Bucky Justin Beaver (Would love to take credit for this,
but I stole from Facebook.)
Obviously after the letdown last week, we're worried about a letdown trend. What if the team didn't learn from last week? What if they allow OSU to put them in a big hole again? The following article suggests otherwise.
For the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks, there is no use looking back at what might have been.
Oregon (9-2, 7-1) lost last Saturday to USC, eliminating any chance of a repeat bid for a national title. But the Ducks still have the inagural Pac-12 championship game to look forward to, and perhaps even the Rose Bowl, if they can get past rival Oregon State in the annual Civil War game.
“We’re not really used to handling losses but you just think it over for about a day and when Monday comes around you just have to focus on the next week,” Ducks tight end David Paulson said. “It’s the same as a win. You get to enjoy it for a day, then you have to come back and focus on the next week.”
While the Civil War doesn’t seem like much of a challenge — the Beavers have won just three games this season — the Ducks are wary. They were supposed to beat the Trojans, too, but instead lost their first game at Autzen Stadium since September 2008.
The Ducks trailed USC 38-14 in the third quarter but pulled within 38-35. On Oregon’s final drive, Alejandro Maldonado missed a 37-yard field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.
Oregon also lost its season opener to top-ranked LSU, but had climbed back into the national championship picture after a 53-30 victory at No. 4 Stanford.
“When you lose a game you can’t wait to play the next one,” Ducks running back LaMichael James told reporters on Tuesday. “Practice has been going really well. We’re really fired up. It’s gonna be a different game than it was last week. Everybody’s really motivated to put that loss behind them.” [No more "second-half team" crap. They need to be the team that beat Stanford wire to wire.]
The Beavers (3-8, 3-5) are coming off a 38-21 win over Washington last Saturday. A victory over Oregon would further ease the disappointment of a second straight season with no bowl berth.
“They’re going to bring everything they’ve got,” Paulson said.
Even their scented candles and Snuggies?!?!?
Oregon State coach Mike Riley grew up in Corvallis and his dad was an assistant for the Beavers under celebrated coach Dee Andros, so he’s seen more than his share of Civil Wars.
“It’s especially tough this year with a great Oregon team,” he said on Tuesday. “Every phase of the game we’re going to have to play at a tremendously high level to compete. But, I’ll tell you this: I think our team will compete hard and prepare well. I know they’re looking forward to a great opportunity.”
Saturday’s game is the 115th Civil War. Oregon has won the last three, sending the Ducks off to the Rose Bowl in 2009 and the national championship game against Auburn last season
With a victory over the Beavers, Oregon will win the North Division and host the first Pac-12 title game on Dec. 2. The championship game was added this season after Colorado and Utah joined the league.
Should the Ducks lose, Stanford (10-1, 8-1) will host the game. The Cardinal play Notre Dame in a non-conference finale on Saturday.
The South Division’s representative for the game is also undecided. UCLA can clinch with a victory over USC in their rivalry game, but Arizona State and Utah could still claim the South under certain circumstances.
The league champion will earn a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, to play the winner of the Big Ten title.
While Oregon has long espoused Chip Kelly’s “every game is our Super Bowl” philosophy, the Ducks still headed to practice this week with a little extra enthusiasm.
“For us, it’s the same every week. Practice is Groundhog’s Day here,” offensive lineman Mark Asper said. “But I do enjoy the energy around town and on campus and stuff when we’re playing a traditional rival. I get excited for that. The community energy fuels the fire a little bit.”
That's just great stop action photog right there. Obviously a fast shutter.
You can tell by the clenching of his jaw muscles that Kelly is already
starting to feel it.
Is it OK now, Coach? Will you really let us come out and say it? The Ducks have won. Pac-10 Champs--Back-to-Back. They are going to the Natty (National Championship). I needed a couple of days after the Civil War to let it sink in.
