Arizona Stoops to New Low

     Through the game one thing became apparent.  Oregon and Arizona do not like each other.  Arizona's players and Oregon's fans made that clear when some communication with each other got personal in the second quarter moments after LaMichael James was hurt and lying on the ground after a helmet-to-helmet collision. 
   Having seen the game at Autzen, I went home and watched my recording of it. And I was surprised to find that if you watched this game on television, you did not see what happened.  It appears that ESPN --  which, along with ABC, is owned by Disney -- wanted to present the game as a family show. So while LaMJ lay on the ground, they broke to commercial to spare their audience the ugly stuff.
   And it got ugly.
   While LaMJ was lying on the ground trying to decide whether he was conscious or not, both teams momentarily vacated the field and stood on their respective sidelines. Arizona had been flagged for a helmet-to-helmet penalty, and that sent Arizona Coach Mike Stoops into orbit.
   While LaMJ lay on the ground, Stoops launched a tirade at the officials about the penalty. Fans saw this and started to boo.
   While LaMJ still lay on the ground, Arizona's defense took to the field and lined up as if they were ready to play some more. The chorus of boos grew louder. Stoops continued to yell at the officials.
   While LaMJ still lay on the ground, the referees told Arizona's players to get back to their sideline. They did. But moments later most of the team left their benches and joined together in a tight mosh-pit style circle on the sidelines, chanting and jumping up and down. It was the kind of thing you would see before a game starts, not while an opposing player lies on the field with a potentially serious injury. Other AZ players threw up their arms, egging the crowd on.
  At this point the booing crowd grew to consensus. It was the loudest boo fest I had ever heard at Autzen. While AZ's players continued to show incredible insensitivity and disrespect and the crowd threw up a chorus of boos you could hear from Spencer's Butte, Mike Stoops was still pacing the sidelines, bathing in his own personal hot steam bath, yelling at anyone who came within earshot.
  His red bulging eyes were unable to see the bigger picture. A player lay hurt on the field, and his team was out of control.


"Don't make us get the straight jacket, coach."

   When the commercials were done and the TV audience came back, the bizarreness was over and we were playing football again. The announcers gave no hint of what had just happened.

LaMJ was back.

   But the stage was set for the second half. LaMJ insisted on playing and led the team back out of the tunnel to the roar of the crowd.
   It wasn't hyped vengeful anger that drove the Ducks (They left those emotions for their fans.), just confidence and resolve.  This is the difference between Chip Kelly's Ducks and Mike Stoops' Wildcats.
   I was listening to the radio postgame talk on the way home, and one announcer pointed out that he could walk the Oregon sidelines at any time in the game and not be able to tell by the looks on the players' faces whether they were leading or trailing. Oregon's players follow their coach's lead and stay even keeled and quietly confident throughout the game.
   You think you could say the same thing about Arizona? Some people might say that Stoops is very intense, very competitive. He gets all purple faced and yells at his coaches and players and anyone else who will listen throughout the entire game. Sometimes you see the players and assistants yell back at him. Sometimes you see them cower. I think Stoops is just an idiot. He doesn't realize that all of that negative emotion just comes back to bite his team.
   The radio announcer went on to say that this is a huge factor in Arizona's second half collapses. Their mindset is chaotic and panicked. Their temperament is angry and fearful. They're good players. But they're unfortunately following the cues from their coach to their own detriment.  
   After the game, Stoops had this to say. From the Oregonian:
“We tried to stay in as long as we could,”Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. “They put a lot of pressure on you in a lot of different ways and we really couldn’t handle it in the second half” . . .
“Just too many mistakes when you’re playing a team like Oregon,” Stoops said.

Gracious words. But Stoops if you still want to yell at anyone about this loss, you need to look in the mirror.  Your coaching style is polar opposite to Chip Kelly's. The result: Oregon is in position to go to the national championship, and Arizona is lucky to be going to any bowl at all. Photos from Oregonian.


Darron Thomas on a keeper for a TD.



Senior Casey Matthews offers up his last rebel yell
 in Autzen after a tackle for a loss.



Arizona didn't realize how fast Josh Huff was until
after this 85 yard TD to start Oregon's second-half rout.

Spencer Paysinger surprises Nick Foles
with a safety blitz and sack.

Fourth quarter fumble of a kick return adds
to Arizona's misery.



You wouldn't know Oregon became eligible for the Rose Bowl
by this post-game celebration. Not a single rose anywhere.
Oregon's fans and players have something else in mind.



Kelly:  "Nick I know your coach is a butthead.
But I'm sorry. It's too late to transfer to Oregon."

 OTHER NEWS
MEET THE SCOOTER LIBBY OF THE CAL BEARS.

Tosh Lupoi.
Totally his idea?
Completely his fault?

The California Golden Bears suspended defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi for Saturday's game against Washington after the coach admitted he instructed a player to fake an injury against Oregon.

Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour made the announcement after the Bears' 16-13 loss to the Huskies. Of greater embarrassment is the admission that the team feigned injuries in an effort to slow down the Ducks in Cal's 15-13 loss two weeks earlier.

Barbour also said that coach Jeff Tedford plans to keep Lupoi on his staff. Tedford had denied that his players faked injuries against the Ducks, but the video evidence was too incriminating.

In that game against Oregon, defensive lineman Aaron Tipoti was caught on camera in a comical display that was lampooned on numerous talk shows on radio and television.

Tipoti was seen walking normally after a play before turning his head toward the sideline and then grabbing his leg. He then stumbled and fell on the ball, forcing the officials to call a rhythm-disrupting timeout.

NCAA rules do not call for on-field penalties, even if officials have strong suspicions that a team is feigning injuries. The rule book does, however, cover the issue under the heading of ethics, calling the teaching of such a ploy "indefensible.''

