a 10-year, $220 million-a-year deal for the PAC-12's new broadcasting package.  Cowabunga, dude.  That's a lot of Butterfingers.

Tuinei's drops are becoming a concern. They were counting on him to be a senior leader. Chip doesn't buy the "not a practice player" stuff. Need more from LT.

John Hunt, oregonlive: Huff says injury just a strain, running without a brace, may play in the Spring Game. Big plus for UO offense. Thought he was out months.

Moseley has practice tweets, with positive signs from Dungy, Lyerla, the d-line, and Seastrunk. Tuinei slumping. Huff looking healthy? Great news there. No York?

Les Miles came within one ill-fated "athlete" remark of having Darron Thomas as his qb. DT was a LSU verbal commit until getting the wrong signals from Miles.

Jefferson was erratic in the 2010 season, lights out in the bowl game, solid in spring practice, inept in the spring game. A work in progress for Kragthorpe.

In Bayou country, they think their quarterback Jordan Jefferson can blossom in his senior year like Dennis Dixon. Has a new offensive coach, size and speed.

LaMichael James has been relatively quiet, but that is okay. Some coaches will hold a star tailback completely out of contact in the spring. Nothing to prove.

Thus far TE Brandon Williams is having a good spring. He and Paulson could make a formidable tandem, giving the Ducks extra options, especially in the red zone.

Lyerla's learning curve illustrates the difference between high school and college. In h.s., a man among boys, 40 tds as a junior. At UO, just a good athete.

Today practice #9 of 15, with 2 weeks to go til the spring game. Will the light start to come on for the offense, and for the newcomers? So far defense rules.

Kash Counts it Down

Matt Hayes of The Sporting News had a feature on Cliff "Kash Harris" Wednesday, and as always, Harris had some interesting things to say:

Oregon coach Chip Kelly puts up with the bombastic bravado because no one on the team works harder or prepares more diligently.

Luck Favors the Prepared Mind

Who knew?  John Canzano did an interview with Chip Kelly on Tuesday, and it was an intelligent, cordial, and interesting conversation.  The Coach was as candid as he's ever been in a media interview, and he and Canzano seem to have developed a grudging respect for each other.

A Fan Gets It Right

Rob Moseley's blog generates some of the most intelligent and thoughtfully-written fan commentary on the web.  Go to oregon.live and the comments are barely worth reading, a flame-fest of the lowest order, with predictable references to Willie Lyles, the University of Zero, little brother, naked three point stances and gay sheep.  Things invariably get personal, and rarely add anything to the conversation.  It's a dialogue with a roomful of football terrorists.

Partly because of the example Moseley sets with his even-handed, informative reporting, and partly because of the community that has grown around that news source, the opinions, observations, and discussion at the Register-Guard blog include some very thoughtful and on-point observations.  Most days there is a genuine exchange of ideas and some great perspectives.  Here's an example from yesterday's post-scrimmage discussion:

Elsewhere in College Football

Some news bits from ESPN's College Football Live:

Todd McShay now projects Cam Newton as the number one overall pick in the draft, and Auburn's Nick Fairley 8th.  Highest-rated Duck:  Casey Matthews, third or fourth round.

Moseley calls DT Taylor Hart the team's most underrated player. Suddenly the rotation at tackle looks very solid with Hart, Heimuli, Wade K, and Ebert.

The Fish Report: First Spring Scrimmage

Special Guest Column by Charles "FishDuck" Fischer

We know its spring with new blossoms, new buds on trees, and our Osprey friends nesting as usual in the corner of Autzen. The footballs are flying, so it has to be April—right? Baloney. It felt like a December Civil War game as that was one of the coldest scrimmages that I’ve ever been to and ill prepared for! My car thermometer said it was only 41 degrees, but the wind was what chilled you at times, and then add the freezing rain and you have an equivalent of in the low 30s. Like you, I’ve read the numerous reports on various sites and I can’t help but wonder if a few of the ball mishaps were due to leaving the comfy confines of the ‘Mo Center. Considering that so many players were held out on offense, and the weather—it fell easily into a day for the defense.

Defense dominating, offense inept in first scrimmage

Scrimmage reports are in; here's Rob Moseley's, here's John Hunt's.

Moseley notes Josh Huff is moving around better on his injured knee, with more flexibility.  The swelling is down.  Swelling is nature's cast; it helps prevent further damage to the injured area.  No hard news yet on the nature of the injury or the prospects for recovery.  It looks like they need him.

