EX . . . HAUSTING

ASU and Oregon were pushing and staggering back and forth like a couple of sweat soaked fighters in the 10th round. The faces of players on both teams showed weariness from the heat and exhaustion from the fast tempo attempted by both sides. How many sets of drives between the two teams resulted in Oregon punts, ASU turns over, punt, turnover, punt . . . ?
Meanwhile I'm at home yawning, holding my head. I want to go to bed, but it's only the end of the third quarter!  Thank goodness there was no lightning storm delay.

We learned some things Saturday night. . . .
1) ASU is a good football team. They will win some games. Perhaps they'll upset USC or Stanford. Their rivalry game against Arizona will be a doozy. 

Your worst nightmare, 6'7", 270 pound Brandon Bair
is a mighty big duck swooping down on Threet.

Oregon's (37) Talmadge Jackson III celebrates after intercepting
 an Arizona State pass in the end zone in the 4th quarter.

2) Oregon's overall speed is incredible. Although the Sun Devils shut down much of the run, LaMichael James got the yards he needed to. The Ducks defense forced Devil QB Threet into enough mistakes to seal the win. Thanks to the speed of the front line to get to him, as well as that of the defensive secondary to cover his receivers, they just weathered his talent and waited until the young QB threw an errant pass -- four of them to be exact.
3) There is just no quit in these Ducks thanks to their stamina. They could've fallen apart when they were 10 points down. They could've blown the lead had they allowed Threet's passing to get away from them.
4) QB Darron Thomas is young. He's talented and smart; but he hasn't yet learned to control the touch on his passes. Every throw looks like he's harpooning a whale.

Darron Thomas stars in Moby Dick

5) This season will not get any easier.

This story from the R-G looks gives the final word on ASU and looks ahead to Stanford:

Oregon football: ESPN College GameDay, ABC and No. 9 Stanford are coming to Autzen Stadium

Kickoff has been moved to 5 p.m. for ABC’s telecast of Pac-10’s marquee matchup at Autzen on Saturday

By Rob Moseley
The Register-Guard
Appeared in print: Monday, Sep 27, 2010

Their win over Arizona State on Saturday was less than an hour old, and already key members of Oregon’s defense were being asked to look ahead a week, to Stanford’s visit to Eugene.

That would be the same Stanford that handed the Ducks their only Pac-10 loss of 2009, and did so in brutal fashion, behind a dominant offensive line, a record-setting day from running back Toby Gerhart, and a star-making performance by quarterback Andrew Luck. The same Stanford that is up to No. 9 in the country this season, with Gerhart now in the NFL but that studly offensive line still around to protect the projected No. 1 NFL draft pick Luck.

Both middle linebacker Casey Matthews and free safety John Boyett allowed for a slight smile when looking ahead Saturday night to a chance to avenge last season’s loss to the Cardinal. But if the Oregon defense spent all offseason champing at the bit for another shot at Stanford, the Ducks provided no hint of that following their 42-31 win over the Sun Devils.

“Of course we want to get back and get a little rematch,” Boyett said. “But that’s the way it is every game. Every game’s important to us.”

There will be nothing “little” about Stanford’s visit to Autzen Stadium on Saturday night, as the Pac-10 moved the start time up from 8:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. so that a national audience might enjoy what sets up as the conference’s marquee game of the year. And the national taste-maker for determining big games, the production of ESPN’s “College GameDay” pregame show, will be on hand for the matchup, the fifth time the show has originated from Eugene. [That's a relief. With all the clock-stopping passes anticipated, the Stanford game will likely last as long as the game in Tempe. And it was set to start 45 minutes later.  A 5 pm start should hopefully put us to bed by 9:30 (Listen to me. Am I getting old or what?) 
  As for Gameday, they were already on the left side having been in Boise. After spending the night at a Motel 6 in Pendleton, they can just take a nice tour up the Columbia River Scenic Highway in their giant bus, stop at Multnomah Falls. Then spend a couple of days in Portland. Ask Greg Oden if his knee is healed (It's not.). Give Rudy Fernandez a box of tissues because he so misses the left sided driving and tiny refrigerators of Europe (Send the millionaire baby home already). Then they can mosey into Eugene and prepare for the game. ]

They’ll see if the Oregon offense can be more consistent than it was against Arizona State this past week, and if the UO defense can improve against Stanford after allowing the Cardinal to rack up 505 yards of offense in a 51-42 victory last fall.

