Like Running Through Paper

Hurricane Oregon breaches wall of L.A. Coliseum
This is SO going over my fireplace.

Photos by Thomas Boyd, Oregonian

Beautiful. Like watching a sunrise.

321 yards. Five TD's.
USC's barns were BURNING!

See you on Sundays Marqise Lee.
Give USC credit. Despite record, 2012 Trojans one of
the most amazing passing teams in college football history.

Guess what: He's undecided for president too.

Nine. The number of times Ducks lifted player up to celebrate
TD in endzone at USC. Never been done before by anyone.

Matt Barkley threw for 484 yards on 35 of 54 passing and five touchdowns, and USC racked up 615 yards and hung 51 points on the visiting #2 ranked Oregon Ducks.

And they still lost. In fact, the Trojans never led in the game.

Oregon went up 14 -3 in the first quarter, and then they just held serve -- answering every USC score with one of their own.

We saw the truth Saturday evening. As good as USC can be -- and their offense was very good in this game -- they simply could not keep up with Oregon. Figuratively, literally, any way, every way, USC was always one or two steps behind the Ducks. Now the rest of the world knows what we always believed.

I've been having fun looking at stories from L.A. and elsewhere about this game. Ken Goe's blog page offers some great stories. I've featured a couple below.

One story from ESPN that stands out is this apology from the BCS computers:

An apology for the Oregon Ducks

By Gene Wojciechowski

ESPN.com LOS ANGELES -- Hi. I'm the computer component of the BCS standings and, well, I'd like to apologize to Oregon.

There are six of us -- by us, I mean, six computer formulas used to help determine the BCS standings -- and we haven't exactly been quacking up the Ducks. Truth is, we weren't buying what Oregon was selling.

Two of us have calculated Oregon as the fourth-best team in the country. And we were giving the Ducks the benefit of the doubt.


Three of us have Oregon rated fifth and one of us -- I'm not going to say who (yeah, I will: Jeff Sagarin) -- has the Ducks eighth. That gives them a computer average of No. 5 and an overall No. 4 BCS ranking.

And then they played USC on Saturday night in the Coliseum.

I'm good at numbers, but I don't even know where to start after watching this Ducks-Trojans game. Neither did the press box stat crew. When asked if there were postgame notes, an official said, "They're typing them up right now. There are so many records, it's taking them a long time."

OK, let's start with something simple, such as the score: Oregon 62, USC 51. You read that right: USC scored 51 points at home … and lost.

That's the most points USC has given up. Not just this season, but ever. From coaches Henry Goddard and Frank Suffel in 1888 to Lane Kiffin in 2012.

"Obviously they moved the ball," Kiffin said.

And obviously USC couldn't stop them. The Ducks rushed for 426 yards. They threw for 304 yards. That's 730 total yards, or almost a first down per play. That's also the most yards USC has ever given up in the history of the program. The next closest was 623 yards -- in 1946.

We computers knew the Ducks were good, but not this good. No wonder USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin looked like he wanted to go back to the NFL, where it might be easier to stop teams.

No wonder former Oregon star running back LaMichael James, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, said outside the Ducks' locker room, "They definitely could score."

He was talking about scoring against NFL teams. And by the way, there were a half dozen pro scouts here Saturday night. Like I said, I pay attention to numbers.

Oregon punted once. It converted both of its fourth-down attempts and 7 of 8 red zone chances.

Meanwhile, this senior running back named Kenjon Barner rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns. That's also the most yards and TDs USC has ever given up to a player.

"Knowing who you're playing, it puts it in perspective," said USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who threw for 484 yards and five touchdowns himself.

We're a little late to the perspective party. We looked at Oregon's schedule (non-conference wins against Arkansas State, Fresno State, FCS-member Tennessee Tech; Pac-12 wins against struggling Washington State and gruesomely awful Colorado) and thought, "What's the big deal?"

Our bad. Putting up 62 points against the No. 17 team in the country, that's a big deal.

"They don't flinch," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "It's a team that can last over the whole course of a season."

"I was impressed," Ducks' defensive end Taylor Hart said.

So are we. And we'll be able to provide a more tangible form of appreciation for Oregon on Sunday night, when the latest BCS standings are released.

We still have a few questions. For instance, what should we think about a team that gives up 51 points?

"I don't really want to sit here and talk about how many points and yards we gave up," Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said.

But to Aliotti's credit, he did.

"Let's face it, their offense played better than our defense," he said. "But our offense played better than their defense. That's the first bad [defensive performance] we've had."

We'll take that into account when we crunch the numbers. And remember, Oregon did force three turnovers and make two stops in the red zone. And it was facing a USC offense that features two of the country's best wide receivers (Marqise Lee and Robert Woods) and one of the best quarterbacks (Barkley).

