Putting the Dawgs Down

Ten years had to be enough for Washington. And to top it off, they had to come to Autzen and have Oregon's 20-year old highlight rubbed in their faces. Who was Kenny Wheaton anyway?

Half of those players probably weren't even born when Wheaton caught that "INTERCEPTION . . . . INTERCEPTION . . . ".

Coming in to Saturday's game, Washington was 5-1, which ironically was their record on that fateful day 20 years ago. They were playing well. Cyler Miles is a seasoned QB. Good running back. Big defensive line.

This was the perfect time for Washington to get off the mat and wallop Oregon.

Naaaa.

Have the Ducks finally broken the Huskies? This had to be the worst Dawg show I had ever seen. They were toothless. Heartless. Mangy. Droopy. Submissive. Neutered.

In all my years, I have never seen a Duck win over the
Huskies get so boring that the kids broke at the
inflatable beer pong.

New coach Chris Petersen's hiring to lead Washington was popular partly because his BS Broncos had beaten Oregon twice. He was in the perfect position to tell his team, "The streak ends NOW!"  Days before the game, he was asked if his team was fired up for this game. His answer:
 “Hard for me to know. I know about the Oregon-Washington stuff, but that’s not my focus, getting them fired up. To me, this needs to be about us. We’ve got (to play) a really good team — one of the better teams in the country, if not one of the best in the country, for sure. So what are we going to do? We know what they’re going to do. We know how good and how hard they’re going to play. What can we do? So I always want this to be back on us, the focus on us: ‘Are you doing the best you can do?’”

Pragmatic and honest. But not exactly the stuff of Bear Bryant . His team certainly answered his question for him.

The Oregonian's Jason Quick wrote a great article, DUCKS BEAT HUSKIES, WHO RETURN TO IRRELEVANCY WITH A LAUGH. Here's the first part . . .
EUGENE — These days, the path to irrelevancy has become so well-worn by the Washington Huskies that near the end of Saturday's 45-20 beatdown by the Oregon Ducks, it apparently has become a laughing matter.
With 4:30 left in a game well out of hand, junior defensive back Marcus Peters and  senior defensive back Travell Dixon stood beyond the 35-yard-line on the Huskies sideline and had quite a knee-slapping chuckle.
Peters, who is one of the Huskies better players, but has been suspended and off limits to media the past three weeks, acted as if he was dealing dollar bills into the air, one after the other like a blackjack dealer. Dixon, who didn't play a down, thought that was funny, and exchanged a couple quick slaps of the hand with Peters.
It went on and on for the rest of the 4:33. Smiles. Laughs. A couple index-finger-to- the-eyebrow salutes by Peters.
Never mind the closing minutes included more of Oregon continuing the bludgeoning of their teammates on the field, eventually settling for a field goal after Oregon true freshman Royce Freeman had his fifth touchdown negated by a penalty.
I asked first-year Huskies coach Chris Petersen what he thought of players on his sideline yucking it up during a bloodbath.
"It depends what you are talking about, and what they are laughing at,'' Petersen said. "But I don't think anyone thought that game was funny the way it turned out.''

Credit two things to Oregon's total domination. First, the team continues to heal and improve, especially the offensive line. Jake Fisher is solidly back, and the entire unit is light years beyond those terrible games against WSU and Arizona. Their success was Mariota's and Royce Freeman's success. We had never seen a better display of straight-up-the-middle runs this season.

The second key was the defense's success in shutting down the meat and potatoes of Washington's offense. Rob Moseley of goducks.com explained it well in his story, DEFENSE SWARMS HUSKIES, SHUTS DOWN RUNNING GAME. Here is an excerpt:
While the Oregon offense displayed impressive versatility in beating Washington 45-20 on Saturday, the UO defense kept the Huskies from doing so when they had the ball. While helping the Ducks forge a 35-6 lead through the first 40 minutes, Oregon all but shut down the UW rushing game and also coaxed quarterback Cyler Miles into his first interception of the season.