Josh Huff is such a dynamic player. Averaged about 15 yards every time he touched the ball as a freshman. Is it too much to hope for a 4-month rehab?

All Predictions Come with an Implicit Caveat, or Should

In all predictions, forecasts, breakdowns and analysis, football fans have to read with one major caveat: teams can implode for a variety of reasons.  They only achieve their potential if they remain healthy, remain unsanctioned and remain on track.

Losing ground can be as simple as twenty-year-old kids acting stupid at a party or a stud tackle with the aggressiveness of Ferdinand the Bull.  The desire has to be there.  The commitment has to be renewed.

Today the Ducks scrimmage, and Oregon fans will see and read the evidence of this team's renewed desire and commitment.  Thus far all the signs have been positive.  FishDuck will have a full report.

2011 Will Be a Good Year, But 2012 Should Be a Very, Very Good Year

In yesterday's post-practice interview Chip Kelly pointed out the Ducks have just eleven seniors.

There are fifteen on the roster, but four are walk-ons.  By contrast, Oregon has 19 redshirt freshmen practicing this spring, 21 juniors, 29 sophomores. 

Which suggests, purely by numbers, that Oregon's best year may be 2012, when the talent, depth and experience Kelly has accumulated reaches its peak.

Two Contrasting Styles--A coach who leads by fear and intimidation breeds teams that fall apart

Ever work for a guy who at the first sign of adversity, is looking for some to throw under the bus? In college football, that's Steve Spurrier. He creates extra pressure.  Everyone of his quarterbacks has been a basket case by the time he was done with them, and none of them have made it in the NFL. 

Chip Kelly, by contrast is abrupt and arrogant with the media, but he brings out the best in his players.  He genuinely loves them.  He's not afraid to be tough with them, but he'll never criticize a player publicly.  In practice yesterday he gave a quick and forceful rebuke to a player who made a late hit out of bounds and threw up his hands in protest.  "YOU'RE DROPPING AND GIVING ME FIFTY!" Kelly roared.  The player immediately complied, 50 up/downs.  I'll bet the coach will have a word of encouragement or a pat on the shoulder for that player later in the week.  Kelly's approach is balanced, tough but fair, with room for humor and fun.  There's a circle of trust on this team.  Everybody feels watched over, but no one feels like they're being watched. 

Kelly is a player's coach, in the best and most productive sense.  Spurrier is the kind of boss no one wants to work for.

It isn't about jawing and picking fights. It's about establishing a standard of toughness. The enforcer leads with action. He makes the pads pop, makes a stand.

Every team needs an enforcer. For the Blazers, Lucas, Buck Williams, Gerald Wallace. For UO, it's John Boyett. Michael Clay could become one.

A couple of more notes

The centers spend one early period drilling strictly on the shotgun snap, hiking to each other. Both are deadly accurate, but fumble-fingered quarterbacks.

Receivers and secondary do a one-on-one drill where they work on getting off the line, coverage, getting free, pressing downfield.  John Boyett always matches up with Lavasier Tuinei.  Epic battles.  Boyett is a motormouth on the field, either directing traffic or talking trash between plays.  His lower body is powerful, evidence of much dedication in the weight room.  With a day off the practice field today, Ducks will be spending the morning with Jim Radcliffe and his staff.

Radcliffe is a dynamo on the field, a ball of infectious energy.  In a punt return drill he takes reps, weaving and cutting upfield, getting a hoot and a holler from some of the players.  At 53, he has the body and the energy of a much younger man, a testament to his life style and habits.  Clearly he practices what he preaches.  The strength and conditioning mentor ought to have his own show on TV.  They could call it "The Biggest Winner."

Around a Duck Practice in 80 Texts

TE Williams was the last one to leave the practice field, shadowing some routes near the goal line. Seastrunk also stayed for extra work, running lines.  Seastrunk was tracked by a member of the practice staff; may have been a minor disciplinary thing.

Kelly on Hawkins, after practice:"to have a kid who can jump into all these spots and not really miss a beat..." And he does a nifty Cam Newton impression.

Hawkins now takes a series at qb. He carries out his fakes well on the zone read, connects on a short hook.

Osborne leaps into the play, "that was your ball, that was your ball," pointing to the spot Lyerla should have been. We learn more from our mistakes, and he will. He's a good athlete, and applying himself.

But on the next play the freshman, looking a little tired and confused, misses his route. He's supposed to be in the right flat, and Bennett throws it there, into the turf.

Bennett with another smart throw, checks down to Lyerla underneath, breaking free for a good gain into the secondary.