"Big-time NFL players out there," Oregon linebacker Michael Clay said of the Trojans' talent.

Luckily for us, Oregon doesn't hold a grudge. Reporters tried asking big-picture, BCS-type questions to Kelly, Clay, Barner -- you name it -- but none of the Ducks ripped our algorithms. They also didn't campaign for more votes in the polls.

"I don't really care because we're 9-0," Aliotti said. "Really, that's the best answer, we're 9-0."

They're 9-0 with a star next to their name. We'll move them up; we have to, right?

No. 3 Notre Dame needed triple overtime at home to beat unranked Pittsburgh.

No. 2 Kansas State lost quarterback Collin Klein to an undisclosed injury, but it still beat No. 24 Oklahoma State in Manhattan by two touchdowns.

And No. 1 Alabama needed a touchdown with 51 seconds remaining to beat LSU in Death Valley.

So we've got some thinking to do. And some apology notes to write.

Ours starts, Dear Oregon,

We're sorry

Obviously the computers made good on correcting their error and put Oregon back at #3 over Notre Dame. One comment about the two games, Pitt at Notre Dame and Alabama at LSU. I watched both of them and was stunned how they both had the same kind of ending.

Pitt and LSU had clear control of their respective games until about the 2:00 minute mark. Then they each just rolled over and died. Stupid coaching decisions. Their defenses froze up and began hoping instead of playing for the win. Notre Dame and Alabama were both anemic and inept until it became panic time. And amazingly Pitt and LSU both allowed them to panic their way out.

Had those two managed the upsets, Oregon and Kansas State would've been pretty well locked in.

Oh well.

Another excellent article from George Schroeder, USA TODAY Sports, titled No. 2 Oregon is doing things no team has done before contains the following excerpts:

LaMichael James, who's 49ers were bye this week, went down to L.A. and stood on the sidelines during the game. He had the following analogy about the start of high school games when cheerleaders hold up a big banner as their team charges onto the field:

"You know before high school games when they run through the paper? That's what it looked like out there," James said. "It's probably the most impressive offense I've seen in my life."

And here, Schroeder brings up a key intangible:

But possibly the Ducks' best attribute was on full display at the Coliseum: relentless unconcern. A showdown becomes a shootout? Unfazed. They just don't care. Barkley was at his best. Lee and Redd and Robert Woods and Nelson Agholor kept making plays. For one night, USC put together the kind of offensive performance that had the Trojans near the top of all the preseason polls.

And it didn't seem to matter a whit.

And one more story from the L.A. Times allows me to offer a little sympathy for the old man. A story titled Trojans simply defenseless against high-flying Ducks by Bill Plaschke is representative of a growing tar and feather rally cry for USC Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin,  Head Coach Lane Kiffin's dad. He is becoming the least liked father of a public figure since that of Luke Skywalker.

Once again, for a second consecutive week, that work must start with the coaches, with the seats growing warm under a defensive staff led by Kiffin's father, Monte. Remember last week's mess in Arizona? When is the last time the Trojans have allowed 1,318 yards in consecutive games? Try, never?

Darn the luck, Monte. Maybe you should go to a desperate Colorado where you might be more appreciated.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. . . NOT.
Oh joy. Another night game. The TV gods have scheduled the Oregon-Cal game for 7:30 pm next Saturday on ESPN.

One more look:

You heard 'em Ducks. EVERYTHING

DAT's punt return is at the 27-second mark if you just want to watch that again and again.



REALLY BEAVERS, REALLY?
Before I talk about Saturday's game at USC, I need to say something to Oregon State.

Hey Beavs. You're probably still mad about that loss last week, and we all know exactly why. It wasn't just a loss. It was a loss to the Huskies.

It hurts doesn't it? It feels like you haven't eaten in two days, and then somebody punches you in the stomach and kicks it again after you're down.

You feel this because you let Washington hang around and believe they were as good as you. You saw their barking fans work themselves into a foaming lather. You saw their players jumping up and down like you were unlocking their kennel.

Beavs, you had beaten UDumb seven of the last eight seasons. Oregon has beaten them nine straight. And yet unfortunately we are reminded what happens when any of us -- WSU included -- takes the foot off their throats for even just a minute.

The obnoxiousness returns like it's 1990 all over again. Their goonery instantly comes out with the cheap shots and unsportsman-like conduct.

Even the purple-shirted refs were back as they somehow
missed this vicious helmet-to-helmet on Wheaton.

If you had to lose Beavs, why oh why did it have to be to them? You know what I always say: "The only way to shut up barking Dawgs is to beat 'em." But no. You gave them voice. They believe again. They think that their own poop tastes good, and now once again, they're going to expect the rest of us to eat it.   