The Pacific-10 Conference issued a statement Saturday, saying the league "takes the integrity of the game very seriously'' and that instructing a player to fake injury is "an unethical and unsportsmanlike practice in violation of coaching ethics as outlined in the NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations.''

The statement commended Barbour and Tedford for "the forthright manner in which they have addressed this issue and for the positive example they are setting by reinforcing the importance of the principles at stake.''

We'll talk about the Civil War in my next post.

A note to my readers:
While we were all watching the Arizona game either at Autzen or on TV, an unfathomable, horrific event ALMOST happened in downtown Portland.
   Thanks to our law enforcement officials and alert citizens, a 19-year old did NOT blow up six barrels of explosives parked in a van nearby a tree lighting ceremony where thousands of men, women and children had gathered. There were no explosives to detonate.
   I bring this up because the terrorist was an Oregon State student. It would have been too easy to bring in his name and add humorous fodder to my Civil War posts. But after talking to a few people and thinking about my OSU friends, I came to the right decision.
  It's not funny. 
 The word "hatred" that we Ducks, Beavers and other rivals throw back and forth is good natured and limited to a game on the field. The hatred inside this young man's heart is sorrowful, evil, and beyond comprehension of decent human beings including Muslims and Islamists.
   Let us use football the way it is meant to be used -- to allow us to engage in the human elements of competition and rivalry with the spirit of sportsmanship and good natured ribbing.  I use college football as a vehicle to get away from the daily grind of life and fears of the world.
  I will not give this sad, miserable young man a place in my fun forum that I share with you, whether you're a Duck, Beaver, Cougar, football fan in general . . . . even a Hhhh . . . Hus. . . . . Husssssky (Relax Dawgs. It almost killed me, but I said it.).

God bless and keep you all.
--KB

Weathering Desert Storm

I've been checking the local and national weather forecasters for Eugene on Friday. They all say it'll rain. Temps are guestimated anywhere as high as 46 and as low as 34.
    I'm going to the game, but make no mistake. I'm not wishing for crispy comfy fall football watching weather.
    I want it WET. And I want it very VERY COLD.  For Arizonans, a wet 40 degrees should feel like 10.  But I want it colder. Forget home field advantage. I'm hoping for home planet advantage.
    The Wildcats are never easy. They never give up.  Against them, every play is critical. Their tenacity is scary. Dennis Dixon ended his career against 'Zona. So did Kellen Clemens. 

    But it swings both ways. Last year Arizona was ready to go to the Rose Bowl. With a minute left, their fans were leaping over the wall ready to charge the field. Oregon and Masoli smiled at the spectacle, then took it all away.
    These two teams have smashed each other's dreams like a hammer to a light bulb more times than either side would care to remember.
    And now, with a sophomore starter and no experienced backup at QB, Oregon is number 1 and in a unique position where a Rose Bowl berth would be a disappointment.

Oregon's light bulb this season is literally made of Waterford Crystal.

Sears BCS National Champ Trophy
That ain't recycled bottle glass.

    Friday night, I want the skies to pour. I want the air to freeze. I want the awesome Autzen noise to open chasms in the earth and send mountains into the sea, so much so that the Wildcats will say, "Screw this. Let's just jump on the plane with pillows and warm blankys and get the hell out of here."
    The Ducks are preparing for the Wildcats like they've prepared for everyone else -- Winning one day at a time. Fast. Hard. Finish. The Lord loves a workin' man. No 'I' in TEAM. Just here to support the ball club. . . etc.
    Duck fans are nervous because that win in Cal was a little scary. And for two games in a row now, the prolific Ducks have been shut out in the first quarter.
    Legitimate worries or insignificant nit picks?  We'll know Friday.  For what it's worth, Arizona beat Cal this year 10 to 9. So hey, it happens.

The following from the R-G speaks to the current health situation of the Ducks:
Oregon football: Duck RB tougher’n an old boot

LaMichael James vows to play against Arizona

By Adam Jude
The Register-Guard
Published: Monday, Nov 22, 2010 05:01AM

Oregon star running back LaMichael James was back on the practice field Sunday, eight days after leaving California’s Memorial Stadium on crutches with his left foot in a boot.

The nation’s rushing leader and Heisman candidate was not listed on the team’s official injury report Sunday, but he was limited to non-contact drills during Oregon’s first practice after their closed bye-week workouts.

James vowed that nothing would stop him from playing Friday, when the No. 1 Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-10) play host to No. 20 Arizona for a 4 p.m. kickoff at Autzen Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

“He’s a tough sucker,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “He’ll be ready to play.”
[Everyone is saying LaMJ is looking good. He didn't practice Tuesday. But Kelly said he'll get enough reps in for the week, and it's good to rest him and give his backups Kenjon Barner and Remene Alston Jr. more touches. I would love to see both of them more involved.]

It seems far more unlikely that another regular starter on the UO offense, receiver Lavasier Tuinei, will be able to play against Arizona (7-3, 4-3).

Tuinei suffered a left shoulder injury in Oregon’s 15-13 victory over Cal on Nov. 13, and he had his arm wrapped in an armband Sunday.

“I’m just day-to-day,” Tuinei said. [You know that Oregon never has any official details on the injury. But the unofficial word that came out was a cracked clavicle.]

The 6-foot-5 junior from Arcadia, Ind., is second on the team with 33 catches this season, with two touchdowns.

He is also considered one of the team’s best down-field blockers, which has been integral in the success Oregon’s ground game.

Josh Huff, a versatile reserve as a true freshman, took Tuinei’s place with the first-string offense Sunday.

“It’s very frustrating,” Tuinei said of not being able to practice. “I love just going out there and practicing with the boys, but I’m just out there helping the younger guys. Josh Huff is going to be taking my spot, so I’m just helping him out.”