Radio announcer Jerry Allen could've used a couple of days as well. In the following video of the closing seconds, he gets very sentimental and emotional, but fortunately it cuts off as he begins to go over the top to the point of being Glen Beckish:
I remember my very first Civil War. I was a sophomore when they played at Autzen. It was 1983. Final score: 0 to 0. The Toilet Bowl. A short 27 years later, Oregon and Oregon State are battling in a CW for the third consecutive time where the Rose Bowl is a factor. In 2008, it was the Beavers who had the shot. 2009, it was both teams. This year, a loss by the Ducks would've given them the Rose Bowl as a consolation prize. That Toilet Bowl is most definitely a game from the previous century.
Yet this year, while the Beavers were wearing their throw-up (sorry) throw-back uniforms to connect to a team that had a pretty good (sorry again) very good year back in 1967 (*Beavs, see my advice for you at the bottom.), today's Ducks are a team that is completely unrecognizable and incomparable, not only in the history of the school, but, as more people are saying, in the history of college football.
We've got five weeks until the National Championship matchup against Auburn. And in that time we have lots to talk about. As holidays and all that stuff allow, I hope to discuss several things.
1) The perspective and relevance of the 2010 Oregon Ducks. This isn't just another football team. We might be witnessing history and change to the way the game is played forever.
2) Auburn and the SEC. What do they think about Oregon? What do they think of themselves. I hope to join in on some of their comment boards and blogs and share the fun with you.
3) But for today, the Civil War. People (Duck people, anyway) are calling this the biggest CW ever. My mantra is that every CW is the biggest ever until the next one. One thing is for sure. In terms of competition and drama, this CW did not disappoint.
Below is a link and/or text to a couple of good stories on the game. Beneath that I put together a photographic commentary with pics from the Oregonian.
Oregonian columnist John Canzano wrote a most excellent perspective of Oregon here.
R-G columnist George Schroeder also wrote a good one below:
CORVALLIS — He’d just batted away the football, turned a sure touchdown into a field goal, and when he got to the sideline, Brandon Bair made his way directly to the head coach.
“If you’d thrown the ball more to me during special-teams drills,” the defensive tackle told Chip Kelly, “I’d have caught that.”
Right there in the heat of battle, everything on the line, coach and player hugged and shared a laugh. And if you’re looking for a reason Oregon will play for a national championship, start with that carefree moment.
“We were just joking around with each other,” Bair said. “It was a great stop.”
It was great stuff.
Just like Oregon 37, Oregon State 20.
The Ducks completed a perfect regular season. They’re headed to Arizona, matched against Auburn in the BCS title game. And they’re more than good enough to win it all.
Start, because we have to, with Oregon’s flashy offense. It is “tremendous, explosive, outstanding, great, unbelievable,” according to defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.
“But we’ve played good defense,” he added.
He’s right, and it’s past time we recognized it. Put it all together, and this team is deep, fast and talented.
Complete.
And also irreverent.
That’s what I like most about these Ducks. Their attitude. The confidence — swagger, really — that underlies everything they do, and breeds a casual disregard for convention.
They’ll do this their own way, and who cares what anyone else thinks?
A fake punt from their own 28, with the game in doubt. Who does that? [Oregon does, obviously. And I have more to say about that amongst the pics below.]
Irreverence is the trait that immunizes the Ducks from pressure. No matter the moment, they never seem to feel it.
None of them. Ever.
“Pressure,” said Bair, parroting something he’s heard from Kelly, “is what you feel when you don’t know what you’re doing. [Wow. He just summed up my whole life.]
“We know what we’re doing.”
And where they’re going. After the game, you figured Kelly would finally drop the shield and let loose. Hey coach, where does this rank on your list of accomplishments?
“It’s right up there,” Kelly said, without expression. “It’s as big as the Arizona win.”
See? Irreverent.
It’s the biggest win in the history of the program, given what it sets up. But that’s also why, as the celebration swirled around him, Kelly stayed relentlessly on-message.
Mostly, so did his team, and more on that in a bit. But first, back to the moment with Bair.