Listen. You can hear them from all the way up there. Oh the noise of barking Dawgs. That annoying, undying, shrill, grating chorus of yaps with no purpose or quality because it's driven by the stupid, tiny, imbeciled brains . . .

. . . of Huskies.

Way to go, Beavs.

AND EVEN STUPIDER NOISES FROM DOWN SOUTH
Let me show you a clip of a story from the Arizona Daily Star that made me spew Cheerios all over my monitor.

Cats help prep USC for facing Oregon's Blur
Maybe there's a slight advantage in the schedule - that USC played the Arizona Wildcats' fast-paced offense the week before Oregon's mighty Blur.

"It'd be like in baseball, when the day after you faced a fastball pitcher, you're facing another fastball pitcher," USC coach Lane Kiffin said about the Ducks' no-huddle offense.

"It's not a huge thing, but I think there's something to that."

After losing to the Wildcats 39-36, USC will take any edge in can get.

OK, Kiffin, so after losing to AZ, you will be playing the team that beat them 49-0. But it's all good because AZ and Oregon kind of play the same.

And you know what? New Jersey experienced a blustery day a week before Sandy hit. So ya, one could say they were kind of ready, only in a "not hardly at all" sort of way.

Fastball pitcher? Coach Kiffin, your team is about to face a Gattling gun.

Allow me to try not to bore you with some stats. According to this same article, Oregon's defense gives up 19.38 points per game. USC gives up 19.5 points.

Oregon allows 351 yards to their opponent per game. USC allows 366.

That looks pretty even, doesn't it? But for anyone who has watched Oregon play, what is the one glaring asterisk next to their stats?

You know it. The large bulk of opponents' points and yards have come in the second half against Oregon's second, third and fourth string after the game has been decided.

That is not the case with USC. With scholarship restrictions and injuries, plus the fact that they just can't blow very many teams out,  the starters play into the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball.

Had Oregon left it's starters in to run up the score while keeping other opponents scoreless, the world would already know what should be made clear tomorrow.

Hurricane Oregon is powerful enough to completely destroy USC.

But will we see that happen?  It would be an amazing thing to behold, if Chip Kelly will allow it.

Looks like Reign.

DUCKS NEED NEW APPROACH TO REMAINDER OF SEASON

Here are the facts.

Fact 1: Oregon manhandled ASU, and got passed up by Kansas State in the BCS.

Fact 2: The Ducks clobbered Colorado and got passed again in the BCS, this time by Notre Dame.

Fact 3: Lane Kiffin, USC, and a lot of other people across the country still believe the Trojans can hang with Oregon, maybe even pull the upset.

The problem? It's been made pretty clear that Oregon hasn't played any significant ranked teams. Add to that the fact that once Oregon gets an insurmountable lead at halftime, Kelly throttles back and pulls the starters, coasting to a win.

I don't fault that one bit. The final score is not so important to risk unnecessary injuries. That is, perhaps until now.

For all the buildup to this game, legitimate or not, everyone will be paying attention. USC is still Oregon's biggest foe to date (I say "to date" out of respect to Oregon State, but don't get all geeked up Beavs, you still dumped a stinky one last week.).

Coach Kelly, it's time to pull the chocks away from this fighter jet. It's time to fire the cylinders and blow the soot out of this hot rod engine. It's time to move this horse from the short oval to the long straight.

No more easing back and jogging across the finish line. No more collecting hit points for a judges decision. Because you know what? The judges aren't giving you the decisions you want.

Although it's a great mantra, don't just "Win the Day" anymore. Don't just win the game.

Win every quarter. Win every drive. Let's see what this team can do when they are free to do it to the final buzzer.

And not just for USC. Let the Ducks finish out the season that way. Let their dominance be made so clear that even the BCS computers can see it. Sway some swing voters and some of their 60 first place votes away from Alabama.

Bud Withers of the Seattle Times basically says the same thing here as he suggests Oregon should "lay it on USC and Stanford" because they are mutual opponents of Oregon and Notre Dame.

THE USC HYPE ENDS HERE
Since that upset last season, USC has been a biting bug on the Ducks' butts. Yes they have QB Matt Barkley and his two great receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. They resemble the great pass-and-catch trios of Montana, Rice and Clark or Marino, Duper and Clayton.

Those three played perfect football through the first half last year in Eugene. Then USC hung on for dear life in the second to win 38-35.

This year is going to be different. This R-G article talks of one player, defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, but might as well be characterizing the entire defense as stronger, more experienced and better.

Furthermore, the bad news for USC's win last year was that they gave Nick Aliotti a firsthand look, valuable game film and a better team with which approach the rematch. And history shows us a lot of Pac-10/12 teams who successfully got by Alliotti's defense . . . . once.