11-on-11 again, from the 30. Hawkins at tailback now. Williams for 7 in the flat.

Terrell Turner watches the drill up close at the line of scrimmage, on crutches, in a cast, cheering his boys. Tony Washington with a speed rush, Jordan spins.

Jared Ebert with a strength move, pushes the o-lineman into the pocket, then sheds him. Fist bumps all around.

Heimuli a quick first step, looks impossible to block. Wins another rep easily and hurdles the 5-foot high dummy.

Twice Hart bests a blocker with a quick move inside. Matched up at right tackle, [Carson York] wins two battles, taking the defender to the ground.

Backs and ends at the left end zone, working 7-on-7. Lines go to work with one-on-one pass protection, a tall blue pad in the pocket representing the "qb."

At 10:18, more work on the punt shield and coverage. Diligent, considering how much Chip hates to punt.

Work continues on the zone read mesh in several periods all through practice. James gets a lane and bursts free behind Asper and Weems. Lache runs hard, no room

Lots of people playing through bumps, bruises, dings and limps. Clay, Lokombo, and Kaddu caused a lot of them. Now a teaching period, just line up, recognize.

Lyerla takes reps with the fg team. About 10 in red jerseys, including Barner, Turner, Pleasant and Huff. Pleasant, though, is active and involved.

Coaches to punt cover team: "sprint, sprint, sprint." No lollygaggin'. Easy to see why the Ducks don't need a post-practice conditioning session.

9:43-another special teams period. Punt coverage on one end, xp/fg the other. Beard nails a poster of Dante Rosario in the back of the head. Haines holding ably

Bennett again. He has great instincts and was well-coached in high school. Puts the ball in good places, away from the defender, in the turf if he has to.

Replacing Maehl and Davis, Ducks have got to throw to the tight ends more. Williams, big and mobile, makes a couple of nice catches over a defender in the seam.

Effort and urgency in the defensive line is tremendous. They're pounding the sled in the far corner. Deliver a blow, shuck the blocker. When's lunch?

Effort and urgency in the defensive line is tremendous. They're pounding the sled in the far corner. Deliver a blow, shuck the blocker. When's lunch?

DT stepping into throws better. His motion is more compact. Bennett actually has better physical tools for the offense but you don't replace a 12-1 starter.

John Neal coaches nonstop, always talking to his guys. "Use your big body." "Master your technique." They run fade routes against each other. "Way to compete."

Who's number 2? [Troy Hill] A smack at the sideline during a 1-on-1 hitch drill then a sure open field wrap up. A tough tackler. Contest every rep.

Kelly calls Harris to him for a teachable moment. He corrects his ball security. Don't juke up high with the football-tuck it in.

Others practice blocking punts, smothering the ball off the punter's foot. They use a volleyball for this drill. Fielding punts is not a specialty for LMJ.

9:05: punt return team. Lots of special teams work today. Back deep Harris, James, Mathis. Lyerla takes reps in the shield. Rice can hit a spiral off the roof.

Huff's knee heavily wrapped under the brace, and his left calf is swollen, walking stiff-legged. He carries a tennis ball in his right hand, stands apart.

An hour in, the Ducks take a period for stretching, conditioning and mobility. 20-yard sprints and Harris and Boyett win every one in their group. Music amps up

With Barner in a red jersey and shorts and some receivers nicked up, Darryle Hawkins takes reps at 4 spots. After practice, Kelly raves about his versatility.

Thomas to Tuinei, then Paulson. Three of the squad leaders look sure and unrushed.

Play rarely stops. Scott Frost makes a coaching point, diagramming with his hands, talking in the deep backfield with LT while the twos take a series.

An Oregon practice is crisp fast, and varied. Monkey rolls. 11-on-11 with the play cards. The sideline flashes Burger King. Williams with a fingertip grab, td.

Tuinei looks fluid, stronger and more confident. Dependable in traffic, soft hands. Thomas finds him early and often in 7-on-7 and full live. Solid possession receiver, not a deep threat.

Hardest worker in the receiver group has to be Hoffman. Very precise routes. Great footwork on the sideline, coming back to the quarterback as Bennett scrambles

But he's not big, and not fast. Still, it's great to have some coaches' kids on the roster. They're always in the right place and understand the game.

Buried on the depth chart, Eric Dungy impresses with his receiving fundametals. Good footwork and adjustments to the ball. Never lets it get into his body.