Because afterward, as Kelly deflected questions like it was Week Six, rather than the completion of a historic regular season, I kept thinking about Bair’s deflecting Ryan Katz’s third-down pass for a wide-open Quizz Rodgers.
About Bair needling the head coach. And then both of them yukking it up on the sidelines during a tense situation.
“He has just as much fun as we do,” said Bair of Kelly.
It’s OK to admit it. There were moments Saturday when you were a tad worried, because never mind the final score, this was not a dominant performance. Oregon struggled against a very motivated rival.
In the third quarter, the Beavers seized momentum with two consecutive drives deep into Oregon territory. But after forcing field goals, the Ducks weren’t concerned. Or relieved.
No, they were bouncing over to the head coach, dropping one-liners.
So what if Kelly barely cracked a smile with reporters afterward, if he wouldn’t let go and admit it was a big deal, winning Saturday. Not everybody was quite as restrained.
Afterward, occasionally sipping light beer from a bottle, Aliotti was “happy as a dog in space.” [Could someone please explain what that means? It's obviously way too deep for me. I'm trying to picture my teacup Yorkie in space. And I'm telling you, he ain't at all happy.]
“We’re the University of Oregon. We’re 12-0,” he said. “We’re back-to-back Pac-10 champs — and we’re going to The Natty.”
Again, irreverent. And fantastic.
And give him the moment, Aliotti deserves to revel. Don’t worry, the Ducks are still on-message.
Afterward, Kelly (and several players) made the point that their next task is final exams, and then they’ll start practicing. And Auburn? Yeah, they’ve heard a rumor that’s the opponent.
“I think we’re all pretty excited,” Bair said. “It just feels like we’re where we’re supposed to be. It’s not, ‘Holy cow, look where we ended up.’
“We expected this.”
They expect more, too. You have to like the attitude — and because of it, their chances, 36 days from now, of being ready for the moment.
And winning that day.
First play of the game, after Casey Matthews came in to personally wish Beaver QB Ryan Katz good luck, . . . . .
. . . Katz lay on the ground for several minutes without even the strength to click his ruby red heels together, say "There's no place like home.", and teleport himself back to Kansas.
Meanwhile, the Ducks uni's -- shown off here by LaMJ as he scores a TD -- are unusually NOT green OR yellow. I maintain the combination of colors (or lack thereof) was meant to represent the look of Waterford Crystal. Who says the Ducks weren't looking ahead?
Terrill Turner rises above crowd to give Katz his first of four picks.
Linebacker Michael Clay, a running back in High School, rumbles a fake punt easily for 68 yards.
This fake punt is the play that separates the Ducks from the Beavs. It best illustrates why the Ducks are the "big brother"; why they're going to the National Championship and the Beavers are going nowhere.
It's no secret that Chip Kelly hates wasting a perfectly good 4th down on a punt. He expects to seize the momentum in the second half. What's more, Oregon was depending on its young backup punter as Rice was ill.
Put this all together, and the surprise of this play was actually that Oregon State fell so hard for it. They absolutley were not expecting it. Completely fooled.
Said Riley afterward, "It was well done by them, but I'm really kicking myself for that."
Added OSU cornerback James Dockery, "That's just their personality, they're trying to kill you."
Well "Duh". You were expecting a niiiiiiice Civil War?
Thomas. 14 - 24, 145 yards, 2 TD's, No Int's. He's just a stud. That's all there is to it.
Oh, it's an "O"! That's the gang signal these kids have been flashing. I just saw online these Nike gloves can be a great stocking stuffer for just $45.
Let the celebration begin . . .
. . . and continue . . .
. . . and anyone in the Pac-10 knows you can't have a rivalry post-game celebration without trombone players.
Sorry Bubba. Guess you'll have to throw your toy duckie back in the drawer for another year and re-tie the rope around your pickup's passenger door so the wife don't fall out whenever you turn left. DANG!
Oh cheer up, Beavers. As if you really thought you would win. Look at the bright side. You knocked the Ducks out of the Rose Bowl! Put that on a T-shirt and wear it proud.