“After last year, you definitely want to play them,” Matthews said. “Obviously it’s going to be a big game. School’s starting this Monday, so the students will be here. It will be a big game. It’s going to be a huge game.”

It will in fact be a matchup of top-10 teams, as Stanford was ranked No. 9 in the AP poll of media that was released Sunday. The Cardinal improved to 4-0 with a win at Notre Dame on Saturday, and also boast a victory over UCLA that looks mighty impressive in the wake of the Bruins’ win at Texas.

The Longhorns’ loss knocked them down in the polls, allowing the Ducks to pass them in the USA Today coaches’ top 25. Oregon (4-0) was sixth in that poll last week, and ahead of Texas in fifth according to the AP, but is now No. 4 in both polls after jumping ahead of TCU on Sunday.

Oregon remained first in the nation in scoring offense after beating Arizona State, with 57.75 points per game. Stanford is fourth, scoring 48 points per game. The Ducks fell out of the top spot in scoring defense to third at 11 points per game, while the Cardinal are 12th in that category, allowing 13.75 points per game.

“Obviously they’re one of the top teams in the country,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “It’s going to be a dog-fight. But this league’s going to be a dog-fight. We didn’t expect that we were going to be playing, you know, like, New Mexico and Portland State again. We knew we had to battle.”

The Ducks got a battle Saturday night from Arizona State, needing a 28-point outburst to overcome a 10-point deficit and hold on for the win.

The Sun Devils disrupted Oregon’s rushing offense, leaving holes down the field that Darron Thomas and his receivers exploited only inconsistently. Defensively, the Ducks shut ASU down in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of some halftime adjustments but also their impressive conditioning to outlast yet another opponent down the stretch.

The strong finish allowed the UO defense to survive some shaky moments in the early going.

“We’ve just got to bounce back this week, make a few adjustments — which I know the coaches will do, because we’ve got great coaches on our staff — and be ready,” Boyett said. “Because Stanford will be ready for us.”

Thomas didn’t face the Cardinal last year while redshirting, but is as eager as anybody to avenge the loss. He also has a chance to take the rubber game in a personal rivalry with Luck, the two having split two meetings when they were both Texas high school stars, Thomas said.

“We’ve got a real good relationship,” Thomas said, “so it’s going to be a good competition. ... We owe one to the Stanford Cardinal, and I know our team’s going to come out this week, prepare hard and be ready to go.”

Kelly has hammered home that message to his players, of not looking past one day of practice, let alone a game, and the Ducks to a man have embraced it.

“We’ll take this game in for a little bit, and then we’ll get to work on Monday,” said cornerback Talmadge Jackson III, whose late interception Saturday made up for three earlier pass interference calls, and who fell victim last season to a number of pin-point Luck passes despite seeming to have good coverage on his man.

If the Oregon defenders were shaken Saturday by their performance at Arizona State, or intimidated by the upcoming rematch with Stanford, it sure didn’t show.

“Arizona State, they don’t get enough credit — they’re a good team, and they’ll win a decent amount of games this year,” Matthews said. “But now this game’s over with, and we’ve got to focus on Stanford. We’ve got a great team coming into our house. It’s nice — we get to prove ourselves again.”

So long ASU and thanks for the gifts. Lokombo picks up a fumbled
 lateral pass and returns it for a touchdown against Arizona State.

Later: How did ASU and Notre Dame respectively prepare (or not prepare) Oregon and Stanford for their upcoming game? --kb

Let that be a lesson to you, Portland State.

"If we didn't punch you in the gut now, how would you learn to take a punch in the gut by someone else? You should be thanking us."

--My older brothers when I was young.

  You're quite welcome, Portland State. And by the way, Oregon owes the Vikes a debt of gratitude by showing their young version of the new "pistol" offense. It's the latest greatest offensive design, making the "spread option" so yesterday -- unless you listen to Notre Dame.  Their coach Brian Kelly talks like they had just invented the spread. It's so tricky, it's even fooling the Fainting Irish (1-2).

   Anyway, the Ducks will supposedly see the pistol again when UCLA comes to town. So even PSU's failed attempted at it in this 69-0 drubbing gave the Ducks a real time peek at how it might work.

  Although Portland State just didn't have the horses to make anything happen, they still showed the strengths and weaknesses of this system:

Strength of the pistol: By design, the set up makes it very difficult to predict the direction of the play. With a loan running back lining up directly behing the QB, it's hard to predict whether the play might run left or right, if at all. Defenses cannot cheat to one side or another for fear of getting burned.