They're working on the zone read mesh, going half speed east and west with live snaps, second teamers standing in for defense. Chip hits the air horn at 8:35.

At the pace this team practices, there are no blobs or slobs. Everett Benyard, a second string tackle, looks like a tree.

Oregon defensive lineman are agile, running drills around yellow 32-gallon garbage cans. Even Heimuli, a big, big man at 6-5 320, is built like a power forward.

Up close, the first thing that hits you is that these guys are KIDS. If you saw them at the movies or 7-11, you'd just nod and think, that young man looks...

Held out of practice with a knee, Huff was that aware and on top of what was going on, lining up a quarterback, motioning to him to take a direct snap.

An insight into Josh Huff's character as an athlete: two and a half hrs into practice, and he's on the sideline, reminding Bennett he needs to be under center.

Josh Huff is in shorts, just now putting on a red jersey. Bulky knee brace on the left knee.

Taylor Hart and Ricky Heimuli stroll out in the black jerseys, helmets in hand. Stretching out 10 feet in front of me is Kash himself.

Media setting up. KVAL with a camera at the 50. Music starts up at medium volume. Jackson Rice and Rob Beard kicking high into the nets on the South wall. Boom!

At the Mo for practice. Full pads today. Couple of players already out stretching. No one yet parked in the "injured players"spots.

Headed to this morning's practice, and soon as I finish my Kix and banana.  Will have quick hits from practice and a report this afternoon.  For Wednesday's Fish Report, FishDuck has been working on some new tools, including a program called Snag-It that allows him to add arrows and play flow symbols to his illustrations and photos.  He'll be able to break down the schemes with greater clarity, which is a bit like giving Darron Thomas a howitzer for launching passes to Tacoi Sumler.

Attitude Reflect Leadership, Captain

3:32 a.m: Rob Moseley ran his first post of the day at three-freaking-thirty-two a.m.  That's some serious blogging, folks.

This morning he announced the 16 "squad leaders" named by Chip Kelly this week:

Can Lavasier Tuinei Become A Go-to Guy?

Gary Horowitz of the Statesman-Journal has a feature on Lavasier Tuinei, who the Ducks are counting on to make a jump forward in 2011.

The 6-5 216 wideout caught 36 passes last season, and with Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis gone, he's Oregon's tallest and most experienced receiver.

What the Masters Teaches about Football

Reputation doesn't matter.  Past accomplishments don't win the day.  Championships belong to the athlete who performs in the clutch.

Charles Schwartzl makes four straight birdies at the end to win the Masters.  It's a little like this.

Great competitors thrive in pressure situations.  Give the young man from South Africa credit.  He outperformed a field of stars to become one.

Under the Eyes of the Tiger, a Countdown Begins

On lsufootball.net the masthead is the eyes of a fearsome tiger, and below that is a countdown clock, currently at 146 days, four hours.  The actual clock counts down the minutes and seconds, but we're not that precise out here.  It's half a bowl of chili or another few sips of a favorite beverage either way, and there's a spring and a summer before that happens.

The Louisiana State Tigers held their Spring Game yesterday.  An estimated 25,000 people attended.  The Shreveport Times reported tailback Spencer Ware was the star as Oregon's opening game opponent wrapped up spring practice:

If You Were Duck Czar for a Day, Who Would You Have Cast in Bronze?

ESPN reports Florida had their spring game today, unveiling statutes outside the stadium of their three Heisman Trophy winners at halftime, Steve Spurrier, Danny Weurffel, and Tim Tebow.

If the Ducks put up three statues outside Autzen, who would they be?  Off hand, I'd say Bobby Moore (Ahmad Rashad), Dennis Dixon, and Joey Harrington.  But there are several other possibilities:

An Update on Terrell Turner, plus Saturday Quick Hits

Terrell Turner tells Rob Moseley of the Register-Guard, “I’m day to day, honestly,” he said. “I won’t be surprised if I’m out here next week. Honestly, it looks worse than it is.”

It would be great news to get Turner back on the field.  Even greater if Josh Huff comes out of the locker room behind him.

Either way, the Ducks are a resilient, forward-thinking operation.  Think what this team has overcome in the last couple of years, including the debacle at Boise and fratgate.  Injuries are part of the game.  Turner says he's been getting his mental reps, and the younger guys are taking advantage of the increased opportunity to show what they can do.

The Duck Stops Here will have a live report from practice on Monday, and FishDuck will  have a Fish Report on Wednesday's scrimmage.

Cover story in this week's Time magazine, "We're still fighting the Civil War." Nowhere more apparent than in college football, where passion, pride and history collude.