Now take a look at these next three pictures. The above pic was taken last Saturday . . .
These two pics are from the Civil War in Corvallis, 2008. Striking similarities, to say the least. You've heard of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem where Orthodox Jews pray? I give you the "Failing Wall" in Reser Stadium where prostrate Beavers cry out to the football gods.
* Hey Beavs,can I give you some advice?
Do yourselves a big favor. Shoot a text or email to OSU's AD and tell him to bury the Giant Killers 1967 team once and for all and let them rest in peace. Ask him to never bring them up ever, ever again.
Ask yourselves this question: How many 18-20 year olds do you inspire when you drone on about a game played so far back in the previous century, it's closer in time to World War II than present day? It was before most households had color TV or automatic dishwashers. And what do kids today know of O.J. Simpson? How many recruits are going to sign on Oregon State's dotted line when they get an overload of orange pantsed old farts waxing poetic about their victory over that great kidnapper, armed robber and wife murderer by a stupid score of 3-0? "Well ya," you might say, "but they also beat a #1 Purdue team led by the great Bob Griese and . . . " TEENAGERS DON'T CARE. I was a huge Dolphin fan back in Griese's day and I don't even find that the least bit interesting! Year after year, Oregon State used to break out the Giant Killers' Legendary Tales because for the longest time, that's all they had. They were so terrible, a 3-0 win over OJ Simpson's USC team was all they had to talk about. I'm a long time Duck fan, so I know. I remember those days. We were down there in the cellar with you. Who was that sydnicated sports columnist who wrote "The Bottom Ten" every week, talking about the worst teams in the nation? Remember that? It seemed like the Ducks and Beavers were ALWAYS there. But what has happened to the Beavs since then? How many times have you beaten USC since then? More times than you can count! How many bowls since then? A respectable number. The Beavs were in the Rose Bowl hunt until their final game in 2008 and 2009 -- two years in a row. How many coaches in the Pac-10 or Big-10 would kill to be able to walk into a recuit's home and say that? So I ask you, why on earth did Oregon State drag up that dusty old cobwebbed Vietnam-era team again this year? Sure, there was a time when Giant Killers 1967 were a big deal. But why now?
It's up to today's Beavers to say, "Give it a rest. Stop talking about it. It's not a big deal anymore. We've done more since then, and expect to do much more in the future."
You don't like being called the "little brother"? Well do yourself a favor and stop acting like one. Worse than that, stop acting like an 80-year old little brother with your walker and your soaked Depends, yelling "Giant Killers!" in the cafeteria line at the senior center. That's what you looked like the other night. And don't even let me get started on your ruby red slippers.
As a Duck, I am the bigger brother. And, you might have noticed, we Ducks have bigger and better things to do than stop and give advice to YOU. But I feel I have to because . . . well, . . . you're kind of embarrassing us.
So here's my advice: Get up. Stand up straight. Wipe those artificial turf rubber granules off your face. Head up, chin out. Burn those stupid throw-backs and put on something modern. You hate Oregon's style? FINE! But just get some anyway -- modern style, I mean.
Talk only about the future. Interrupt anyone who brings up the past. Be rude if you have to and tell them you don't care. Giant Killers are dead. Grow to hate them, because everytime someone brings them up, it means they would rather think about them than what's happening now. Work to create teams worthy of new and better nicknames. Set goals that go way beyond whatever happened in '67. Make everyone forget about them. Now blow the blood out of your noses and stop your sniveling. Stupid little brothers. What would we do without you? Come here. You look like you could use a good wedgie. . . . . .Hey, where are you going? GET BACK HERE!
Double click on this. Print it, cut it out, put two-sided tape on it and kindly pat it on the back of your favorite Beaver today.
Think computers are tough on Oregon? See what they say about the Beavs. I think the last time I felt this calm going into a Civil War game was when Rich Brooks was coach. Obviously I'm being a naive idiot. But it's not just me. I had a hard time finding anyone who said OSU would pull off the upset.