On the offense, Mariota, Barner, DAT, Lyerla, and the starting receivers -- I hope Kelly keeps them on the field through to the end of the game AND the season with one mission in mind.

I'll let the following video convey this new mission -- a new mantra. "Win the Day" got us to this point. Now, starting at the L.A. Coliseum, let Oregon take the next step . . . .

Crank the volume, then listen to at least 39 seconds to get the full ....uhhh, gist. You're welcome to shut it off after that. . . . .if you want. Otherwise, have fun and get into it. Stand on your desk and heave your chair out the door.



Although this music may not be for everyone, some might enjoy it. Take Beaver Coach Mike Riley, for example.

Whoa, that was FAR OUT!  I could have used that last week.
What key was that in? OK, let's give it a whirl here...
"Destroy everything, like a steamroller baby,
a burnin' churnin' heap of destroyin' funk.
Cause that's why I'm here, oh ya,
Walkin' down that country road...
and destroyin' everything I see....
la la la laaa la la...."

Oregon at USC gametime: Saturday, 4pm Pacific on FOX.

ASU, KSU, and CU -- The Ugly, The Bad, and the Just Plain Terrible.

Give ASU credit for switching to the offense of the future. But it'll take time and new players to make it work. Against Oregon, they saw what they one day hope to be. Thanks to pics from the AZ Republic, we can review the ASU football game just by looking at the crowd:

Before game....

... 8-7...

... 22-7 ...

... 36-7 ...

...43-7...

But here's my favorite. These two pics show the tiny amount of satisfaction at least one ASU fan got from the game...

See the ASU fan in the hat, upper center-left with his
hand in a throwing motion. Duck fan #5 lower right.
Between them is what looks like a brown cup-- I'm
guessing at least a 20-ouncer.
"Hey Greenie, you think you Ducks are fast?..."

"Well DUCK THAT! Harrr Harrr Har...."
Oh I remember the days when we Duck fans used to
get doused with beverages -- and we were LOSING!
Today? It's all good. Be a good Duck and let it roll off the back....
...or front, as it were.  

Sure, Oregon scored 43 points in the first half and rushed for over 400 yards over in a cruise past ASU in Tempe.

But obviously, crushing their toughest opponent yet on the road isn't good enough. Once again uncontrollable forces like scheduling and polls move Oregon farther away from the National Championship despite their undefeated record. The Ducks woke up today to discover that Kansas State leapfrogged them to take the third spot in the BCS.

Why? K. State has more wins over quality opponents. Plain and simple -- or is it? Oregon was forced to schedule weak opponent Tennessee Tech this year because SOMEBODY pulled out of a home-and-home series with them two years ago. Who? I'll let Jason McIntyre of BigLeadSports explain it:

Why is Kansas State in such a great spot? The greatness of Heisman leader Collin Klein and brilliant 73-year-old coach Bill Snyder, obviously. But also because of something that happened in 2010: The Wildcats decided to cancel a home-and-home series with Oregon. KSU was going to visit the Ducks in 2011, then host Chip Kelly’s powerhouse in 2012. So what happened? Here’s what the Register-Guard wrote in September:

By 2010, Bill Snyder was looking ahead to his second season after returning to Kansas State; with a reputation for avoiding powerhouse nonconference opponents, Snyder and the Wildcats soon backed out of their game at Oregon.

Wise move, Snyder. Are the Wildcats unbeaten today if they had to play Oregon instead of Missouri State or North Texas? Probably not. DEFINITELY NOT!

Snyder, you wrinkled old slug slimed, goat sucking, puppy kicking, chemical-toilet seat licking, dung beetle of a SON OF A BITCH!!! I hope you're enjoying this time of being ranked over Oregon. Enjoy every second of it. Because a RECKONING IS COMING. Soon, you will RUE THE DAY you chickened out of your appointed butt kicking at the hands of the Ducks.

Like David Byrne once said, "Watch out. You might get what you're after." You want a date in the Natty, Snyder? We'll wish that right along with you, you room temperature sheep cheese DIP!!  Let's hope for both Florida and Alabama to lose. Then Oregon will cash in on the rain check for that date you skipped.

STOP THE WORLD. THOMAS TYNER IS TWEETING!!!!
Amazing Aloha high school running back Thomas Tyner sent aftershocks through Eugene last week when he tweeted he wanted to de-commit to Oregon and look at other schools.

In response, we all got in our fetal positions on the floor, rocked back and forth and focused on images of puppies and kittens. . . . You all did that too, didn't you?

The very next day, after talking to Chip Kelly and running backs coach Gary Campbell, Tyner changed his mind and announced he is "100% certain" he will officially sign with the Ducks in February.

Whew. That's great news, kid. Now could you just do us one favor between now and February?