Mariners thumped in their home opener, 12-3. People always say "it's only one game"-when they lose. For the Ducks, the season opener is not just one game; it's the first round of the BCS playoffs.  Chip would give the death stare to this suggestion, but that's what it is.

Don't think the players will feel pressure in this way, but the Texas contingent might be extra amped up to be playing in their home state.  Darron Thomas in particular has to start calm and focused in this one.  He had a horrible start in the BCS game.

More ESPN: Gamecocks qb Stephen Garcia suspended for the 5th time. Don't think he'd get that many chances at Oregon. SEC discipline notoriously lax-for stars.  For third-string tackles, though, they can get kicked off the team for littering.  Got to make room for the oversigning.

Ivan Maisel observes USC has "no margin for error" due to a lack of depth and experience. True, but they do have Barkley-to-Woods.

McElroy says he's not worried about Tiger Woods. "I'll be focusing on my targets." Sounds very Chip-like. Now he needs a fast hard finish.

1080 The Fan: Mickelson tees off in about a half hour. But the Masters field must beware the cocky little Irishman who's playing like Steve Prefontaine or Secretariat.  If he wears a visor on Sunday, look out.

It doesn't work this way, but 2007 ought to earn the Ducks ten years grace on ACL tears. Enough Juju, enough.

Casey Matthews projected by ESPN for 3rd-4th round. "I can make plays. Just look at the film." Talks like a Duck.

Chip Kelly After Practice, end of week 2, from KVAL

Ducks Need Barner to Blossom in 2011

To give Oregon's offense the balance and counterpunch to defeat the California Blueprint, Darron Thomas needs a number one target, or two or three that are pretty reliable.

Regardless of how serious Josh Huff's injury is, Kenjon Barner is a huge key to the success of the Oregon passing game.

Cole Makes an Impression on the Coach

Chris Courtney of Educk got a word with Coach Kelly after practice, and the Ducks head man had praise for  Sophomore wide receiver Nick Cole:

Friday Two-Minute Drill

The ace Register-Guard scribe tabs Cole, Mitchell, and Malone as players who impressed this week. All three could add needed depth if they finish a strong spring.

Moseley with words no Duck fan wants to hear: Josh Huff helped from the field at practice. Moze will have an update as soon as there is one.

95.5 The Game: new Utah OC Norm Chow scrapping the spread for a West Coast offense with downhill running. Better fit for his qb. No one is married to a scheme.

Red Sox and Rays winless, combined 0-12. Things can go sour in a hurry in sports. Got to win the day every day, or look up and find yourself in a hole.

If Nick Cole, Blake Cantu, K Lowe or Eric Dungy want to crack the receiver rotation, today would be a good day to make a move up the leaderboard.

Competition day today. One or two guys will stand out and move up the depth chart. Time for The Praying Mantis to assert himself.

It's not the final countdown, but the five months of preparation will tick off way faster than we think

Three weeks and ten practices to go.  The Ducks thus far have had a productive spring camp.  The players look stronger and faster, the newcomers are calm on the surface and paddling like mad beneath it. 

Here's a review of the major stories of spring football practice through the first two weeks:

We're Moving

In just a day or so, The Duck Stops Here will be moving to our new home at the Bloguin Network.  We'll have an update and a forwarding link as soon as it's ready.  The archives of the old site will be transferred, and there will be a specially dedicated section for The Fish Reports, including access to Fish's work in explaining the Oregon system in prior years.

Best ever in one package, speed and hands: Lance Alworth. Best combo, speed one side and possession the other? Raiders, Biletnikoff and Wells. Old school, baby.

Several of the new recruits can fly but Tony D says D-Black's the guy.

Biggest challenges with a speed burner: finding one with reliable hands, a reliable head, and the toughness to do the blocking demanded in the Oregon offense.

When the new recruits arrive this fall, the Ducks could have something they haven't had since Sammy Parker: a true deep threat at wideout, DSA's Tony D says.

Scott Frost favors a receiver-by-committee approach to replace departed standouts Maehl and Davis, says Dirk Weisaar of KVAL. Make plays, block, earn PT. Simple

Ken Goe has a feature on the linebackers. Ducks have talent here, but won't have depth unless a couple of youngsters develop quickly-Wallace, Dixon, Malone?