The return of defensive end Arik Armstead from injury had a big impact. He and the rest of the 'D' forced Washington into a lot of third and longs.

It all contributed to the Ducks making Washington look downright terrible. Before the game I was nervous over whether Oregon could continue the streak. I never imagined win #11 would turn out to be one of the most dominant.

Good News for Cal. They can lose and no one will notice.
Cal throws much like Washington State did. But they have no defense. Limit their passing, and Oregon will sweep them into the Bay. But the real question is, If a Duck quacks in the Bay, and no one is there to listen, does it make a sound?

Who in SF is going to even notice?  They're playing at the 49er's Levi Stadium -- far away from the Cal Berkley campus. That'll reduce their gate.

What's more, at game time the city of San Francisco might be distracted by their Giants playing across town in the World Series.
How bad is it for Cal? (I kid you not.) They were selling tickets to the Oregon game cheap through Groupon.

Maybe Cal should tell it's fans they can get Wi-Fi
in Levi Stadium so they can watch the World Series
once Oregon starts pulling away.

Why win when you can be unique?
Cal Coach Sonny Dykes, when asked by John Canzano in this story, had this to say about recruiting and those kids who choose to go to Oregon because of their fancy uniforms.
"That's where you're going to go to college, that's where you're going to get your education," Dykes said. "There's a lot of factors that I think are a lot more important factors than what you're going to wear 12 Saturdays a year. But, you know, kids like those things.
"The thing about it is, at Cal, we're a unique university. Academics are going to be a big thing here. Kids who come to Cal are going to have to work really hard. The type of kids we recruit, typically, the uniforms aren't going to matter that much."
That's really good Sonny. You should be proud. No really. Hopefully that'll work for you to turn around your current 5-14 record at Cal.

In other news, another 4-star quarterback just committed to the Ducks. Meanwhile two other 5-star recruits each just narrowed their choices to a handful of teams including possibly Oregon and definitely not Cal.

Nevertheless he's right. It's not about fancy uniforms. It's about identifying with a program that cares about feeling like winners, looking like winners, training like winners, acting like winners, and just being winners.

Texas A-holes & Morons


I'll give you something
to salute, you
jack booted freak.

This just in. Another SEC team backs out of a scheduled home-and-home series against Oregon. Here's a link to the story.Texas A&M won't play Oregon in 2018, 2019 football series
Hey Saggies, stick your jack boots up your chicken sh!t asses. I am sick of these top tiered teams canceling their commitments to come out West and play at Autzen. Mark my words, the Saggies will replace those dates with weak patsies like Furman, Weber State, Presbyterian, or Washington.

Game time FRIDAY EVENING, 7:15 Pacific on Fox Sports 1

--KB

Who'll Stop the Reign?

Photos from Oregonian, SF Chronicle, and SI.

The injury to DeAnthony Thomas, the monsoon-like weather, and Cal's defense holding the Ducks scoreless in the fourth quarter -- it all added up to Oregon's offense being held to its lowest score of the season: 55 points.

No one would've asked Oregon to score 50-plus under those unbelievable conditions. But they, nevertheless, asked it of themselves. This is one tough team.

In today's Oregonian article, Mental toughness just another part of the Ducks' impressive repertoire, center Hroniss Grasu said,
“A lot of other teams could have made excuses with this weather,’’ Grasu said. “But I think our team did a great job of keeping out the distractions of the weather, and just go out and play Oregon football. We set a standard for ourselves, and I think we met that standard.’’

Granted, Oregon had as many fumbles as Cal in the 1st quarter (Four each), but lost none of them. And to running back Byron Marshall's credit, who had three of those drops in his first three carries, he figured it out and secured the ball better to finish the game with 130 yards and two TD's.