Weakness: The QB lines up in a shotgun, but a short one -- a good two full steps closer to the center (hence, the pistol).  If an opposing defense has superior talent up front (and Oregon does), and they can work to get even just one player into that backfield from any direction on enough plays, he becomes instantly close to the ball action. There is less space for the QB and RB to work than in the spread option. One or two opponents in the backfield can blow the play up. And that's what happened to PSU all day long.

Messin' with the backfield.

  The other factor was that Oregon was able to plug up holes along the line, forcing the ball carrier to run east/west until pursuit from behind caught up.

   Nevada, where the "pistol" was invented, is the team to watch to see how it's supposed to work correctly. But my theory on defending it for now is to work to get one person from any direction into the backfield as quickly and often as possible, and that messes up the rhythm.



The real winner: Those new Carbonite helmets. Awesome!

Moving right along, Dennis Erickson views football options like health plan options. Don't bring that Pinko Socialist BS into his office. His QB's stand in the pocket already planning to do just one thing. They handoff. They pass. They run. They get sacked.

  That's football. That's America.

   This year's ASU offense is no different, although the direction of the passes will apparently be different from previous years. Rob Moseley of the Register Guard has the story:

Oregon football: In turning back the clock,

Erickson revamps ASU attack

By Rob Moseley
The Register-Guard
Appeared in print: Thursday, Sep 23, 2010

Some elements will be familiar — four or even five wide receivers, and running backs able to pound away between the tackles.

But, as Chip Kelly put it when discussing Arizona State recently, “comparing last year’s offense to this year’s offense, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.”

ASU coach Dennis Erickson hired his old assistant from Oregon State, Noel Mazzone, as offensive coordinator for the Sun Devils this season. Though ASU still employs trademarks of Erickson’s offense, differences are apparent as well.

Mazzone has quarterback Steven Threet operating out of the shotgun in a spread offense.

Erickson has long endorsed spreading the field with multiple receivers, but Mazzone’s unit favors quick strikes from the quarterback on shorter routes, including an element Erickson felt was lacking last season, screen passes.

The Sun Devils finished eighth in the Pac-10 in scoring offense in 2009, and ninth in total yardage. Whether they can improve in 2010 will be significantly tested Saturday when ASU hosts Oregon at 7:30 p.m., but if nothing else it won’t be business as usual for Arizona State.

“They’re definitely different than Dennis’ operation has been in the past,” Kelly said.

In his film review of ASU’s first three games this season, Kelly saw an offense that operates primarily with one running back, eschewing a tight end in favor of a fourth receiver in some cases.

The quarterback is Threet, a big — 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds — pocket passer who transferred from Michigan when the Wolverines switched to a spread-option offense.

So while ASU’s offense might resemble Oregon’s prior to the snap, the Sun Devils are much more inclined to throw the ball, while Oregon is a run-based spread team.

[This brings me to an important point. ASU is running the spread. Michigan is running the spread. Notre Dame is running the spread. Appalachian State is running the spread. And yet it is possible for each and any of these teams to look different from the other. Oregon runs more. ASU passes more. Notre Dame loses more.
  It's time that we got more specific with the types and names of every team's spread. If you run between the tackles all the time, you run the "Sandwich Spread". If you pass left or right to your RB's in the back field, you "Spread your wings".  Passing down field a lot permits you to call your style "Spread Eagle".  Smiling and pointing at the camera after every play is the "Cheese spread".  Poor execution so your ball carriers are constantly flat on their backs is the "Bed Spread". 
   Help me out. What am I missing?]

In other words, Threet appears to be no Darron Thomas in the running game.

“He hasn’t had to — but I don’t know if that’s by design,” Kelly said of Threet, who has 10 carries for 17 yards.

“He’s made some plays with his feet in their first three games. He doesn’t have a ton of carries, but it doesn’t look like he’s been forced to carry the ball, either.”

Threet’s preferred target so far has been UO transfer Aaron Pflugrad, who has 15 receptions in victories over Portland State and Northern Arizona, and a loss last week at Wisconsin. [There's a sad story. Aaron left Oregon when Kelly fired his father, receivers coach Ryan Pflugrad. Definitely some hard feelings. Aaron would love nothing more than to get back at the Ducks who gunned down his pa.]

But fellow wideouts Kerry Taylor and Mike Willie each have 13 receptions, as well.