STOP IT!!  Stop tweeting your mood swings. Stop opening your mouth just to watch ESPN go bonkers. Stop messing around. Stick to tweets like "Happy Birthday to my girlfriend." or "Wow that Spanish test was hard." or "I forgot my locker combination again LOL."

Let's get real for a minute. As of right now, you are NOT a Duck. While the real grown-up Ducks are seriously trying to do something big here, you still need to finish high school. You need to focus on getting a 'B' or better in Math and English. You still need to keep out of trouble. You haven't even taken your SAT's yet, haven't you?

You're not a star. Not yet at least. As of right now, you are just a distraction. You want to sign with the Ducks? Fine.  You want to shop around? Great. Do it. Just keep it to yourself for four more months.

HELLO, COACH KELLY? THIS IS COACH JON EMBREE AT COLORADO....YA, I'M DOING GREAT. SAY LISTEN, WOULD IT BE OK IF WE JUST MAIL IN THE LOSS AND SAVE OURSELVES THE TRIP?
Oh if only they could. Coach Kelly has to dig a little deeper in explaining to the team that this is Oregon's Super Bowl of the week.

How bad is Colorado? They let a mediocre USC hang 50 points on them last week. . . . No, my tongue is not in my cheek. I'm completely serious.

The one important thing about playing Colorado is that more than any of Oregon's previous opponents, they best resemble USC's offense. An interesting article in the Oregonian shed light on a coincidence in Oregon's schedule. All the teams Oregon has played to this point have been in the process of playing more like Oregon -- spread option, little or no huddle.

From here on out starting with the Buffaloes (or is it Buffalo?), Oregon will be facing primarily traditional pro sets. So this will be a good scrimmage before the following week's game at USC.

THE MOST UNDERRATED ASSISTANT COACH IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
I think he would make an excellent head coach anywhere, including Oregon. Of whom do I speak, you ask? John Canzano wrote about him here.

Colorado game time Saturday, 12 noon on the Pac 12 network. The first half should last about 90 minutes, after which you should enjoy the rest of your Saturday with family and friends, maybe touring the country side and enjoying the fall colors, or preparing the kids Halloween costumes.

I quoted him. So I better play him. CRANK IT!


--KB

ASU Football Team Fully Functional

Right you are, Admiral Ackbar. Oregon's trip to ASU is the trappiest of trap games on the schedule. The Devils represent an away game against a team Oregon has beaten seven consecutive times. They're not USC. The Ducks have annihilated all their previous foes thus far. What could go wrong?

Everything.

If ever Coach Kelly needs to bang on his "Our next game is a Super Bowl" mantra, it's now.

Besides Arizona, ASU is the other Pac-12 team that has dedicated itself to begin playing like Oregon, training like Oregon, and winning like Oregon. Their new coach Todd Graham has it figured out in that he began conditioning his team to a faster pace on day one in the Spring, and not the week before they play the Ducks.

Read the bulk of this Arizona Repubic article: ASU Football Counts on Fitness vs. Oregon Ducks. Tell me if anything rings a bell.

....But there is one really big difference between the Sun Devils under Todd Graham and the past several teams under Dennis Erickson, including his 2011 team that started 6-2 and then imploded.

They're in shape.

Yeah, it seems pretty basic. But although Graham publicly hasn't said much about it, privately members of his staff were taken aback by the physical condition in which they found the Sun Devils when they took over the program.

Tired players make mental mistakes and commit stupid penalties. And they're apt to quit when a game or a season turns bad. Does that sound familiar?

We all saw just how bad it had gotten when linebacker Vontaze Burfict showed up at the NFL combine in terrible condition and embarrassed himself so badly that he went undrafted.

To his credit, Burfict got back to work and made the Cincinnati Bengals roster as a free agent.

And to the credit of Arizona State's players, they have bought what Graham is selling. And selling. And selling.

"Look at this," linebacker Brandon Magee instructed. "When it comes to the second half and the fourth quarter, we're dominating. We're in better shape than we've ever been.

"The fourth quarter starts, and I feel great. I'm not even tired at the end of games. So we just keep giving the ball to our offense, and with their tempo the other team wears down."
Sound familiar?

It's true. The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 98-30 in the second half this season and 64-7 in the fourth quarter.

Of course, that isn't apt to happen against the never-blink Ducks. This is the first real measuring stick for the Sun Devils and their pedal-to-the-metal approach.

"Oh, it's huge," Magee said. "They want the same thing in the third and fourth quarter that we want. But I think we're going to be fine. It's going to be a lot of fun."

It will be more fun if the Sun Devils can rise, as Graham said they must, to "a different level" against an Oregon team that will test their conditioning and resolve.

"You could play 65 snaps against these guys in a half," Graham said. "It's a huge, huge challenge Thursday."

When Graham took over and popped in tapes of last year's team, he knew he had a different challenge.