[True freshman Josh Huff has proved to be an excellent athlete. Having run the 100 meters in just over 10 secs in high school, Huff is the fastest of the receivers.  Kelly was afraid he would miss Tuinei's blocking abilities, but word out of Tuesday's practice is that Huff is making it his mission as he maintained a block and pushed a guy into the sidelines.]

During the first half against Cal, Tuinei was injured while running a crossing route and colliding with defensive back Marc Anthony. Both players stayed down momentarily. Tuinei did not return to the game.

“I was just supposed to distract him, but we got tangled up a little bit,” Tuinei said.

Kelly is typically tight-lipped about injuries, and he too termed Tuinei “day-to-day.”

Another regular on the UO offense, junior tackle Darrion Weems, was held out of practice with an unspecified leg injury.

The Ducks remained No. 1 in the three major polls on Sunday and in the BCS standings, with Auburn right behind at No. 2. Victories over Arizona and at Oregon State in its final two games would put Oregon in its first BCS national title game, and having a healthy James can only help that cause.

“I feel OK,” James said. “It really is big for me to get back out here with my teammates. I’m going to play injured, hurt, whatever.

“I’m going to be with my teammates regardless of what the situation is.”

James said he was injured late in the third quarter of the Cal game when a defender’s helmet landed on his foot and ankle. He left the field during Oregon’s game-ending 9 1/2-minute drive, and backup Kenjon Barner came in for six carries.
[The other dimension that Barner provides is as an excellent receiver. If Oregon is to do a better job of passing than their effort against Cal, Barner can help big time.]

James returned for five consecutive rushes, his last a seven-yard run on third-and-five that allowed the Ducks to take a knee and run out the clock.

James said he rehabbed twice a day during Oregon’s bye last week.

“It still is (in) a little bit (of) pain,” he said. “But in a couple days I’ll be fine.” [Again, this was Monday.]

Barner, one of James’ closest friends on the team, said he had no concerns about his fellow running back.

“He’s been good,” Barner said. “LaMichael’s been LaMichael — the same funny dude week in and week out. That doesn’t change.”

One thing James hopes does change this week is Oregon’s effort in practice.

The Ducks were held to season lows in almost every offensive category against Cal — they hadn’t scored fewer than 42 points in their first nine games — and James said he thinks he knows why.
“We need to practice better — that’s the big key,” he said. “Practice is everything. We practiced hard for Cal, but we probably didn’t practice as hard as we should. We gotta pick that up.”

[Not just practice harder, but practice the right things. What really broke down for Oregon at Cal was the long ball. Cal's Dbacks kept cheating up close to the line, and Darron Thomas could not make them pay for it often enough. Too many drops and overthrows when Cal's line was NOT in his face.

Kyle Arps of the Tucson Citizen helps make that aspect even more apparent as he admittedly contradicts himself in this excerpt from his story.]

Arizona’s defense needs to return to how it played at the start of the season. They were dominating, destructive, and ruthless. [Against Toledo and The Citadel.] The defensive line is going to be a huge factor in this game because they need to stop the run and force Oregon to beat them through the air, but the problem is, teams have beaten us through the air. [We have them right where we want them . . . if only they weren't there.]  The defensive backs are going to have to step up as well and not get beat on deep routes. Oregon is going to pull A LOT of play action, and fakes because the Wildcats DB’s have bitten a lot this season.

[He's right. But not completely right.  Oregon doesn't have to throw a ton to win. It's going to be hard enough with the weather. They only need to connect enough times and threaten the rest to keep Arizona's secondary out of the running box. That will allow Oregon's downhill running machine to wear down the "Bear Down" Wildcats in the cold driving rain.]

When Arizona has the ball, speculation has them starting QB and awesome passer Nick Foles, but rotating in the more mobile Matt Scott when needed.
    If Oregon can jump on an early lead and then stop the running duo of Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin, they can force Arizona into a one dimensional passing team. That's where the weather and Autzen crowd can come into play.
    And uhh. . . . . oh ya, Cliff Harris will be out there too.   As they say, the oceans cover 2/3 of the earth. Cliff Harris covers the rest.

OTHER THINGS TO WATCH: Coach Stoops vowed that his team wouldn't stoop* so low as to fake injuries when Oregon has the ball. We'll see.
*Did you catch that? I made a punny.

OREGON ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT DECLARES THIS GAME BLACK AND YELLOW-OUT DAY with odd sections in the stadium wearing black and even sections wearing yellow. Or is it the other way around? I don't know.
   Hey listen. I love the black and yellow combination. It's totally Killer Bee-ish. And as I am going to this game, you'd think I'd be all geeked up about color coordinating.  But it's late November. And there's a difference between buying a $12 T-shirt of the proper color and buying a storm shielding $120 coat for the same purpose. 

It's warm. It's dry. And it's green.
Get over it.

   I have a thigh-length Nike coat that is just lovely. It's insulated, it's dry, and it's mostly GREEN. It's very special because it was given to me by a good friend and Nike employee who personally yanked it out of a 12-year old child worker's hands on the assembly line in Indonesia. And he brought it home and gave it to me.
    I discovered I'm not the only one sighing over this directive from Casanova Headquarters. Tweets and blog comments abound as people reply to Hans and Fronk or whoever is in charge of interior decorating at Autzen: "Hey guys, give us a break. It's going to be cold and wet. We're wearing what we're wearing and it'll be fine."

Gametime Friday, 4pm Pacific on ESPN.
Everyone have a great Thanksgiving. --KB

Finally, something to complain about.