Might pull it off? Could? Maybe? Sure. But no one wanted to actually put their name next to such a wild prediction.
Even computer simulation games especially liked Oregon. KVAL-TV in Eugene had the following story:
After simulating the Oregon Civil War game over 10,000 times, The AccuScore computer model predicts the Ducks would beat the Beavers at least 8,300 times.
But it only takes once to send the Ducks to the Bowl Championship Series game for the first time ever - or crown this year's Beavers as the biggest spoilers in Oregon football history.
AccuScore's model, which attempts to forecast sporting events like weather computers forecast the weather, gives the Beavs a glimmer of hope - hey, in 1,300 of those 10,000 simulations, Oregon State pulls off an upset.
But Zach Rosenfield, college football analyst with AccuScore, doesn't see that happening.
"Oregon State’s 2010 season has been a complete disaster and it shows when you look at the numbers," Rosenfield said. "Nobody thought the transition from Canfield to Katz would have caused such a drop off, but the numbers are staggering.
"This season, when an Oregon State quarterback drops back to pass, 12 percent of those plays end up in either a sack or interception. That number is up 4.5 percent against last year when Canfield was the quarterback," Rosenfield said. "The fallout from the negative plays have really hurt the Beavers to have manageable situations and run the ball effectively. Jacquizz Rodgers is averaging a full 10 yards less a game in 2010 vs. 2009 and the passing game had not made up the difference with 1,000 yards less production this season vs. last.
"The fallout from the decreased productivity means that opposing teams are getting extra possessions. Oregon State only punted 51 times in last year’s 13-game season, but have already punted 57 times in 11 games in 2010.
"The punting number really stand out and is a key catalyst to why AccuScore has Oregon winning 84 percent of simulations by an average margin of 20 points. The Ducks have have either scored a touchdown or attempted a field in goal in an astounding 56 percent of their possessions this season when they are not trying to run out the clock.
"The math is simple: more possessions means Oregon will either score or flip the field, which is trouble for an Oregon State team that is having trouble moving the ball and putting up points."
That's as good as any analysis I've heard. Yet, it just doesn't seem right to get ready for the Civil War without having SOMETHING to worry about. And the Oregonian's Aaron Fentress finds it.
OSU's best weapon is NOT Quizz Rogers. Oh sure, he's going to gain his 99.7 yards per game. But OSU wins and loses by QB Ryan Katz's arm. If he's connecting long down the middle, the Beavs are having a good day. Following are some excerpts from Fentress' article:
That objective could depend on the right arm of quarterback Ryan Katz and his ability to go down field, something the Ducks (11-0, 8-0) are mindful of.
“That's a huge concern,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. “We know [wide receiver] Jordan Bishop can run and Ryan Katz has an outstanding arm. That's something, especially off the play-action stuff with [running back] Quizz [Rodgers], because everybody is really trying to shut down Quizz, that is a huge concern.”
Given last week’s performance by Oregon’s pass defense, the Ducks should be concerned.
Oregon handled the Wildcats 48-29 at Autzen Stadium but repeatedly lost track of Arizona wide receivers to the tune of 448 yards passing and three touchdowns for quarterback Nick Foles.
That's what makes it particularly troublesome. Oregon's pass defense was pretty awful last week. Cliff Harris had probably his worst day this season. Thanks to some miscommunication with the safety, his man escaped for not one but two long easy receptions for TD's. In addition, he fumbled one punt return and tried to reverse field and lost yardage on another. It looked like he was trying too hard. Let's hope he had a good practice and got all of that out of his system so he can give Katz the bad day on Saturday.
Fentress finishes this way:
To be fair, it’s not as if Oregon has provided haven for opposing receivers to run free. The Ducks rank second in the conference interceptions (16) and tied for first in fewest touchdown passes allowed (11).
Still, Oregon knows that Katz will be looking to exploit potential weaknesses exposed by Arizona.