Erickson has never shied away from running the ball out of multiple-receiver sets, and this season has been no different. Cameron Marshall leads the running backs with 167 yards on 26 carries, with five touchdowns.

Freshman Deantre Lewis is averaging 8.4 yards per carry and had 122 yards at Wisconsin, and Kelly has also been impressed with Jamal Miles, a sophomore running back who is ASU’s primary return man.

Arizona State’s offensive line has been much-maligned in recent years, but the Sun Devils expect more stability this fall. And with a new quick-strike offense, the line won’t feel as much pressure to sustain its protection.
[Even if ASU's offense is improved (Third in the league at 461 yards per game), their defense appears to be not much better than last year's. In three games, they've given up an average of 313 yards per game, and that includes 440 in their loss to Wisconsin last week. The other two teams were Portland State and Northern Arizona. Oregon leads the league in both scoring offense (189), scoring defense (13), total offensive (611 yards), and total defense (193).  Add to that this team's (like all Erickson teams) penchant for penalties. ASU outpaces the Ducks almost 2 to 1 for number of penalties and yards. It'll all be too much for the Sun Devils to overcome. ]
Injury update

Linebackers Bryson Littlejohn and Spencer Paysinger and tight end David Paulson look ready to contribute for the Ducks on Saturday after nursing injuries in practice early this week, but others remain questionable.

Notably, Kenjon Barner remains limited by a groin injury suffered against Portland State. Kelly said Wednesday that Cliff Harris will return punts Saturday if Barner is unable to fill that role.

Quarterback/running back Daryle Hawkins (knee), guard Nick Cody (back) and tackle Darrion Weems (back) were also limited Wednesday.

Reserve tight end Brandon Williams remains sidelined with a cast protecting his injured hand, but has done exercises to maintain his fitness, and has caught passes with his good hand.

Cooling down

After two days practicing with elevated heat levels in the Moshofsky Center, the Ducks opened the doors to the indoor facility Wednesday to cool it down.

The Ducks also spent two days practicing in a stuffy Mo Center prior to beating Tennessee. In both cases, players were weighed before and after practice to monitor their hydration levels.

“We lost a lot of weight yesterday,” Kelly said Wednesday. “So we got a chance to recover Wednesday, Thursday (and) Friday from that and make sure everyone’s hydrated.”
Game time Saturday 7:30 pm Pacific. Televised on Fox Sports.

If you are one of those college football fans who is discouraged by all the bad/sad stories of stupid college players -- the computer thieves, girlfriend beaters, drunken brawlers, pot smokers, face punchers, golf cart stealers, naked three point-stance police tacklers . . . then the link to the following story is for you.
   Brandon Bair is Oregon's fearfully huge defensive lineman. Married with one child, owns a business. And the day after he frightens the bejesus out of ball carriers, he teaches Sunday School at church.
   In case you missed it, Ken Goe had his story in Thursday's Oregonian:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/09/oregon_football_husband_father.html

Finally, several Pac -10 teams will be involved in some really exciting games this Saturday. Starting at 12:30 Pacific, Stanford is at Notre Dame and UCLA is at Texas. Then at 5 pm on ABC, Oregon State is at Boise State. 
  You may have heard that this week OSU painted their practice field blue to prepare for BS (No joke).  Great move Beavs. Is that so you won't forget who is kicking your butts?
  Really though, I want Oregon State to win. It would do the whole nation a favor to knock BS out of the top 10. But as a proud Duck fan, this is as close as you will get to hearing me cheer for OSU.

"Hey Beavs, try not to screw this one up. OK?"

--kb

And then, lightning struck!

Not so good ol' Rocky Top after all.

Bummed Vol

When Tennesseeans crawled out and looked around after all the thunder, lightning, and pounding rain (Oh by the way, the weather was bad too.), they realized what they had just experienced.

   Oregon's lightning pace -- which comes from all the conditioning and preparation to maintain that pace -- was just too much for the Volunteers as the day wore on. If only that 70 minute storm delay had come later in the second half to give them time to catch their breaths, then they might've had a chance.

   Counting between snaps, sometimes Darron Thomas was able to get the next play off in as little as 10 or 11 seconds. Successful or not, the Ducks jumped up from the last play, ran back into formation and were ready for the next. That hustle is Oregon's routine in practice.

   For conventional old school teams like Tennessee, they only move that fast as punishment when they've made the coach mad. How is any team not used to that frenzy supposed to mimic it just the week before?