Sometimes People Make Football Too Complicated

Chris Brown runs Smart Football, one of the best written, most interesting football sites on the web.  Here's a story he told recently that gets to the heart of the overanalysis and preoccupation that occurs in the football world:

Overheard at a coaching clinic:


Coach 1: “We just couldn’t stop you guys from hitting the speed out. We used our Tango technique, then switched to the Dragon Claw alignment, and even whipped out the Lombardi Kung Fu grip and we still couldn’t handle it. What are you guys doing to make that that route so effective for you?”

Coach 2: “Our fast kid runs it.”

The next time you hear a color man or commentator go on and on about a scheme or a strategy, consider this story.  Football is played by athletes, and ultimately it isn't crafty formations and elaborate game plans that win games, it's bigger, stronger and faster athletes.  Chip Kelly would be the first to tell you that it isn't the spread; it's LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Carson York and Mark Asper that make the Oregon offense so formidable.

Could Colt Lyerla Become the Next Malachi Lewis?

Expectations can dog a player all through his football career.   Three celebrated examples in Oregon history:  Kevin Wilhite, Cameron Colvin, and Malachi Lewis.

Fans had huge expectations for each one of these players, and for a variety of reasons, injuries and bad timing among them, the accomplishments of each fell short of the hype.

The Good News is the bad news at the same time

Chris Courtney of educk reports the defense was dominating today, but of course that means the offense couldn't move the ball.  Not untypical for this time of the year; offense requires timing and finesse, and cohesiveness in the offensive line.  Every February and March the hitters feast until the pitchers are ready to throw breaking balls.  Here are a couple of Courtney's highlights from practice:

A Reform Plan that Makes Some Sense

Leather Helmet Blog has this proposal from college football commentator Tony Barnhart, "a five-part plan to cure what ails college football":

1. Find a way for the top 60 to 70 schools that play major college football to work independently from the NCAA. The sport has become too big to be managed within in the limitations of the NCAA framework. If a way cannot be found to accommodate these schools then they should leave the NCAA and form their own organization and make their own rules.

Chip Kelly Video Chalktalk with Urban Meyer: Spread Offense 101

From espn.com and ESPN's "College Football Live":

A Redshirt Freshman Impresses

Darron Thomas is the quarterback, will be and should be the quarterback, but when Bryan Bennett starts warming up this fall, a buzz will be heard in Autzen.

Consider this excerpt from Rob Moseley's practice story today:

In a three-play sequence, Bennett completed a touchdown pass to Daryle Hawkins despite blanket coverage from Brian Jackson, found a wide-open Nick Cole after checking through his progression and then threw a pass away out the back of the end zone after finding nobody open. Three plays, three great decisions. Later in the drill he found Kenny Bassett up the sideline and Eric Dungy over the middle for touchdowns; there's no quarterback controversy at Oregon, but the Ducks sure have a good one as the backup to Thomas.

Veteran observers marvel at his talent and athletic ability.  When he enters a game for the first time, probably in the fourth quarter against Nevada, and then again in the third against Southwest Missouri State, a lot of people will be watching attentively.

It will be the most closely-watched and evaluated debut since a skinny freshman entered a 2008 game versus Boise State, and threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in one quarter.

ASU hoped to contend in the PAC-12 South this year but the loss of Bolden is a serious blow. Who covers Woods, Criner or Huff?

Arizona State's all-league cornerback Omar Bolden tore his ACL. May be out for the season, Sbnation reports. Sun Devils also lost WR T.J. Simpson.

Oregonlive.com reports ESPN's Urban Meyer interviews Chip Kelly today on College Football Live, ESPN2 at 12:30 p.m. Coach-to-coach, Kelly should be pretty candid.

Great defensive tackles can plug two gaps and blow up plays. They disrupt what the offense wants to do. If Heimuli can become that guy, this defense is scary.

Iron Sharpens Iron

One huge benefit of Heimuli's emergence: if Grasu and Armstrong learn to block him, they can block anybody on the schedule.  No one on LSU's, USC's, Stanford's, or Arizona State's roster is a tougher assignment.

Issues are what you have when you don't know what you're doing

ESPN can't resist the hype and hysteria button where the Ducks are concerned.  Today's insider story is "Rumors:  Oregon having issues on defense."  The "issue" turns out to be Terrell Turner's injury, which isn't an issue for two reasons.  One, Terrell Turner is a veteran, a known quantity with plenty of time to rehab and recover, and two, his absence is giving Dion Jordan, Brandon Hanna and Tony Washington reps. 

The Ducks regularly played 26 people on defense last season.  The rotation wore down opponents, motivated the roster, developed depth, and helped keep the defense fresh and relatively free of injury.