Bralon Addison, who had two amazing punt returns for TD's, added this:
Receiver Bralon Addison,.... said head coach Mark Helfrich began establishing a mindset as early as Monday, when the weather forecasts started coming in. Every day, Addison said, Helfrich addressed the weather and delivered a variation of his message: You can’t worry about what you can’t control.

“I thought we showed a lot of discipline and maturity,’’ Addison said. “They said it was one of the worst rainy days in Eugene in some time and we didn’t put our heads down.’’

Cal putting their heads down.

Poor Goff . . .

. . . just could not hold that slippery rock.

While Cal's freshman QB Jared Goff had an absolutely terrible time just holding on to the ball, let alone throwing it, Marcus Mariota and his receivers seemed to play as if the skies were clear and calm for most of the evening. He finished 11 for 25 for 114 yards, 2 TD's, no interceptions plus one rushing TD.

Darryle Hawkins, Josh Huff, Bralon Addison
and the other receivers handled the ball superbly
given the conditions.

Said Mariota in this SI article,
"I've been playing in the rain since I was a little kid. Hawaii has its passing showers," the sophomore quarterback said. "So it really doesn't bother me."

Watching you play like that, Marcus, none of the 50,000 soaking wet Duck fans were bothered by the rain that night.

What rain?

Even Hipster Duck likes it.

How's DAT?
We all saw the way DeAnthony Thomas twisted his ankle. He was clearly injured. It was wise for the staff to put him in a boot, give him a crutch and declare him done for the day.

I'm not a doctor, but I am no stranger to diagnosing myself from stuff I read on WebMD. And since we know that we will not hear word one from Oregon about his condition, what the hell . . . 

Looking at the moment of that twist, I believe it won't be a long rehab. DAT twisted the outer ligaments to their limit, but it was a sideways twist and not like he came down on it with all of his weight.

We may not see him at Colorado, and frankly I hope we don't. The Ducks don't need DAT to beat the Buffs.

Ducks got his back.

They might need him the week following against the Huskies; but if they can spare him that week too, he can go a whole two additional weeks until UCLA comes to town.

Besides, Marshall is establishing himself. And freshman Thomas Tyner is surpassing all expectations. There's no sense in making DAT play at 70 or 80%. Let him heal and be good to go for the second half of the season.


Who's fired? ME?!?!?!
I once heard a manager say that if the person you're firing acts completely shocked like he's the last person in the company to suspect he might be fired, then you made a good decision.

USC's AD Pat Haden did not even wait for Lane Kiffin to get back to campus after their loss at ASU. He met the plane at the airport at 3 a.m. to tell Kiffin that one of them needed to sleep better at night.

Poor Kiffin didn't even
have his dad to blame.

What astonished me was the report that Kiffin then spent 45 minutes trying to defend his performance and keep his job.

Hey Kiffin, you've lost 7 of your last 11 games. You're 0 for 2 in league play consisting of a home loss to the second tiered Cougars, and another team (Does it matter who?) that hung 62 points on your sorry Trojans. 62 POINTS!!!

Why SHOULDN'T you get fired? You should've been thanking Haden for letting you fly back on the plane.



Next: Oregon at Colorado, Saturday 3pm Pacific.
--KB

The Ducks

Cal likes to pass, and Oregon's secondary has to be ready. Fortunately according to this article from the Oregonian, they are already ready with nicknames. Four of the best athletes you may ever see in Duck uniforms have earned their own handles.

I threw in photos of them, plus a few other members the story forgot to mention.