The Tennessean newspaper's caption for this photo actually said: "Tennessee's Justin Hunter (11) breaks up a pass intended for Oregon's Cliff Harris (13) during second half action Saturday." In all fairness, Vol QB Matt Simms at times looked like his intended targets were Oregon's defensive backs, especially Harris, who returned one for a score.

 Along with Oregon's, Tennessee's media got the story right. Here is an excerpt below from govolsxtra:

Ducks felt Vols getting tired

By Mike Griffith
http://www.govolsxtra.com/
Posted September 12, 2010 at 1:08 a.m.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he felt it would only be a matter of time before the Ducks' superior conditioning kicked in.

"We pride ourselves on our conditioning, and that's something we felt we could take advantage of,'' Kelly said. "Our guys at halftime said, 'Coach, I think they're dying, we need to really pick up the tempo and go.' "

Oregon (2-0) did just that, breaking open a 13-13 tie by outscoring Tennessee (1-1) by a 35-0 margin in the second half of the 48-13 win before the crowd of 102,035 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.

The Vols had jumped out to a 6-0 lead when the game was delayed 70 minutes on account of lightning.

"I actually asked the officials if we could start the game over,'' Kelly said. "They had taken advantage of some things with the unbalanced (line).''

UT tailback Tauren Poole rushed for 140 of his 162 yards in the first half before the Ducks' defense was able to adjust to the Vols' run game.

"They had a great plan and a great running back, and they got us with a couple quick counts,'' Oregon safety Eddie Pleasant said. "They ran a lot of flop (unbalanced) and we had to settle down and adjust to it.''

The Ducks' offense, meanwhile, felt itself hitting stride in the second quarter.

"On one of our scoring drives in the second quarter you could tell they were getting tired,'' Oregon tight end David Paulson said.

Running back LaMichael James said even through the game was tied 13-13 at the half, the Oregon players knew they had hit a rhythm.

``We didn't make any adjustments in the second half,'' James said. ``It comes down to tempo. Once the tempo gets going, it's hard to stop. Once those guys got tired we kept rolling.''
"In the second quarter we knew we were in the flow and sensing we were getting ready to break,'' James said. "They were doing a lot of talking and rah-rah before the game. . . I heard them in the pre-game saying 'you aren't that fast.' " [Oh ya? Well Elvis wasn't that great!]

Kenjon Barner returns punt for TD

  Forty two unanswered points and 447 total yards, Oregon scored like they were running downhill. They put up three points in the first quarter, ten in the second, 14 in the third, then 21 in the fourth.
   This was a convincing win for the Ducks. They convinced the AP to rank them 5th in the nation. But they had better forget about this one and move on.

   Next up for Oregon: PSU.

OK, maybe it's Portland State, not Penn State. But this is no time to get cocky!

Five minute hilite reel of game from goducks.com.

--kb

One of THOSE teams?

Defense recovers fumble- Oregonian

Miami. Nebraska. Oklahoma. Texas. Florida State. Ohio State. Michigan. Penn State.
   These have historically been the football teams to put up early season brutal scores like 72-0. They are the ones we would scoff at for their obscene beatings of lowly "St. Mary's for the Blind" patsies.
   But was that Oregon? Our Oregon? We can't and shouldn't read too much into their romp over New Mexico, except to say I think this team is much more prepared for the season's start than last year's team that walked into Boise State with vengeance on their minds but nothing to back it up.

  A good thing too, because ironically, a part of BS awaits them at Tennessee. A favorite Oregon son (and cousin), Justin Wilcox, is the new defensive coordinator for the Vols after his stint of the same position in Boise. It was his defense that made Oregon look tired and silly for two games in a row. Now he's looking to go 3 and 0 over his alma mater this Saturday.
  In the Oregonian today is a great article by John Hunt about Wilcox and the defense he'll have waiting for the Ducks. Below are a few excerpts. Read the entire article here.
While reading through this, I want you to think about the toughest test for the Ducks this Saturday. Will it be Wilcox's defense? Tennessee's fairly new offense? The more than 100,000 crazy orange rednecks in the stands? Or something much worse? Read on . . .

But first, click on the video below, then continue reading while it's playing.




Oregon football: Justin Wilcox tries to stop Ducks againEUGENE -


Published: Wednesday, September 08, 2010, 7:02 PM
In defending the Oregon Ducks, it seems, Justin Wilcox has all the answers. Dave Wilcox, Justin's father, former Ducks star and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, agreed.