Oregon should've known they were in trouble before the game started when Cal came out of the tunnel with the more brightnoxious uniforms.  The Bears were ready to match and beat the Ducks in every category.
   Mark this as a win. But for the first time this season, an opponent comes away feeling like they could've beaten Oregon. And they would be right. Cal exposed weaknesses in Oregon's offense like never before, leaving Duck fans to wonder if those weaknesses are treatable or terminal.
   When Oregon's offense was on the field, I could swear Cal had 15 defenders on their side. Play after play, it seemed like they threw three or four defenders at the ball carrier while keeping everyone else covered. Their speed and talent on defense was the best the Ducks have faced this season.
   It didn't help that LaMichael James was playing hurt. As the game went on, his inability to blast through the line was growing more obvious until the final drive.
   But if LaMJ was hurt, why not play Kenjon Barner or Remene Alston Jr.? LaMJ's limitations weren't more evident than when Barner came in for a few plays on that final drive. It was like someone had flipped a switch. Barner was blasting through the line for large gains. LaMJ was lacking that burst of speed.
Photos from Oregonian

Kenjon Barner was a bright spot against Cal's tough rushing defense.

The following article adds drama to Oregon's next two games. From the SF Chronical:

Cal creates blueprint for slowing Oregon's offense

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) Clancy Pendergast deserved to take a bow after his California defense did the previously unthinkable, holding No. 1 Oregon's high-octane offense to 317 yards and one touchdown.


Instead, the Golden Bears' defensive coordinator could only lament their wasted effort Saturday night in a 15-13 loss that kept the humbled Ducks on track for a national title shot.

"You don't play for moral victories," Pendergast said while the Ducks celebrated their narrow escape with a large contingent of Oregon fans in chilly Strawberry Canyon.

Yet the Bears' breakthrough certainly wasn't a waste for the Ducks' final three opponents: Arizona, Oregon State and their bowl foe. Pendergast concocted a game plan that largely stopped the Oregon juggernaut, forcing the Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-10) to rely on their defense to move within two games of a perfect regular season.

"They had our number this week," Oregon center Jordan Holmes said. "They came to play. Their schemes worked. I'm not exactly sure what they were doing. They figured out something that was working for them, but we finally started adjusting."

Holmes had no idea how the Bears did it, but a few strategies stood out.

Cal (5-5, 3-4) used a myriad of defensive fronts, alternating its number of down linemen on almost every play. The Bears made their changes as quickly as the Ducks run their plays, usually using the same players.

In the secondary, the Bears had at least five defensive backs on the field for most plays, even after starting cornerbacks Marc Anthony and Darian Hagan were injured. They used simple man-to-man coverage on almost every play, and safety Chris Conte spent most of the game right near the line of scrimmage, spying on Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas.

"You never could really tell when they were blitzing," said Oregon tailback LaMichael James, who left Berkeley on crutches - he said he was fine - after managing a season-low 91 yards and failing to score for the first time this season. "They move around a lot and have a lot of different fronts. I think that was the toughest part."

Maehl had a great game, but probably wishes
he could do over this perfectly thrown drop.

[Chip Kelly said this week the team will be working on passing.  With man-to-man coverage and the safety up close, Thomas should've had several TD passes. The offense's only TD was a pass to a wide open Jeff Maehl over the middle.  Other than that, overthrows, drops, and just a general inability to get the ball to an open receiver made Cal's job easier to shut down Oregon's offense. 

  If Oregon can't complete defense-stretching passes against Arizona or Oregon State, those games won't be any easier.]  
Pendergast's greatest achievement might have been something a bit less tangible: He convinced his players that they could hang with an offense averaging 54.7 points and 567 yards while winning each of its first nine games by at least 11 points.

The Ducks are an intimidating flock, with their slick uniforms and crazed fan base, yet the Bears didn't flinch.

"I had no doubt that we were going to win this game," Conte said. "It was ripe for the upset. We knew that if we came out and executed, this team was very beatable."

[Cal was probably inspired by Washington's first quarter the week prior when they just lined up straight and played tough, hard nosed assignment football. The Bears, with better personnel, were able to envision and formulate a game plan that could work. And with Oregon losing faith in their ability to throw the long ball, it actually did work.]

There's another possible tactic that opponents might want to consider: The Ducks complained about the Bears' series of clock-stopping injuries on defense, almost all involving a backup player at a point when Cal really could have used a breather.

They might have been legitimate, or they might have been minor gamesmanship. Either way, the Ducks couldn't snap the ball immediately after the referees put it on the turf. [Minor gamesmanship? What the hell does that mean? Faking injuries is just bush league cheating.  Maybe LaMJ can do a little minor gamesmanship whenever he finds himself going down in a crowd by reaching up and grabbing his own facemask. How about if D.Thomas flops down after every throw in hopes of coaxing a roughing-the-passer penalty?

   Oregon should start keeping the following statistics to provide to the media.

Number of opponents' questionable injuries during Oregon drives: Whatever # -- 8, 12, maybe more.

Quantifiable success of those time-stopping fakes: None. Zilch. Zero.]


"That slowed our tempo down, and the refs let them do it," said Thomas, who went 15 of 29 for 155 yards and just one touchdown.

[Perhaps the refs should be granted some discretionary judgement to go to the coach and say, "You've got five seconds to get your injured player off the field or you'll be charged a timeout."]

With a bye week before two games against slumping teams to finish the season, the Ducks are close enough to fantasize about the BCS title game - not that coach Chip Kelly would ever allow such a thing, of course.

If Oregon beats the Wildcats on the day after Thanksgiving, the Ducks will clinch their second straight Pac-10 title even before the Civil War.

Oregon hadn't really been challenged in a fourth quarter this season until Cal nearly took a one-point lead early in the period. Kicker Giorgio Tavecchio's botched field goal attempts helped the Ducks, but their final drive was even more important.