Oregon football: When it comes to the Ducks' secondary, it's hard to pass on this 'brotherhood'
EUGENE -- He refers to it as a brotherhood, the way these Oregon defensive backs play together and interact with each other, and to Ifo Ekpre-Olomu that means so much more than being considered the best secondary to come through Eugene in some time.
“It’s great that people think of us as a great secondary, but I think I’ve known that since I got here that we have something special,’’ Ekpre-Olomu said. “But we don’t look at it like that. We just look at it as an opportunity to get each one of us better each day. I think we push each other every day to become the best we can be.’’
Their brotherhood, and their legacy figure to be tested Saturday when pass-happy Cal comes to Autzen Stadium averaging 58.5 pass attempts per game (third in the nation) and 438.7 yards per game (second in the nation).
Although Oregon coach Mark Helfrich and secondary coach John Neal said stopping the Bears’ passing attack takes all 11 defensive players, the Ducks’ secondary will be under the spotlight for the first time this season. With freshman phenom Jared Goff at quarterback, and a deep and talented wide receivers corps, Cal is the first pass-first offense the Ducks have encountered.
And that challenge is just fine with the Ducks’ secondary, which has played a role in Oregon ranking second in the nation in fewest yards allowed per pass attempt.
So how do they do it?
It helps when you have a Mad Dog. The Total Package. The Island. And The Student.
“All fascinating guys,’’ Neal says.

Mad Dog is safety Avery Patterson, a senior who last year had interceptions in three consecutive games, including consecutive games when he returned them for touchdowns.




The Mad Dog

“They don’t come tougher than him,’’ Neal said. “He is like mad-dog tough. You hit him with a 2x4 in the face and he will get up and say ‘Do it again.’ He’s really tough.’’[Gosh Coach, I hear Oregon's practices are cutting edge and all, but I really don't think you should be clubbing players with 2 x 4's.]
This game probably means more to Patterson than anyone. He is from Pittsburg, which is near Cal's Berkeley campus, and last season, he blew out his knee at Cal while cutting on a non-contact play, ending his season.


The Situation

“I definitely do owe them a little something,’’ Patterson said. “I’m not going to go crazy out there and do something I’m not supposed to, but I do owe Cal a little something.’’


The Accumulation

The Total Package is Ekpre-Olomu, the junior cornerback who last year was a first-team All Pac-12


The Total Package

selection and third-team All-American.
“He is one of the best all-around football players I have ever coached,’’ Neal said. “He is a one-in-a ... one-in-a-lot player. He doesn’t have a weakness.’’
Ekpre-Olomu says there are two things he studies as a receiver is running his route: their hands and their eyes. When he sees their hands raise, or their eyes turn, he knows it’s time to look for the ball.
“He’s real smart,’’ Patterson said. “He has a lot of things you can’t teach. He’s not just a cover corner - he’s good in run support. He is like the total package.’’ [He's by far the smartest. Never once did he ask to be hit in the face with a 2 x 4.]

The Total Recall

The Total Idiot

The Island is junior cornerback Terrance Mitchell, who has one of the Ducks’ three interceptions this season.

The Island

“Terrance has unbelievable balance  and is an unbelievable tackler,’’ Neal said. “He is really strong in his hips and legs and is really tough.’’
Mitchell credits the Ducks’ system for much of the secondary’s success, saying the coaches have

The Edge

The Lake

devised ways that help the defensive backs from being “picked” when offenses use a cluster of receivers on one side. Patterson said it might not matter what scheme the Ducks employ; Mitchell can just flat-out cover
“He’s that lock-down corner,’’ Patterson said. “You put him on that island, and he will go and shut your number one receiver down. You put him on that island and he will do his job.’’





The Student

The Student is safety Brian Jackson, the senior who already has one degree from Oregon (sociology), is close to a second one (psychology), and who uses film study to anticipate plays on the field.
“I like to see the big picture,’’ Jackson said. “If I’m at practice, but not in, I like to watch the whole
field. I’m pretty good with my eyes, so I like to see what this person is doing, what that person is doing, what the linebackers are doing .... that way, you see how everybody is working together, what your job is, and why it’s important.’’