"Oh, no doubt," he said. "We knew we had to get in a lot better shape, and (strength and conditioning coach) Shawn Griswold is the very best at doing that.

"But I'm telling you we're not even close to where we need to be. We can't run the tempo we want to run. But we were pretty fast last game, and there's only been about five plays on defense all year where guys were saying "Coach, I'm about to fall over.' So that's pretty amazing."

Maybe more amazing, the Sun Devils are seeing in opponents what their opponents used to see in them.

"It was huge in the Illinois game," senior tackle Brice Schwab said. "You could look over and see their defensive line was dying. Same with the Cal game. If you look at the whole season, the second half has been ours. We kick it into gear."

"To be honest, we were just an all-around undisciplined team. We're in a whole lot better shape this year. We wouldn't even condition during a bye week before. We were doing a lot of conditioning during our bye week this season."

Senior Andrew Sampson, who starts at guard alongside Schwab, has seen it, too.

"I think the focus that came in with Coach Gris and his staff really turned things around," he said. "Their mind-set changed our mind-set. You can't take any plays off. Not in games. Not in practice. Not even in warmups or training. Never.

"It's the advantage of our no-huddle offense. It wears them down. It's nice when they're dead, and you're not dead, and you can see it."

The first sign, Magee said, usually is silence.

"They're talking so much smack at the beginning of the game and then in the third, fourth quarter I'm like, 'Are you guys still there or what?' Are you still playing?' " Magee said, smiling. "It's kind of funny."
Oregon players say stuff like this all the time.

A fast, deep, well-conditioned Oregon team isn't going to break like some of ASU's earlier opponents did. Yet the Sun Devils are still eager to test their left-lane, hammer-down approach against the Quack Attack.

"We're not doing anything different against Oregon," Sampson said. "It's the same way we do things against everybody. It's not like we're going to try to go faster than usual. We're always trying to go faster, so it's going to be a high-tempo game. And we're ready for it."

And then there's the defense
Forget Arizona, Coach Graham has installed the new Desert Swarm at ASU. As explained in this excerpt from today's article in the Oregonian:  
The Sun Devils' defense will test all that [Mariota] the redshirt freshman quarterback has learned to date with an eclectic array of schemes and blitzes.

"That's probably the best defense we'll have faced all year," Mariota said.

And they will be coming for young Mariota, who turns 19 on Oct. 30.

"They bring everybody from everywhere," offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. "I think they've brought literally every player at some point."

How is Mariotta and Co. to handle the Devils' aggresive defense? I have the answer in two magical words:

SHOVEL PASS.

That's right. Anytime they blitz from the edges as the article says they are often wanton to do, just shovel it to DAT up the middle and "Whoop! There it is.".

And just to remember that you heard it from me first, let's make the rule that whatever beverage you're sipping through the game Thursday night, you have to chug the whole container whenever Oregon pitches the shovel.

Breaking News:
Aloha's Thomas Tyner decommits from Oregon Ducks

Oregonian Sports, October 16, 2012 10:11 p.m.
Record-setting Aloha running back Thomas Tyner has decommitted from Oregon to take other recruiting visits, the website Duck Territory reported Tuesday night.

After the news was reported, Tyner posted a message on his Twitter account: “How do I know where I'm truly happy if I haven't put myself out there yet? Still love my ducks. Gotta do what I gotta do.”

Tyner made national headlines this season when he ran for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns in a win over Lakeridge. In seven games, he has rushed for 2,328 yards, averaging 12.7 yards per carry for the Warriors (7-0).

Tyner is rated as the No. 4 senior running back in the nation by Scout.com and No. 6 by Rivals.com. He orally committed to Oregon in November.

Aloha coach Chris Casey said Tuesday night that he wasn’t aware of Tyner decommitting from Oregon, but that schools have continued to pursue him, as well as Aloha senior lineman Brayden Kearsley, who committed to Brigham Young in Sept. 2011.

“He and Brayden have stayed open to those schools, so people are going to stay on them,” Casey said.

OK. Let's all just take a breath. Nobody panic. Chip Kelly can't talk about recruits; but what would he say? He would say that every recruit should explore all his options before making a final decision. That is how DeAnthony Thomas changed his mind about USC and came to Oregon.

Tyner is doing the prudent thing. He's not saying 'no' to the Ducks. He's just making sure all his avenues have been explored -- the sign of a smart man.

But I swear, if he decides to go to Washington, USC, Oregon State or any SEC team, . . . well as Master YoDuck would say:



Have fat angry kittens I will.


Gametime at ASU, Thursday Oct. 18th, 6pm Pacific on ESPN.

Dawgs and Saban -- A Week of Goons and Clowns

Knowing the Ducks were flat out better, the Huskies tried to
  rip Oregon's helmets off so they would have to sit out for a play.