Before the Ducks took over at their own 20 with 9 1/2 minutes left, Kelly told the offense that this drive would be something they described to their grandchildren. Eighteen plays - 17 on the ground - and 65 yards later, when Thomas took a knee to run out the clock, Kelly was proven correct.

"That last drive is one of the most satisfying things I've ever been a part of," Holmes said. "At that point, they're putting the game on us, and on LaMichael's shoulders. We love that."


I recorded that mindnumbing game and reviewed the final drive.  I still question if LaMJ should've just been pulled at some point in the second half to allow the rest of the running back committee to finish. But LaMJ must have been inspired by 1) Kenjon Barner's success in the fourth quarter, and 2) Kelly's pep talk. Because in the waning minutes of that final drive, he blasted through holes. He dragged tacklers. He lunged for yards.
   And after the clock read 0:00, he had to be helped off the field and put on crutches.

That won't come up on any Heisman watcher's stat sheet.

LaMichael James: Nobody's paying him to play hurt to the finish.

   Give LaMJ and Oregon's point-a-minute offense credit on that final drive for keeping the ball an incredible 9-1/2 minutes, running 18 plays including three third downs, to suffocate Cal for the victory. But how comfortable are we supposed to feel about this win?
   In interviews following the game, Chip Kelly scoffed at the score and hard game by simply stating, "A win is a win," and "We don't care about the score." 
   That's mighty tough talk, Coach.  And your "Win the Day; Fast, Hard, Finish" words hang over my door.  Those players would follow you to the gates of hell. And we fans would watch you on ESPN and cheer as you marched to the gates of hell.
   But the reality is your team almost lost.  Aren't you bothered by that?  When you meet with your team this week at the Cas Center, are you going to pretend like nothing's wrong and everything is going to plan?  Or are you going to have a real talk about adjusting and improving before the next opponent is finally able to put a complete defeat package together?
  A win is a win.  But this late in the season with the Ducks controlling their own destiny, a loss would be a terrible shame.  Arizona and Oregon State will try to put the "FINISH" on the Ducks, Coach.  Your best team in the nation has to play better.  

All the talk about Cal's defense should not diminish the phenomenal
performance of Oregon's D. They proved to be the better of the two.

--KB

Win The Bay

Cal Excited to Host #1 Team in Nation
On second thought, no they're not.

The headline in the Contra Costa Times reads "Quarterback Brock Mansion embraces the challenge of facing No. 1 Oregon in his first home start". It goes on to talk about how he played fairly well in his first start last week -- a 20-13 win over WSU. He took over after starter and Beaverton High star Kevin Riley injured his knee against OSU.

"It's a great opportunity," Mansion said. "Everybody on the team is excited."

Well good luck to you Brock. In times like these, it helps to have a yippy-skippy attitude.
   In the following article, Cal demonstrates that they aren't shirking away from this meeting. They're going to give it everything they got; but they're not deluding themselves like USC did.
   If Oregon's mantra is "Fast, Hard, Finish",  Cal's will be "Fast, Hard, Hope it works out."
From the SF Chronical:
Cal needs depth to counter Oregon's speed

John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, November 11, 2010

To stop the machine that is Oregon football, the Bears will counter with bodies, lots and lots of bodies, and hope for the best.

The task seems as daunting as that in the original "Terminator" movie that pitted valiant humans against the forces of mechanized mayhem.



Ya. It's merely a college football game.

In reality, it's merely a college football game, No. 1 Oregon against Cal on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, but what makes the analogy apt is the machine-like nature of the Ducks' offense, smoothly and swiftly cranking out nearly 55 points and 570 yards per game in a 9-0 start.
What makes the Ducks the dreadnought they are on offense is their speed and the hyper-tempo in which they peel off plays. It's the rapid pace of the Oregon offense that does in defenses unable to stop the onslaught of nearly 80 snaps per game from a spread formation run to perfection by sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas.

"We're going to have to play a lot of guys," Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said. "That's a big concern of mine. You've got to be able to play (many) people. Getting everyone reps during the week when you know you've got to play guys makes you a little uncomfortable."

Pendergast said his defensive position coaches will be mindful to send in fresh bodies when starters need a break from the breakneck pace of the nation's No. 1 offense.

Cal has some defensive stalwarts in end Cameron Jordan, linebackers Mychal Kendricks and Mike Mohamed, cornerbacks Darian Hagan and Steve Williams and safeties Sean Cattouse and Chris Conte, but the unit's depth will be put to the most severe test of the season.

The Bears are No. 1 in the Pac-10 in total defense, No. 1 in pass defense and No. 3 in rushing defense and they are playing at home, where they have achieved a 4-0 record against teams with losing records (UC Davis, Colorado, UCLA, Arizona State).

"We're going to have to bring our 'A' game," Mohamed said. "It's going to take a lot of preparation and focus if we want to compete with these guys."

Asked how Cal might slow down Oregon's hyperactive offense, Mohamed said, "That's a good question, because nobody's been able to do it. They wear guys down, they get (defenses) tired. A lot of it is based on you being tired, and they break a big one on you."

LaMichael James is the one Duck the Bears will try to keep from breaking the big one, not that anyone else has been successful this season. He leads the nation in rushing at 166.4 yards per game and averages almost 7 yards per carry.

Thomas, an upgrade over the disgraced and dismissed Jeremiah Masoli, has passed for 2,070 yards and 22 touchdowns and run for 400 yards and another four scores. Wideout Jeff Maehl is Oregon's leading receiver with 54 for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns.

To try to simulate Oregon's speed and pace in practice, Cal runs a scout team that features a wide receiver playing the quarterback Thomas in Coleman Edmond and another wide receiver giving a look as James in Kaelin Clay.