Tuesday Two-Minute Drill

Who has a better chance, Tiger Woods winning this year's Masters, or the Ducks returning to the National Championship Game?

A crisper motion gets the ball out quicker and prevents telegraphing the target. Much more efficient. A must if Thomas has hopes of making the NFL in two years.

Experience teaches, but only if the student is listening. The Register-Guard's Rob Moseley reports Darron Thomas is working on shortening his throwing motion, a big plus in a crowded pocket.  Two or three times last year Thomas suffered a costly strip while winding up to throw.  Against Cal it gave the Bears an easy touchdown on a sack, strip, scoop and score; against USC, it killed a drive just before the half.

Duck fans have to hope York's timetable for Heimuli's development is way too conservative. Hunt's story suggests the big DT is likely 3-and-done: family needs.

The Best News to Come Out of the First Week of Spring Practice

Ricky Heimuli, dominant.

John Hunt has the story at oregonlive.com, including an interview with defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti:

"You hate to put too much pressure on him,'' Aliotti said Monday of sophomore defensive tackle Ricky Heimuli, after the Ducks completed their fourth spring practice. "But he could be the closest thing to Haloti we've had in a long time.''

The Stench of Innuendo Has the Hyenas in Full Howl

Envy is a ravenous hyena,  made frenzied and jowl-slobbering slavish at the  first sight of blood.  The Ducks have been scratched on the wing by the various reports of impropriety involving Will Lyles, and now the howling pack of scavengers are all over the blogosphere, waddling with bloated bellies to the latest scrap of three-day-old news.

Leather Helmet Blog caught a whiff of the carrion scent of the latest post by Sports by Brooks, and predictably he joins the chorus of  the weak-willed pack that follows this story with misplaced glee.  "Will Oregon Join USCw in NCAA Purgatory?" he asks.  (Note:  down South they refer to the Trojans as USCw, to distinguish them from USCe, the Gamecocks of South Carolina.  Only in the SEC will they name a team after a chicken, able to wield a spear only on a rotisserie, and think said school needs some lower case appendage to avoid confusion with one of the most storied programs in the country.  The real USC is 4-0 against the SEC since 2002, most recently outscoring Arkansas 120-31 in a home-and-home in 2005/6.)

Another One Bytes the Ducks

Ted Miller of ESPN does a really, really good job of covering the conference.  Last week he had an interview with Chip Kelly on spring practice and the state of the Ducks.  Miller had the facts on Terrell Turner's injury three practices ago, long before it came out locally.  Here are some highlights from Miller's article:

LSU is "not even on the radar." And potential distractions due to L'Affair de Willie Lyles?



"I've never brought it up once," Kelly said. "Our kids aren't distracted by anything you guys write."

And Kelly emphasized returning starters won't get a free pass -- even stars will be pushed to get better. With quarterback Darron Thomas, it will be working on fundamentals -- his footwork, throwing motion, getting set quicker, etc. And running back LaMichael James needs to become more of a weapon in the passing game.


Chip Kelly totally eschews phony motivational gimmicks.  The Ducks don't point to anyone.  They don't have revenge games or rivalry games or transparent "all positions are open" pep talks.  The goal is consistent and easy to understand, and they all get it.  That's probably why four practices into a new season, the energy, intensity and focus are rock solid.  This is not a team struggling for identity or groping for leadership.   They are winners and champions, and they practice like they've been here before.

Day 4 Practice Reports and Notes

Educk's Chris Courtney tabs Ricky Heimuli and Terrance Mitchell as the stars of the day on defense. Several players have singled Mitchell out as a star in the making, including LaMichael James and Spencer Paysinger.  Michael Clay is another player other players mention as an impact player in the coming season.

R-G's Moseley reports Terrell Turner is in lower leg cast and doubtful for the rest of spring. Tough, because Turner, a senior, vocal, charismatic and outgoing, is one of the likely leaders on this team.

It hasn't always been talent like Thomas, Bennett and Mariota. Check out benzduck.com for an entertaining, illuminating look at how it was two Harringtons ago.

Brooks practices his own brand of journalistic McCarthyism. He is bound neither by a standard of decency or a burden of proof.

Getting Too Far Ahead of the Story

Are you now, or have you ever been, a street agent?

The latest column by "Sports by Brooks" reaches new lows of scandal-mongering, rehash, sleaze, rumor and innuendo in the guise of truth.