Washington gave Oregon their best shot, but only after the Ducks scored three touchdowns. And then that shot was cheap.

Like the Don James teams of old, the Huskies resorted to gooniness to make some kind of "tough" statement. Face masks, illegal blocks and head spearing accounted for much of their 102 yards  in penalties. Freshman linebacker Travis Feeney earned the "Goon Ball" for the game when he pulled Marcus Mariota out of bounds and threw him into the benches on the Husky sidelines. 

As he was making his way back onto the field, the normally calm and cool Mariota turned around and offered the Dawgs his newly reassessed opinion of them.

He said afterward:

"They had a couple of guys that were kind of standing over me," Mariota said of the incident that occurred after a run for no gain with Oregon leading 35-7. "I'm never the kind of guy that if you disrespect me or if you disrespect my teammates, I'm not going to just let that kind of go. There's situations where you can keep your head and there's situations where you're going to say something. And I felt that at that point in time, they were getting a little chippy. I felt I needed to say something. That's usually not in my character."

What can we say, Marcus? We could've told you that the Huskies have a way of pricking at your dark side.  But like all of us Duck players and fans before, you just have to discover it for yourself.


This Husky tackles a big armload of air
as DAT sprints 16 yards to a first quarter TD.

Mariota and the rest of the team did infinitely better than so many Oregon teams of an earlier generation of rising above the Dawg's sh*t and playing good football. Talk to them at their sideline?

Amazing. 240-pound Colt Lyerla skies for this TD catch.

 No. Talk to them from their endzone.

The Ducks couldn't have picked a better opponent to play their most complete game yet. Even columnist John Canzano, who earlier complained that the Ducks can't play a complete half or a play well on both sides of the ball, now complains that the Ducks are boring as they steamroll over their opponents. Ain't no pleasin' some people.

Same song, second verse:
"Price throws to the side and INTERCEPTED, INTERCEPTED.
Avery Patterson has intercepted . . . . And Avery Patterson
is gonna SCORE! Avery Patterson is gonna SCORE!
20...10...TOUCHDOWN, AVERY PATTERSON!!!!"

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times began his article, Ducks Serve Up More Humiliation, like this:

The little girl, dressed in Oregon colors, held up a sign and scowled.

It read: "I wasn't born the last time UW beat Oregon."

Yes, it has gotten that bad. Daddy's little girl is now the Dawgs' little devil.

The Ducks don't just refer to their youth by age anymore. They introduce them according to how many Husky beatdowns they've experienced.

All children age 8 and under born with a silver swoosh in their mouths don't remember when this was a competitive rivalry, let alone that the Huskies used to dominate the matchup. Every year, you keep waiting for the momentum to shift, and every year, Oregon grinds a foot into Washington's throat.

 As Whintey Houston sang, "I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way."

I encourage everyone to sit down with their kids this week and remind them of the "Dark Days of the Purple Haze" when children hid, mothers trembled, and fathers cried. TEACH THEM WELL about how far we've come to provide them a Husky-free Northwest. Let them not take for granted their freedom from Dawg goonery and purple-shirted oppression.
_________________________________
Shhh, Shhh. Quiet everybody. Nick Saban has some wonderful words of wisdom he wants to share with us!!!

What the hell is the "Amazin' Saban" flappin' his yap about this time? He said last week:
"The way people are going no-huddle right now, that at some point in time we should look at how fast we allow the game to go in terms of player safety. The team gets into formation and you can't substitute defensive players. You go on a 14-, 16-, 18-play drive and they're snapping the ball as fast as you can go, and you look out there and all your players are walking around and can't get lined up, and that's when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt when they're not ready to play."

Nick Saban, you're so wise and
all-knowing, you should wear a
big pointy hat and live in Italy.

This election year is a bad time for the Alabama coach to tell us of his "concern for player safety" that a no-huddle offense OBVIOUSLY threatens. We the people on both sides of the political fence have all gotten our fill of disengenous, alterior-motived speeches and sound bites lately that we can smell his BS a mile away.

I was panning Canzano earlier for never talking too nice about the Ducks. But in this linked story, Nick Saban's transparent attack on the Oregon Ducks is laughable, he shows that the Ducks are his meat. And he doesn't let anyone like Saban get away with talking this crap. Excellent read.

Currently 'Bama is ranked #1, Oregon is #2. Let those numbers stand. You know the whole nation wants this matchup to see if Saban's warning rings true and speed really kills. Or will it merely humiliate, which is what Saban is REALLY worried about.
___________________________

No Duck game this Saturday. Ducks down in Tempe Thursday after next.

You still got that Whitney Houston song in your head, don't you? Sorry about that. Maybe this will help:



--KB

Can't you smell Husky Hate? No really, can't you?