"The scout team has been doing as good a job as can be expected with the tempo. It's been great," head coach Jeff Tedford said. "We have the scout team doing the best they can to simulate the speed of things. Coleman Edmond has done some of the quarterback stuff because of his speed. Kaelin Clay plays tailback because he might be the fastest guy on the team."

Drilling the scout team on the particulars of Oregon's spread offense is defensive graduate assistant Taggart McCurdy, a Cal player in 2003-04.

"He's done an excellent job of meeting with the offensive guys and showing them tape" of Oregon, Pendergast said. "That's been very impressive what he's done."

Whether it's enough to stop the rise of the machine is another matter. For the Bears, it's all hands on deck.

The ace up their sleeve is a graduate assistant meeting with the guys and showing them tape . . . . . Yep. They are SO terminated.

One note: You may have heard that Nate Costa definitely played his last game as a Duck after tearing up his good knee last week against Washington. 
   The new backup QB is freshman Bryan Bennett. But don't look for him to take snaps for field goals or come in for mop up.  He's currently redshirting, and Coach Kelly would like to keep him that way if possible.
   Look for punter Jackson Rice to hold for kicks. And at the end of games, Thomas will apparently just stay in and run plays not designed to get him clobbered.


From the "Can We Please Move On" Department:
Washington came. Washington played. Washington lost. That should be the end of all Washington talk for the rest of the season. And it would be if it wasn't for UW's AD Scott Woodward calling Oregon's academic system an embarrassment.
   He got criticized pretty thoroughly, especially from Washington's Interim President, Phyllis M. Wise. She told him to call Oregon's President and AD and apologize personally.
   Oh by the way, funny story about Ms. Wise. Not only is she a highly respected, renowned scholar and educator, she's also on the board of directors of a major company:

 Nike. 

  How ironic after Woodward spewed all that crap about Phil Knight and his beloved alma mater.
   I was waiting for the blowback to come out of Seattle -- someone to stick up for Woodward's comments. I was not disappointed.
   Leave it to a Husky student. A reporter for UW's student newspaper, The Faily, stuck up for Woodward in his article: No apologies needed from Woodward (Click title for link).
   I'm not going to bother commenting on his premise, conclusion, research or fact checks because if you scroll down, you'll see that over 30 respondents and counting had already done so.


I Believe that Children Are Our Future
Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead The Way.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha . . . . . . Hey c'mon now. That's not funny.

Oregon at Cal. Saturday @ 4:30 Pacific on Versus Network.

Oregon Beats Down U of W(TF?)

I never thought I'd see myself saying this, but I think Oregon owes Washington a debt of gratitude for it's performance in the game Saturday night.
   While the Ducks ended up with a total dominant score of 53-16, the Huskies pushed them around a little in the first half as if to say, "Are you really ready to be #1?".  Washington brought it. Oregon got slapped awake.
   Washington even reached into their Don James old school bag of tricks and brought their own refs. They certainly gave Oregon something to talk about at halftime. Then the Ducks got to work.
   But after the game, Washington players were sincere and cordial in their handshakes and congrats to the Duck players.  It made me wonder, could this mark the end of hostilities between the two schools?  Perhaps the two teams have evolved to a point where they can just simply have a mutual respect for each other.  Perhaps the name calling and cheap shots are finally in the past.
   In fact I'm going to call it right here, right now. I declare an end to the hated rivalry between Oregon and Washing- . . . . . . . . .

WE INTERRUPT THIS STORY TO BRING YOU A SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN:

Washington A.D. is an A. Hole, 
Dawgs are still the Huckin' Fuskies!
Before the game on Saturday, Washington Athletic Director and star of  "Scoreboard Baby II, The Next Generation", Scott Woodward, was sitting down with a Seattle radio station in Eugene. When asked what he thought of Oregon's facilities, he could've said the kind, vanilla stuff that any politically smart business executive should say.
   But no. He started barkin' like a typical outrageously obnoxious Huckin' Fusky.  Following is a link to a transcrpt and the podcast. You can be like me and read the text and say, "No, surely he didn't say that," then listen to the podcast. http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/washington_ad_audio_oregon_is_embarrassment/3566557

I guess what I've always said still applies: "The only way to shut up Barking Dawgs is to beat 'em."

Monday afternoon, Woodward issued the following apology from this blog in The Seattle Times:
"I apologize if my comments were found as critical or insulting to fans and alumni of the University of Oregon, and I hope to offer some clarity about my true feelings on the situation. I have a great respect for the University of Oregon both as an institution and an athletic program. As a life-long advocate for public funding in higher education, I have seen firsthand the effects of public funding on many institutions, including the University of Washington. My remarks were intended as a commentary on the powerful impact that a state can have on an institution's academic standing. The University of Oregon is a great example of the struggles which can accompany a university when state funding decreases, but UO is certainly not the only institution suffering."

In that case, Woodward, I apologize for calling you an A. Hole, and I hope to offer some clarity about my true feelings on the situation.

YOU'RE A STUPID ARROGANT JACKASS.