In the 2010 season opener with his new team, Wilcox and the Vols shut out Tennessee-Martin 50-0. Like Oregon's 72-0 win over New Mexico, it was the school's first shutout since 2003. Granted, UT-Martin and the lowly Lobos aren't exactly challenging, but Wilcox already has proved himself many times over.

"If you think you know everything,'' Wilcox said, "you might as well change jobs.''

He did, and that's the problem for Oregon. Wilcox, who shut down the Ducks as Boise State defensive coordinator a year ago, is now coaching Tennessee's defense.

If Wilcox can do it again, he will have proved himself to be the biggest thorn in Oregon's recent rosy run of success. If Tennessee, a 13½-point underdog, can somehow - with the help of Wilcox - have Oregon's number, then he will have accounted for half of the Ducks' losses dating to the 2007 Sun Bowl:

Without Wilcox in the stadium, the Ducks would be 22-3. Against Wilcox, they would be 0-3.

Now play this video, even if the other one is still running. Keep reading . . .


"We're not playing against Justin Wilcox - we're playing against Tennessee,''

"Thank God - Justin's too old,'' he said. "And he's a little skinny guy now.''
Justin Wilcox is all of 33 years old. With Wilcox as defensive coordinator, Boise State was 49-4. Not only did he help shut down Oregon to open last season, but he and the Broncos capped a 14-0 season with a 17-10 win over TCU - that's a total of 18 points to Oregon and TCU teams averaging a combined 75.

"I think he's excellent,'' said Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who coached Wilcox for one season, in 1999, when he returned to the Ducks from the NFL. "I think he's a bright star, shining star, the sky's the limit for him.'' [He could be the Ducks D. Coach should Alliotti ever move on.]

But like many in the Ducks' program, Aliotti stopped short of crediting Wilcox with the win at Boise last year.

"All I can say, I would never have expected our offense to look like it did on that particular day,'' Aliotti said. "But he's good, he's a rock star.''

Mark Helfrich, who had a trying debut as Oregon's offensive coordinator in Boise, said it was a combination of the Broncos' preparedness and the Ducks' lack of any kind of cohesion.

"It wasn't an 'Oh my gosh, we didn't prepare for this' kind of thing,'' Helfrich said. "We played really poorly and they played great.''

OK. Now play this one. Ya, you see what I'm doing. JUST DO IT NOW!


If the 72-0 win had the Ducks feeling pretty good about themselves, this week has grounded them a bit. To prepare for Tennessee, the Oregon coaches had to pop in the Boise State tape one more time - in addition to Louisiana Tech tape, the most recent stop of first-year head coach Derek Dooley, and Texas Tech tape (special teams coach Eric Russell) and others.

"When we turned that film on, that was a great dose of humility,'' Helfrich said. "There are some things from that game that we can execute, and there are some things from that game that we can throw out.''

The problem, the biggest problem, was that there just weren't that many plays to look at. Oregon's first seven possessions, stretching well into the third quarter, consisted of six three-and-outs and one safety. Before the Ducks' lone scoring drive, Boise State had 19 points and Oregon had run 19 plays. . . . . .
In their third crack at Wilcox, the Ducks already have made some adjustments. Their system for sending in plays from the sideline has changed this season. Instituted in the spring, a series of poster-sized boards, each with four distinct images, is flashed from the sideline.

Kelly said the new signage system enables an even faster tempo. It also keeps Tennessee graduate assistant Peter Sirmon from cracking the code. [Oh no. Sirmon too?!?!?]

Sirmon, a seven-year NFL veteran, was a grad assistant at Oregon last season before joining his good friend Wilcox in Knoxville. The two were roommates and teammates at Oregon from 1996-99.

And finally from some drunk Vols . . .. Turn your volume WAYYYYYY UP!!!


There is no bad blood between Oregon and Tennessee, who have never met. Among the Ducks players, there is a healthy respect and maybe, just maybe, the desire to get back at Wilcox a little bit.

"Yes and no,'' center Jordan Holmes said. "He schemed us up pretty well last year, but when it comes down to it, it's just football. He's a really good defensive coordinator. If you can beat his scheme, you can beat a lot of schemes out there in the country. It would definitely be something that we would take pride in.''

By now you know the single scariest thing facing the Ducks this Saturday:
The dreaded heinous ROCKY TOP!  Coach Kelly knows it too . . . .