They're coming. Like stink bugs riding a spring wind. The Washington Huskies are coming to Autzen. And with them they will bring legions of obnoxious fans in their purple travel trailers.

Starting today, they'll be driving down I-5.  Just stick your nose in the air, you can smell them. Putrid. Fresh vomit on a stale urine stain. Maggots on road kill in the hot sun. 

"It's the smell. I feel saturated by it. I can taste they're stink.
And everytime I do I somehow feel I've been infected by it.
It's repulsive."--Agent Smith on the Huskies, OK actually it was
on humans in general. But probably specifically the Huskies.

Oregon has beaten the Dawgs eight consecutive times. But unfortunately it doesn't keep them away. Once a year, we walk out on our lawns and find their steaming fresh feces packed into the grooves of our Nikes. And our noses don't lie. They're back for more.

To make matters worse they beat a ranked Stanford team and you could hear their barking all the way down here. They acted like they were back in the hunt for the Rose Bowl.

That win gave them a #23 ranking. And a ranked dawg is just that. Rank. They're barking so loud now. Just read these Dawg Pound blog comments from Husky fans:

Something that is quite impressive about Oregon is how they are willing and able to rotate so many guys. Brock Huard noted in the Oregon/WSU game that 22-24 guys get regular snaps on defense for Oregon (and obviously more in blowout games); that not only keeps the players fresh, it helps ensure that when key players graduate, the guys left behind aren’t lacking in experience and are better prepared to take their place. They are also better prepared to withstand injuries.

OK that wasn't so bad. But look at these others:  

This is another good D the Dawgs will face. The positive is that we have faced some good ones so far this year. SDSU was known for their disguised blitzes and looks, LSU had pro-quality players on the D, Stanford had one of the strongest lines in the PAC. Oregon provides an attacking defense that won’t be afraid to give up big plays. They know that the offense will be able to pick them up if they do. When you are not afraid of making a mistake, you become very dangerous. With the patchwork O-Line and Price not looking as good as last year, this is a tough matchup.


but i think you VASTLY underrate oregons secondary. ifo and t-mitch i.m.h.o. are the 2 best corners in the pack, and will both be playing on sundays when their careers at oregon are over. I dont think washington has much of an edge (if any) in that category

Well, I guess eight years of losing is a long time to keep up their end of a one sided rivalry. You think about it, that's two full generations of freshmen-to-senior students having never seen a Husky victory over Oregon. And all indications are tomorrow could be the worst loss for them yet.

A more candid than usual Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian said in his article Forget Washington's defense, what's up with the offense:

But none of that [improved defense] will matter if UW can't move the football. Teams with bad offenses only fuel Oregon's engine by giving the Ducks the ball a few extra times and in better field position. That raises the degree of difficulty for the defense and leads to fatigue followed by 21-straight points by Oregon and the ballgame is over.

The storyline Saturday is not Washington's defense versus Oregon's offense. Instead, it's whether or not a poor UW offense can find any success against a dominant Oregon defense.

So the game itself doesn't lend much to "Hate Husky" week. Even the Huskies know they're in for their ninth consecutive beating. All they can fight for is that it won't be their worst -- a nice thought for Duck fans.

Perhaps we can look at Washington's coaching personnel to return the rival bile taste into our mouths. We do have traitors in our midst in Peter Sirmon and Justin Wilcox -- former excellent Ducks who are now heading up Washington's defense.

Here is a scathing article from the Ken Goe -- Ex-Duck Justin Wilcox a difference maker for the Washington Defense. . . . . OK, actually it's a rather nice story about his great time at Oregon and successful career as an assistant coach all over the country, plus how his name is on a list for Cal should Jeff Tedford not remain after this year.

But at least there is no love lost between Wilcox and the staff at Oregon . . .

Justin Wilcox: Fierce enemy or
fine young man?

Oregonian article: Oregon's Nick Aliotti remains close with 'younger brother' Justin Wilcox, his UW counterpart

Excerpt: "Nothing ever surprises me about Justin," UO defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said.

Aliotti and Wilcox remain close. They talk weekly, and Wilcox said that Aliotti was one of his biggest influences in becoming a coach.

"He's like a younger brother, I guess," Aliotti said, adding: "I really care about that guy. I like that guy. Now, I don't like him this Saturday, and I haven't liked him much this week. But deep down, it's all about good people. ...

"I have a lot of respect and I care a lot about Justin and his career and him on and off the field."

(SIGH) C'mon people. Where's the hate? Can't we all just NOT get along?
Help me out, Agent Smith . . . .

"Honestly, I'm just hoping for a good
fair game where nobody gets hurt."

. . . . Life is tough for a Husky Hater these days.

Gametime Saturday 7:30 Pacific ESPN