You called Oregon's acacemic institution an embarrassment; but velvet gloved your insult by blaming Oregon's "struggles" on state funding.
   Listen, you two-faced son of Neuhoser, all state colleges everywhere suffer from lack of state funding. Where have you been?  It's nothing new.  The Oregon higher ed schools have NEVER had adequate state funding. But for you to suggest that the University of Oregon's academics have struggled to a point of embarrassment means that you really don't know what the hell you're talking about.
   Had you just walked up Pre's trail and through the campus, you would've seen the construction cranes adding to the Science Center as well as a new Student Center.  The donors we should be kneeling before for adding to the athletic facilities? They and many others have all contributed hugely on the academic side as well.
  Autzen was upgraded? The main library was upgraded. New indoor practice facility? New law center.  New basketball arena?  New science center. New baseball stadium?  New computer and business centers.  Improved running track?  Improved Journalism school.  I could go on and on.
   Furthermore, while you're doing the old school whine about state funding, Oregon's president, Richard Lariviere, is challenging Oregonians to INVEST in higher ed by asking the legislature to sell bonds. It's an idea never before tried that people are warming up to. And if it works, and then Washington tries it, who will you have to thank for the idea, you STUPID ARROGANT JACKASS?
   Finally, what really galls me is that at Washington, you have SO MANY problems of your own, how do you possibly find the time to criticize anyone else? You talk about doing things "the Washington way"?  The book "Scoreboard Baby" is the Washington way.  Clean up your own Dawg Sh*t Pile before you start sniveling elsewhere, you STUPID ARROGANT JACKASS.

Now where was I?  Oh ya, back to the game . . . .

While LaMichael James left Huskies in the dust . . . . .





 . . .Washington's AD, Scott Woodward is a Stupid Arrogant Jackass.



Although Oregon's QB Darron Thomas outran Huskies for a TD . . . .



. . . Washington's AD Scott Woodward is still a Stupid Arrogant Jackass.

Just when I was starting to like the Huskies, thank you, Scott Woodward for waking me up.

I HATE THE HUSKIES!!!

--kb

Ducks are One, Dawgs are Done

Husky fans, your days as the Northwest powerhouse are officially over. 
University of Washington. Husky Stadium. What was once a place of proud history and heritage has become a dustbowl of dearth and disappointment.

We remember the Dark Days of the Purple Haze when you ruled with a ruthless grip, laughing as you embossed us into the stomp of your mighty cleats.  In 1990, you made your own flag and declared yourselves the champions of college football. 

Tell me, does that flag of your mythical and myopic reign still fly today?

Listen. Outside. Do you hear that? There's a wind a-blowin'.  Getting stronger, and headed your way. You can feel it.  But your weak, cloudy eyes squint to see it.

"What's that sound?"
"It's just the wind."

Others say they have seen it. . . . . .somewhat.  It's been spotted in Tennessee, a couple of places in California, and once in Arizona.  Your neighbors in Pullman will tell you that for a few minutes, they thought they actually had it cornered.  But then, as everywhere else, it was gone, leaving bewilderment and devastation behind.  Mostly though, it resides in Eugene -- where you're going this Saturday.

Those who have experienced this phenominon have given it a name -- the only name they could:

The Blur. (Link to original article naming Oregon's offense "The Blur".)

I tell you now, Huskies. The currents have changed. The cool prideful breezes no longer visit the shores of Lake Washington. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. Feel the dust in your teeth.

You can summon your Purple Haze and beat the drums for your Purple Reign loud and long til your blisters bleed.  But you can't defeat The Blur, because you can't defeat what you can't find. You won't grab what you don't get.

You will say, "It is here. NO. It is there." You will set traps. But what kind of traps do you have?  Only those that can snare your own slow feet.  You will make your best guess. But how can you guess at that which you don't understand?

Your destiny is in Auztzen, this Saturday at 12:30. Bring your wide-eyed pawns and your uneasy knights.  Set your Hurt Locker in a high, safe place. Let him bear witness so that he can tell to future generations of Huskies an absurd story of how he watched in horror at that which he could not see.

Let him describe the feeling of a hot wind, blowing about every 23 seconds (longer if there's a TV timeout). And everytime it blows, the scoreboard catches fire, blazing numbers only seen in a basketball gym.

Saturday, November 6th, 2010. Remember this day, Huskies. The day your evil reign will be forever cast into the abyss of distant memories and scattered myths. The day your proud stories of the Purple Haze are blown from the mouths of the storytellers. Blown from the memories of old gray men wearing faded purple jackets with crusted 'W's barely hanging by brittle and broken stitches.  Blown away . . . . .

by The Blur.

And now if you'll please crank your volumes, stand on your desks and swing your pants over your head to the latest most excellent video by AllDuckedOut.

Washington @ Oregon. Saturday November 6th, 12:30 Pacific on ABC or ESPN2.

Oh by the way Huskies, have you read any good books lately?

--KB

CONQUERED!

They're cryin' at the Coli.

"They have a good running back and a good quarterback. Other than that, they're really not that good."  -- USC D.End Jurrell Casey before game.

Jurrell Casey's Not-That-Good Players of the Week Awards: Photos from R-G
 

Talmadge Jackson III and his "not that good" denial of a
first down reception to USC, forcing them to punt.





Jeff Maehl's "not that good" double catch for a TD that was
the #1 ESPN hilite Saturday night. His two other TD's made
him the Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Week.



Lavasier Tuinei hauls in a not that good
33-yard TD.



Not that good Boseko Lokombo blitzes past entire USC
offense to pounce on fumble made possible by
 bonehead snap to Barkley while his head was turned.

 

Oregon's entire D.Front and Linebackers
not that good as they sacked Barkley twice
and hurried or flushed him a number of times.



Also Not That Good:

Cliff Harris -- Interception and incredible punt return.

John Boyett -- Interception in endzone.

Offensive line -- Pushing around Trojans like they were 7-year old girls every 23 seconds for entire game.

Jackson Rice -- Excellent punting. 

Casey Matthews -- Because really, he's not that good.

 “They came out and responded and played a hell of game, They definitely responded to what I said. They’re a good team.” -- USC D.End Jurrell Casey after game.

Well alright then. We'll forget it this time. But watch your mouth or I'll come down there!

Oregon got the surprise nod from the BCS this week as the consensus #1 team in the nation.  Looking back it seems only fitting that it took an invasion on the Coliseum and a very public and decisive conquering of the Trojans to earn that #1 ranking.