Brooks may turn out to be completely right about Lyles.  The NCAA is investigating and may eventually penalize him and the schools involved.  But the tabloid sensationalism in his reporting methods, and his willingness to slur 18-to-22 year old kids to keep his face in the public eye, is every bit as exploitive as he claims Lyles to be.

I'm no longer interested in anything he has to say about anything in sports.

FishDuck Looks Into the Future

Make a close read of the most recent Fish Report, and you come away with the realization that as special as 2009 and 2010 were, the Ducks continue to be a forward-thinking operation.

You can see and feel the progress of the team; Darron Thomas had the body language of someone who was very confident and in control compared to last year at this time.

The Fish Report: Saturday Practice

Special Guest Column by Charles "FishDuck" Fischer

We have the sun out, the ground wet, and blossoms emerging in Eugene Oregon, as I walk into the Mo Center for this first contact practice with pads. The Sideline today was packed with High School coaches, fans, and some impressive HS players that were here for Junior Day. I also noted outside that the mother Osprey was back with her nest on top of a tall set of lights on the Practice field, and I smiled to myself. Yes, the usual events that come with the rotation of seasons continue as always—and that brings SPRING FOOTBALL BABY!

Courtney, Dargan and Heimuli Throw Down

Chris Courtney of Educk is becoming a great information source for news-hungry Duck fans. His practice updates are fast and detailed, often a couple hours ahead of the print media guys. Here's an excerpt from his Day 3 Update:

Day three of spring drills for the Oregon football team on Saturday was the first full "competition day" for Duck head coach Chip Kelly's bunch, as the offense controlled many of its battles with the defense this afternoon, prevailing 102-92.

For Those Who Are About to Block, We Salute You

Encouraging reports from the third day of practice:  Oregon ran a crisp, spirited, high-intensity Competition Day before a good crowd of visiting coaches, Junior Day recruits, and eager fans.  Rob Moseley's twitter was humming with snippets and details, among them that the offense pulled ahead 94-81, fittingly, on a late touchdown by LaMichael James.

Both quarterbacks look sharp and in synch. Very spirited Competition Day.

FishDuck: impressed with Erick Dargan, who is flying around at safety, two picks today. One of several players who are visibly stronger since the Natty.

FishDuck's full practice report to follow this afternoon. Check Rob Moseley's blog for some very informative tweets, direct from the sideline.

That's great news on the quarterbacks. It will not only make them more durable; a stronger core and legs significantly enhance arm strength and delivery.  A good foundation promotes proper throwing fundamentals.  It allows the passer to reach both sidelines, the deep out, and the home run ball, with authority and consistency.

FishDuck from practice: up close and in person, Lyerla is really something to see. And the Qbs have gained weight this winter, looking very solid and sturdy.

Also brings to mind Eric Dungy. Never underestimate the smart, tough football player with a great work ethic and instincts. Like Jeff Maehl, maybe?

Tony Dungy is the featured speaker at today's clinic, FishDuck notes. Another great stroke of synergy. Want success? Surround yourself with quality people.

Should be an amped-up practice today: first day in pads, coaching clinic, junior day, quite a few fans. FishDuck will have a sideline report.

Tales from the Stat Sheet: How Good Can a Freshman Be?

The safe answer is, wait until the season is over and find out.

But whenever the team gets an exciting freshmen prospect, it's only natural that speculation arises about his role and impact in the coming season.  Conventional wisdom says not to expect much from freshmen and newcomers, but no one ever rises to low expectations.

Vontaze Burfict had 69 tackles as a freshman.  In 2009, redshirt freshman LaMichael James had 1546 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Dr. Saturday Pleads for Reason

Matt Hinton, Dr. Saturday of Yahoo Sports, writes today that the NCAA may have to explore paying college football players.  "It may also have no other choice," he says.

With HBO and ESPN aggressively reporting multiple  possible violations at a host of top schools, the push for widespread reform and a new deal is growing.  Currently there are inquiries underway at Auburn (allegations of a pay-for-play scandal and booster handouts to players), Ohio State (free tattoos, and Jim Tressel's coverup), Mississippi State (where the trail of odiferousness began in the Cam Newton recruitment), Oklahoma State (Dez Bryant reportedly "borrowed" $600,000 in jewelry, sports tickets and cash), and North Carolina (agent payouts).  A former Texas A&M coach says Will Lyles shopped Jim Thorpe Award winner Patrick Peterson for $80,000 four years ago (wow, the price of top college football players is going up faster than gas). 

Lyles, of course, is the name that got Oregon mixed up in this mess.