The Professor

Neal says Jackson’s acumen isn’t his only asset.
“He’s extremely smart, and has off-the-chart work ethic,’’ Neal said. “Nobody in college football works harder than him, and he’s like that all the time.’’
And those are just the starters. Like many units on the Ducks, the secondary uses players liberally. Ekpre-Olomu says Erick Dargan and Reggie Daniels have the best hands in the secondary, and Neal said Troy Hill would start at most schools. And Dior Mathis this season at Virginia had a 97-yard interception return, which is tied for the longest non-scoring interception in school history.

and Mary Ann

“We are fearless, opportunistic and smart,’’ Patterson said. “ And we all have a lot of experience. Put us all together and it makes a nice little group.’’
--Jason Quick






 It's pretty clear that Oregon's offense can throw up a bunch of points. But while they may be able to score 49 this Saturday, it is reassuring that they wouldn't have to score more than 18 or 22 to win.

Cal got off to slow start this season, but they're improving. Although they lost, they scored more points on Ohio State (34) than any other Buckeye foe this season.

The New Pro

It'll take all of Oregon's cool named talent to shut down Cal's passing machine. And if they pass this test, they'll be better prepared moving on to better teams.

The Old Kahn

SCHOOL FINALLY STARTS
This will be the first game with the students officially enrolled, moved in, booked up, and already begging their parents for money. A few observations between this generation and when I went to Oregon.

   In 1986, the University of Oregon's computer department  had about two dozen state of the art machines called Apple IIe's (That reads "two-e's"), and their memories literally doubled when you inserted a double sided floppy disk.

   Go to the Oregon Bookstore today, not one IBM Selectric cartridge ribbon available.

   My roommate and I were popular because our dorm room had its own phone.

   Most Duck alums who really wanted their kids to go to Oregon don't know how much it costs because they would just rather not know.

   Over 1/3 of the freshmen young men are named Connor. And half the girls are named after either a month or a river.

   In my day, Oregon fans got excited whenever the football team didn't huddle because we all knew the 'swinging gate" was coming.

   Ask kids these days, they don't care what Frankie says.


Game time: Saturday Evening 7:37 pm Pacific on Pac-12 Network.

--KB

To Get More Wins, We'll Need More CASH

Somebody tweeted last week that Cal's QB Zach Maynard missed a lot of throws -- throws that Stanford's Andrew Luck will NOT miss. The point he was making was that Oregon's defense gave up a lot of yards again, particularly passing yards.
ASU's QB doesn't miss much either. This will be a good test for Oregon. Can they shut down a prolific offense when they have to?
The answer to this could hinge on the comeback of one player, Cliff "CASH" Harris. His performance on the field is legendary. Unfortunately, so are his offseason screw ups. He's been under Coach Kelly's thumb for so long, he's got a thumb print on the back of his head.
This article by Ken Goe in today's Oregonian sums it up:

Ducks Insider: How Oregon's Cliff Harris conundrum influences the defense
By Ken Goe, The Oregonian EUGENE -- It's worth noting that Cliff Harris leads the No. 9 Oregon Ducks in pass break-ups this season. .