Sometimes the story has more impact when it comes from those least likely to say it. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times legitimizes what everyone across the country is saying:

Oregon fits the bill as No. 1 college football team

It's obvious to this observer that the Ducks deserve to play in the BCS national championship game.
October 30, 2010
Bill Plaschke

I can't duck it anymore.

Oregon is the best team in the country.

I'm going to stop being so daffy about it.

Oregon deserves a spot in the national championship game right now.

I tried — oh, Phil Knight knows I tried — but my mocking disbelief no longer works, not after what happened Saturday on a beak-dropping, metaphor-flying night at the Coliseum.

It was USC's title game, and Oregon kicked the BCS out of the Trojans.

It was the first time the top-ranked Ducks had truly been hit in the mouth, and they just grinned. It was the first time the Ducks had been enveloped by 80,000 hostile screams, and they just roared.

The Trojans led once, twice, three times, including by three points midway through the third quarter, but each time the Ducks came scampering or soaring or just slugging back, eventually taking a 53-32 victory.

USC wasn't ready for this. Nobody is ready for this.

"We feel like we can do anything," said Oregon running back LaMichael James.

Oregon is now 8-0 and, in four games, here's guessing it will be 12-0. Even with Arizona coming to Eugene and Oregon State waiting in Corvallis, the Ducks will not play a tougher game all season.

They were run around by USC's offense for three quarters, yet they never lost their breath. They were flustered into 85 yards' worth of penalties, yet they never lost their grip. They allowed the Trojans to average nearly 25 yards on punt and kickoff returns, yet the lousy field position only made them stronger.

I can no longer make jokes about a "gimmick" offense that gained 599 yards, including 239 yards rushing by James, who would have already been given the Heisman Trophy if he played in Tuscaloosa. I can no longer poke fun at a "soft" defense that knocked around quarterback Matt Barkley and his star receivers, causing bad passes and thumping drops and a rising temper in Coach Lane Kiffin.

"Our offense was terrible today," Kiffin said.

I will no longer even keep reminding Oregon of how its funky offensive system was overpowered against Ohio State in last season's Rose Bowl, because this is clearly not last year's team. I will no longer keep saying that Oregon will have no chance against an SEC team if they meet in this year's bowl, because for all of Auburn and Alabama's skill, they simply do not have the combination of athlete and playbook that Oregon possesses, not this time.

With previously unbeaten Michigan State and Missouri losing Saturday, Oregon, currently No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, will surely retain one of the top two spots if it wins its final four games, putting it in the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz.

I can't imagine the crowd there being nastier than Saturday night's. I can't imagine the Ducks falling behind as many times as on Saturday night. I understand now that none of that will matter.

When USC took a 3-0 lead, Oregon scored barely two minutes later. When USC took a 17-15 lead, Oregon scored barely two minutes later.

It wasn't just when the Ducks fought back, but how they fought back, not only with head butts but, finally, with a headlock. When USC scored twice in the third quarter to take the lead, Oregon pushed back in a totally different style, slowly and painfully, driving down the field in a dozen plays, 69 yards, finishing when Jeff Maehl caught a ball across the middle, wide open, and ran untouched into the corner of the end zone, a 30-yard touchdown to give Oregon a 36-32 lead.

On a third-and-13 play.

It was the start of a 24-0 run to end the game, the BCS colliding with the NBA.

"We honestly thought coming into this game that we had a good chance of beating them, but that offense is better than a lot of people thought," USC defensive end Wes Horton said.

As in, like, me.

"Our team feels they get stronger as the game goes on," said Oregon Coach Chip Kelly.

How good was Oregon? It ran one play that faked out at least 20,000 people, the end zone crowd roaring at a backfield tackle of James while quarterback Darron Thomas ran 21 yards around end.

How good was Oregon? It even ran many folks out of the Coliseum's best seats. When the game ended, the Ducks ran along the sidelines and slapped hands with their fans who had moved down to the usually filled front row.

How good was Oregon? It turned the usually bold Kiffin timid. As Oregon's power became more apparent, there were times when it seemed as if the Trojans' coaching staff backed into a corner and covered up.

Example: In the last two minutes of the first half USC, trailing 22-17, faced fourth and one on its 37. But instead of going for it and keeping that wicked offense off the field, the Trojans punted.

Kiffin: "To tell you the truth, Matt,
I really don't know what I'm doing.
This chart is actually a Chinese take-out menu."

Two plays later, Thomas threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Lavasier Tuinei to make it 29-17.

"It's about making plays," Kiffin said.

Not to quack on about it, but right now, Oregon does that better than anyone.

USC had to learn with the rest of the Old Boys in college football that what Chip Kelly is doing at Oregon is revolutionary, incredibly effective, and not going away. More teams are looking at Oregon's system. We could be seeing the end of the huddle, and the end of "Five yards and a cloud of dust" football.
   USC was the next of the big tests on Kelly's system. UCLA failed miserably. Now let's give USC the home field advantage, over two weeks to prepare. Let them practice extra win sprints, study miles of film, and bring in one of the best pro-trained minds in defense (Lane Kiffin's dad.) to analyze it and teach these talented four and five star Trojan kids how to stop it.
  With all these advantages, USC might have beaten almost anybody else. And for a brief moment they looked like they might beat Oregon.  But the end showed a three-TD lead on the board, and exhausted Trojan bodies scattered all over the sideline, working out cramps and sucking in air.  Test failed.
  Even the computers can see it now. Oregon is the new college football.

Next Week
A very sorry, sad, pathetic, hurt, suffering pack of Dawgs is coming to Oregon.  If they were my dogs back home on the farm, I'd be walking them out to the field with a rifle in one hand and a shovel in the other.

More later,
--KB