“He throws a good deep ball,” Boyett said of Katz. “They like to take a lot of shots down field. They’ve shown signs of trying to attack the secondary in previous games. They want to throw a lot of deep combination routes. But at the same time they throw a lot in the short passing game to try and get their offense going.”
The Salem Statesman Journal is less kind in this assessment of Katz:
First-year starter Ryan Katz has a strong arm and provides another dimension with his running ability. The tools are there, but Katz remains a work in progress.
Much like the Beavers inconsistent season, Katz has been up and down. He had his worst game of the campaign in last week's 38-0 drubbing at Stanford, with three interceptions and a lost fumble.
Katz has produced better numbers than recent first-year starters for the Beavers, a distinguished group that includes Sean Canfield, Lyle Moevao, Matt Moore and Derek Anderson. He has completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,177 yards and 16 touchdowns with eight interceptions, and ranks sixth in the conference in passing efficiency. Katz has run for 224 yards and two scores, but counting sacks he has a net 17 yards on the ground.
The problem with Oregon State's dependence on its passing game is their offensive line. With one freshman and a first year walk-on as starters (And the freshman may be too hurt to play this Saturday.), they're just not as experienced this year. The result is the Beavers are ranked ninth in the Pac-10 in sacks allowed at 32. Look for the Ducks to build on that number substantially.
Bottom line: If Katz doesn't have a Nick Foles kind of day against the Ducks, Oregon will win handily.
SO COACH, WHY DO YOU REALLY WANT TO WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP? To the victor goes the spoils. And if you lead your team to the Rose Bowl your first year and hopefully the National Championship the second, you should be pretty spoiled upon, right? Coach Chip Kelly's pay incentives are already kicking in according to this article from the Portland Examiner.
Chip Kelly stands to get giant payday if Oregon beats Oregon State
Things are starting to get crazy in Oregon as people begin to wake up from their dream, pinch themselves, and realize that it's a reality: the Ducks are one - one - win away from the first national championship berth in the history of the football program. And although he's surely put it in the back of his mind, the win would come with an extra bonus for head coach Chip Kelly.
According to USA Today, Kelly will secure approximately $4.3 million if Oregon beats the rival Beavers to make it to BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona in January.
A win would also give Kelly the opportunity to make an additional $250,000 to be paid if the Ducks win the national championship.
Wrote USA Today's Steve Berkowitz: "Kelly's possible payday is illustrative of the lengths schools go to reward and retain coaches, even amid difficult budgetary times."
Kelly is in his second year as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks, and he's currently 21-3 in that position - the best start any Oregon football coach has had in the program's 117-year history.
Kelly signed a 6-year extension back in September, worth about $20.5 million, after making $1.5 million last season.
He's currently making $2.4 million this year, but has already secured an additional $175,000 in bonuses.
The $4.3 million would be a part of a built-in one-year extension that kicks in only if the Ducks win 12 games in a single season and get into a BCS bowl game. In other words, if Oregon beats OSU on Saturday, an extra year worth $4.3 million is added onto the end of Kelly's current contract.
Worth every penny.
In fact this entire season has been worth every cent and moment, obviously. Did you ever think that the Ducks would be in a position where a loss tomorrow would mean they would have to settle -- SETTLE I said -- for the Rose Bowl?
NOW IS THE TIME WE DANCE!!! Do yourself a favor, Duck fan. Don't hold your breath until tomorrow when there are reasons to celebrate today. As the Beavers wear there throw-up uniforms to hearken back to a team in 1967 that only dead people remember, let us celebrate this season today with a video from 1974.
You know the drill. CRANK THE VOLUME. STAND ON YOUR CHAIRS. CELEBRAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!!!
Civil War Gametime 12:30 Pacific on ABC. Also don't forget ESPN's College Gameday will be in Corvallis tomorrow at 7a.m. Tune in to see if more Ducks than Beavers show up.