  The junior cornerback hasn't started a game this year and isn't listed on this week's two-deep depth chart. But he has broken up five passes in limited playing time. Three players have four.
  It's a strange situation. Four organizations -- the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, SI.com and ESPN.com -- named Harris a first-team All-American in 2010.
  But at midseason 2011, with 18th-ranked Arizona State rolling into Autzen Stadium on Saturday for a 7:15 p.m. nationally televised showdown, Harris is -- on paper, anyway -- a third-stringer.
  Much of what happens in the UO football program is as transparent as the bottom of a Coke bottle. This much we know.
  Harris didn't have an offseason to remember. He was ticketed for driving 118 mph on I-5 with a suspended license in the wee hours of a Sunday morning in June. When the state trooper asked who had the marijuana he could smell, Harris replied: "We smoked it all." [Now available on T-shirts!]
  He was suspended indefinitely, the suspension lasting through the Ducks' season-opening 40-27 loss to LSU.
  All of that supposedly is -- excuse the expression -- in the rearview mirror. Coach Chip Kelly lifted the suspension. Harris made what seemed to be a heartfelt public apology on Comcast SportsNet, expressing regret for his actions and a determination to be a positive role model in the future.
  That apparently didn't move him up the depth chart. Neither did the three fourth-quarter pass break-ups Harris had off the bench during last week's 43-15 victory over California.
  "Everything we do is earned in this program," Kelly said Tuesday, responding to a question about Harris. "Nothing is handed to anybody."
  Kelly, apparently, is talking about performance in practice, because Harris' play in games would seem to earn him a spot on center stage. This is a player who led the Pac-10 last year in interceptions and the NCAA in passes defended.
  Asked to define in what way Harris needs to improve in practice, Kelly said: "Specifically? Breaking on a 'T' cut on a 45-degree angle out of a post-corner route."
   Uh huh. After Wednesday's practice, Kelly again was asked about Harris.
  "Cliff's effort was as good as the questions I've had today," Kelly said, eyes twinkling.
  Asked how good he thought the questions were, Kelly responded: "Again, as good as Cliff's effort."
[Oh, OK.  Hey, wait a minute coach, . . . . . Are you messin' with us?]
  Kelly's "Win The Day" mantra is about giving maximum effort for each hour of each day, each day of each week, each week of each year. The idea is to make pursuit of excellence a habit. As a personal philosophy, it's not bad.
  Some players, though, are gamers. Harris seems to rise to the occasion when the lights go on. And his teammates respond to the elan he brings to the field.
  Cornerback Anthony Gildon, while claiming full confidence in all of his teammates, said: "Anytime Cliff is on the field it adds an extra bit of confidence to the field. I mean, you just know he knows what he's going to do."
  As a 17-year-old freshman, Harris reportedly stood up in a team meeting and introduced himself by saying: "My name is Cliff Harris, and I'm here to lock (stuff) down."
  It's not bragging if you do it.
  Harris had to play his way onto the field last year too. He didn't start until the seventh game of the season. The Ducks are only five games into this one. Last week Harris apparently resumed his role as primary punt returner. Maybe things are right on schedule.
  Last year, though, the Ducks forced 37 turnovers in 13 games. So far this year, they have forced four in five games.
  "We've had a lot of chances," Gildon said. "We just have to finish. We have to finish plays. We've touched the ball a lot of times. We just have to finish with the ball in our hands."
  There would be no time like the present. ASU's spread offense averages 421.3 yards per game. Quarterback Brock Osweiler can pick between four receivers with 17 catches or more.
  The best way to put a crimp in that Osweiler-triggered attack would be to take away the ball.
  "We're doing a really good job in ball security in not turning the ball over," Kelly said. "We had one turnover against Cal, and obviously those four in the opening game. That's it so far through five games. On the flip side, we need to create more turnovers. ... You're not going to continue to be really, really successful if you're even or losing the turnover battle."
  The UO students, who spent parts of last week's game chanting "We want Cliff," think they have the solution.
Kelly is trying to teach Cliff discipline, like playing a 45 on a T-bone at the corner post office or whatever. But in doing so, is he also breaking Cliff's spirit?  What if Cliff is more of a free spirit type who has to be turned loose before he can come back with the love? If this tough discipline, "keeping him down" method isn't getting Cliff to perform like his old self on the field, I recommend he switch tactics.

Friday before a game, Kelly should throw Cliff the keys to a sports car and say, "Harris I have a job for you. I need you to skip your afternoon classes, drive to Portland, pick up a pizza, and come back to my office. And I want that pizza on my desk in three hours."

Cliff "Disciplined, Behaved, Yes Sir" Harris

That should get his mojo back. Let Cliff be CASH again. 

Cliff "Oh no, Lock Down Sh*t, CASH" Harris

LaMJ is doubtful for Saturday night's game. No worries. Between the three other running backs (I don't even want to call them backups. They're all so talented.), along with Darron Thomas, the Ducks will get the job done.