The following is from R-G writer Rob Moseley's blog:

“Once two strangers climbed ol’ Rocky Top looking for a moonshine still. Those two strangers ain’t come down off Rocky Top, reckon they never will.”


Yes, that was, of all people, Chip Kelly after practice today, singing the words to the unofficial Tennessee fight song, “Rocky Top,” which played on a loop for about the last three-quarters of practice today. Reckon we heard it 25 or 30 times.

“I love the song,” Kelly said, noting he’s done the same when USC is on the schedule. “... It’s a prominent factor for us, so just, get the guys used to it.”

It was also hot and humid in the Mo Center again today. Mike Bellotti was on hand watching and said the last time he created such conditions in the Mo were in 2003 prior to the opener at Mississippi State. But he just spent one day practicing in such conditions.

Kelly doesn’t want weather to be an excuse, he said, and so had his team practice in those conditions Tuesday and Wednesday. He said players are being weighed before and after each practice, as usual, to check that they’re staying hydrated.

“Getting in this type of environment has been really, really helpful for us,” Kelly said. “... We’ll be prepared from that standpoint.”

If the Ducks can beat Rocky Top, they can beat anybody. I'm not talking about the Vol's football team. I'm talking about a method of torture used at Guantanamo Bay.

Where is Osama Bin Laden?


I do not know.


"Oh Rocky Top, you'll always be, HOME SWEET HOME TO MEEEEEE
Goooooood Olllll' Rocky Top -- Wooooa. . . . . "

Please I beg of you, STOP.

Can't you just waterboard me?

Oregon at Tennessee Game time 4:00 PM Pacific. ESPN2
--KB

Are you ready for some FOOOTBAAAAALLLLL?!?!?!?!?

I have to tell you, I have been very busy this summer. More than that, I have been focusing on things that have NOTHING to do with the Ducks. Take my family for example -- my grandsons in particular. We've had a blast together. They've spent most of the summer at my house doing what we call "Papa Camp". Working, playing, running thru sprinklers when we're not watering the garden.

Also, I've started jogging regularly again for the first time since college. I'm eating more yogurt now. I'm involved in a regional progam to help the homeless. We're talking real mature grown-up stuff here.
   I've had very little spare time or interest to spend on Masoli, LaMJ, Bellotti, new Bball coach, new A.D., spring scrimmage, quarterback dual, and everything else that's come and gone these past six months.
   I knew football season was coming, but I was too busy jogging with my grandkids while eating a yogurt  and thinking about ways to help the homeless. I was happy in my new life, putting off the childish things of football and Ducks.  And honestly, I did not feel like going back. Being a better person felt good. Rising to higher priorities, contributing to a happier self and better world -- These are the things we should be focusing on.

Poor Tyler Thomas

   And that is where I would be right now if it wasn't for one person. One man by the name of Tyler Thomas: The freshman offensive linemen for the Oregon State Beavers who, two weeks ago, while drunk and naked, entered a strangers home; and when police told him to lie on the floor, he set himself into a three-point stance and charged at them. Poor dude got oh, so tazed.
   "Wonderful," I thought. Another bonehead college football player to mess with my feng shui and harmony with all that is good in life. I must block him out and focus to remain on this higher existential plane. And I've done just that . . . . .until now.
   Today, I saw a single gold leaf on an otherwise summery tree. The air touched me with that familiar brisk chill. I heard Dan Patrick in my head. I started seeing the colors green and yellow everywhere, though having nothing to do with the trees and flowers.
My mind turned back to that poor Beaver. And in an instant, all of that higher plane crap left me. I dropped my yogurt and ran straight home, leaving the grandboys in the street. I couldn't stop myself. The itch was back.


I had to come to this computer and tell all of you right here and right now . . . .
Did you hear about the drunk and naked OSU Beaver who crouched in a three-point stance and attacked the police?
They say he was holding a beer in each hand!!!
Get it? Naked . . . three-point stance . . . beer in each hand . . . . .?