Football is not a game. And it's certainly nothing to laugh about. Games are for sissys. Laughing is for losers. If there's no crying in baseball, there is definitely no laughing in football. That is what we learned from former Beaver and pupil of Coach Mike Riley, Derek Anderson. Actually he was caught smiling and was called on it. So in a pinch he had to demonstrate the total opposite of laughing. D.A. of the Arizona Cardinals had a bad game on Monday Night Football, losing 27-6 to the 49ers. As NBC Sports tells it:
D.A. caught laughing for a few seconds during loss.
Derek Anderson completed 16-of-35 passes for 196 yards and one interception against the 49ers in Week 12.
Anderson's accuracy was especially awful, and his post-game presser will be at the forefront of morning highlight shows. He was seen chuckling with OG Deuce Lutui on the sideline with the team down three touchdowns. A post-game reporter asked Anderson what was funny, and D.A. exploded into a profanity-laced tirade that he ended by storming off the stage.
Mike Riley came to Anderson's defense in this Oregonian blog saying "No no . . ." to the question of whether he was laughing about the game.
It just follows that the Civil War is no laughing matter. The stakes are too high. The risk of losing is too costly. Since Sunday, you have not seen one upturn of the mouth corners from Mike Riley. Every comment from him has been nothing but "getting back up", "taking our best shot", "no good moping about it"; and my favorite, his players are going to "fight like crazy". Anything funny about that?
Coach Riley definitely wasn't laughing when WSU came to Reser's and smacked his team.
Not even a smile from the cheerleaders on that day.
This Saturday, you can bet that not a single player on Oregon State's team will be laughing. They won't think it's one bit funny. In fact, we have seen a lot of people this year who thought playing Oregon wasn't funny.
We of course remember Coach Stoops last week.
This Vol stopped laughing in the second half.
No smiles from Trojanman.
Ducks wiped that smile off of Neuhoser's face.
Smileless in Seattle.
But as you may already know, there is one team who struggles to follow the no laugh rule. Who are these offenders of the unhappy?
Oh no. Don't let the media catch you doing that.
This man is out of control.
Before you know it, it spreads to the masses.
Total clowns.
Buffoonery in 3D.
Add some animal costumes and now it's a total sin fest.
And who is behind all of this jovial jocularity, this liberal laughing and gregarious grinnism?
Oh Coach Kelly . . . what have you done to us?
Watch out Beavers. Before Saturday is done, you're going to see blatant guffawing in your stands and bubble gum stuck underneath them.
As for Derek Anderson, I just hate it when I have to come to a Beaver's defense. But "little brothers" that they are, I have no choice. Have you ever heard of gallows humor? Ever been in a situation that was so pathetically awful, it was hysterical? Ever laugh at a funeral? Get off D.A.'s back for having a small light moment and being human.
It was harder than I had hoped. But should we be surprised?
What proved to be the difference? A couple of obvious things.
1) Which defense was going to have the more successful day? Although Oregon was giving away turnovers like coupons in a "Black Friday Sale-abration", the final answer lies in rushing totals.
Oregon: 288 yards rushing. LaMichael James accounted for 166 of those yards including this 52 yard explosion for the TD that put them ahead to stay.
OSU: 83 yards. Quizz Rogers was held to 64.
Without Quizz, OSU became one dimensional. But oh what a dimension it was. OSU's Sean Canfield threw for 306 yards and two TD's. They weren't dead yet.
With the game continually on the line for both teams, a second key factor became huge.
2) Fourth down conversions.
The Beavers were one of two, including a fourth and 15 in the fourth quarter that failed.
The Ducks made all three of their fourth down conversions. And the killers were two in the final fourth quarter drive that ran out the clock.
A total of five attemped fourth down conversions. Gutsy calls by both coaches. And the ones for Oregon were the difference.
It is regrettable that OSU will probably end up in the Las Vegas Bowl. They deserve better.
But the Ducks earned exactly what they deserve. The Boise State disaster seems like a century ago. Blount's return and contribution to the win was epic.
I've already heard this once tonight and it bears repeating several more times.
Oregon Football 2009: What a long strange trip it's been.