ESPN College Gameday from Eugene @ 7am. Game Kickoff at 7 pm on ESPN.

--KB





Take the Hose to Cal!!!

Three weeks ago, Cal hosted an opponent that caught my attention -- Presbyterian College from Clinton, SC.  A small lower division school with an enrollment of only 1200, they didn't stand a chance against the Bears. But obviously they made the trip to Berkeley for exactly the same reason Missouri State came to Eugene -- a check in excess of $400,000.

Presbyterian at Cal.

The Presbyterian Blue Hose, yes the Blue Hose, lost 63-12. They peaked my curiosity because I am Presbyterian, but I've never heard of them. Turns out they're a small but proud undergraduate college. According to their website, their Blue Hose moniker is like Red Sox or Knickerbockers. Think of a Scotsman wearing a kilt and blue knee-high socks or "hose".

"I LOVE MY HOSE"

Anyway they instantly became my second favorite team. Coming all that way to get their hose kinked, they got crushed, but they made some highlights. Their star player, cornerback Justin Bethel, scored all of PC's points as he blocked a punt for a TD and then returned an interception for another TD.

And now Thursday night, the Blue Hose will have their revenge. Yes, tonight, let us all be Presbyterians for a day and cheer on the Ducks to beat down the Cal Bears who pushed around a tiny church school.

Furthermore, I wish we could all wear PC Blue Hose shirts. I wish Oregon could wear Blue Hose jerseys. Because as ridiculous as that sounds, it beats the alternative. . . . .

Tinker, you been sniffin' the shoe glue again?

These are the jerseys Oregon will be wearing tonight. They call it "Throwback" uniforms while freely admitting Oregon has worn nothing like this before. The green is too bright. The numbers are too modern. And then there's that Duck on the shoulder pads.

Now THAT'S a Duck!

That is NOT the Duck we have known -- the DTO (Duck Through the 'O'). This looks more like a crime suspect sketch of our mascot that runs the sidelines. I know, it's a part of Nike's and Oregon's attempt to divorce the school completely from Disney.

So do you have to replace it with something. . . . . I don't know . . . . . ugly?

I have celebrated EVERY uniform metamorphosis Oregon's uni's have gone through since their first wardrobe revolution in 1999. The black uniforms. The diamond plating. Bellotti Bold font. The wings, I LOVE the wings.

Now I have to say this is just silly, even for me.

Let's hope it's just a one time thing and after the game they'll box these disturbing jerseys up and ship them to homeless people in Seattle. Force Husky fans to look at them for awhile.

As to the game itself, Oregon has received tons of crap for not winning last season's game well enough by a score of 15-13. People forget the Ducks -- who normally score lightning fast -- engineered a nine minute drive to completely kill the clock in the fourth quarter. Darron Thomas took a knee on Cal's 15 as time expired.

I'll bet the Ducks are wishing they had just punched that last drive in to make it 22-13 and tell everyone that "No, Cal did NOT almost win that game."  It was a tough game to be sure. But in the end, Oregon was in control.

Ken Goe wrote a good story about that final drive in the Oregonian.

This time around, LaMIchael James says he's determined to have a better game. Game films showed the offensive line made a lot of blocking mistakes last year. Plus Darron Thomas and his receivers had a terrible time connecting all evening.

If Thomas throws like he has lately, that opens up LaMJ's options. Add Kenjon Barner and DAT to the mix. The odds makers are right to give Oregon a 23 point edge.

Cal apparently knows it too. In answer to Oregon's crazy wardrobe choice, the Bears will be wearing white "surrender" helmets.

By the way, Cal's quarterback, Zach Maynard is a JC transfer from Buffalo, NY.  I'm just wondering, has anyone on the team told him about Autzen Stadium yet, or are they just going to stay quiet and hope he won't have a problem?

Game time: Thursday, 6pm on ESPN.

Go Ducks!  AVENGE THE HOSE!!!
--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