OH. IT FEELS GREAT TO BE BACK.
I'm sorry about all that "mature, grown up" stuff. This is FOOTBALL SEASON. And it's time to welcome it back -- to celebrate the great and laugh at the stupid (Guess which one you are, Trojans?!?!?!)
   This season especially, we're excited to have a Duck team eager to get back to the Rose Bowl to settle some unfinished business. And I'll tell you right now. I think they got a better than 50/50 shot at doing it.
The schedule is tougher with games at USC and Oregon State. But this team is better (Masoli who?).
   A veteran solid offensive line is back. That right there is a huge factor. LaMichael (Which, as you recall, is Spanish for "The Michael".) James is back; or at least he will be after his one game 'girlfriend fight' suspension this Saturday. Senior Remene Alston is back and healthy. And so is Kenjon (Afterburner) Barner. That would be enough running backs. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
   Two freshmen are raising eyebrows and dropping jaws. Dontae Williams out of Houston, TX -- Kelly may redshirt him -- and the one who joins the Pac-10 Hall of Fame for Coolest Names along with Sonny Sixkiller, Igor Olshansky, and Sabby Piscatelli:  Welcome to Oregon, Lache Seastrunk!  Seastrunk is another punishing runner who reminds everyone of LaGarrette Blount minus the face punching.
   And if all of them should fail, Coach Kelly has discovered that 6'4", 192 pound redshirt freshman Daryl Hawkins, recruited as a quarterback, makes a fine running back or receiver. Kelly wants to just put him on the field and get him the ball any way he can.
   Our quarterback is Darron Thomas. He's the one whose fourth quarter heroics almost pulled Oregon out of the Boise State disaster last year. It was a choice between him and the very senior Nathan Costa. Costa is the mature, stable QB who will do no harm, make positive plays, and won't hurt the team.
   Thomas is younger, a little more risky, and definitely more explosive. His reaction to run out of the backfield is quicker. And his arm . . . oh, his arm. Look for 50 yard bombs ACROSS the field. Like I said, a little more dangerous. And we are learning that that is the way Kelly likes it.
   Seniors Drew Davis and Jeff Maehl will be Darron's favorite targets this fall, along with tightends David Paulson and JC transfer Brandon Williams.
   That's the offense. Naturally, with a new QB, it may go through some fits and starts. But here comes the great news. This year's defense will be BETTER than last year's.
6'7", 272 pound Brandon Bair may be one of the best defensive tackles in the league this year. Having hit the weight room and put on some pounds this summer, "The man's too big. The man's too strong." He, along with lightning quick DE Kenny Rowe, leads a sizable but young defensive line.
   But any inexperience stops there. Oregon is neck deep in experience and talent at the linebackers and secondary.

Here is Oregonian writer John Hunt's summary of the defense:

But the big excitement surrounds the defense. Under the direction of coordinator Nick Aliotti and with the infusion of ideas and energy from second-year defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, the Ducks should be improved from the unit that ranked fourth in total defense in the Pac-10 (336 yards) but first in yards allowed per play (4.6).


One key move appears to have paid off threefold.

The Ducks moved Eddie Pleasant from linebacker to rover, which put more speed in the secondary (Pleasant is the fastest defensive player), more speed overall (replacements Josh Kaddu and Bo Lokombo can move, too) and an enforcer in the defensive backfield to replace the departed T.J. Ward.

More position switches could pay off, too. Dion Jordan and Brandon Hanna have moved from receiver and linebacker, respectively, and now form fleet bookends on the second-team defensive line -- a unit that appears more than solid with Brandon Bair and Zac Clark inside, between Terrell Turner and preseason award watch list fixture Kenny Rowe at the ends.

Seniors Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews, the kind of players opposing coaches swear have been in Eugene for 10 years, lead the linebacking, along with Kaddu and Lokombo. The latter spent fall camp wreaking havoc on the Ducks' offense. Deep depth here includes hard-hitting Bryson Littlejohn, Dewitt Stuckey (another impressive fall camp) and coaches' favorite Michael Clay.

All that talent and versatility will have the Ducks often setting up in a 3-4 alignment.

The back four will include a bulked-up John Boyett (a team-best 90 tackles last season) and Pleasant at safety, Talmadge Jackson at one corner and what could be a corner by committee on the opposite side as coaches impatiently await the maturity of mercurial Cliff Harris. [Harris is a great, great talent. Word is he's kind of a bonehead, though. Has trouble following rules.]

The versatility of this team will be their strength. Pleasant leads several men who have the size and speed combination to come up as linebacker or drop back in the secondary. That corner by committee thing Hunt mentioned isn't a bad thing. It's Alliotti's good problem of having three or four young men who are very talented at that position.

Scouting New Mexico State.

The Lobos have this really good linebacker named Carmen Messina  . . . . . . That's it. 

Gametime Saturday, 12:30 Pacific time and will be televised by that fascist monopoly, Comcast.

--kb