2010 Record: (12-1, 9-0 in Pac-10)
Head Coach: Chip Kelly (22-4 at Oregon, 17-1 in Pac-10)
Last Bowl Game: 20010/2011 National Championship (lost to Auburn 22-19)
Final 2010/2011 AP Ranking: #3
Final 2010/2011 CFBZ Ranking: #3
Schedule
9/3: LSU*
9/10: Nevada
9/17: Missouri State
10/1: at Arizona (2010 result: won 48-29)
10/6: California (2010 result: won 15-13)
10/15: Arizona State (2010 result: won 42-31)
10/22: at Colorado
10/29: Washington State (2010 result: won 43-23)
11/5: at Washington (2010 result: won 53-16)
11/12: at Stanford (2010 result: won 52-31)
11/19: USC (2010 result: won 53-32)
11/26: Oregon State (2010 result: won 37-20)
*game played in Arlington, Tx
Early Game Previews:
2010 Offensive Statistics:
Scoring: 47.0 ppg (1st in Pac-10, 1st in Nation)
Rushing Yds/Game: 287.62 yds/game (1st in Pac-10, 4th in Nation)
Passing Yds/Game: 243.1 yds/game (4th in Pac-10, 39th in Nation)
Total Yds/Game: 530.7 yds/game (1st in Pac-10, 1st in Nation)
2010 Defensive Statistics:
Scoring: 18.7 ppg (1st in Pac-10, 12th in Nation)
Rushing Yds/Game: 128.08 yds/game (2nd in Pac-10, 27th in Nation)
Passing Yds/Game: 217.9 yds/game (6th in Pac-10, 56th in Nation)
Total Yds/Game: 346.0 yds/game (4th in Pac-10, 34th in Nation)
2010 Misc Stats:
Turnover Margin: +1.00 per game (1st in Pac-10, 7th in Nation)
Penalties: 61.4 yds/game (9th in Pac-10, 100th in Nation)
Returning Starters:
Offense: 6
Defense: 5
Kicker/Punter: 2
Top Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: QB Darron Thomas, Jr (221 of 360 for 2863 yds, 30 TD, 9 INT)
Rushing: RB LaMichael James, Jr (294 for 1731 yds, 5.8 ypc, 21 TD)
Receiving: WR Lavasier Tuinei, Sr (36 rec for 396 yds, 2 TD)
Tackles: S John Boyett, Jr (78)
Sacks: DE Terrell Turner, Sr; LB Josh Kaddu, Sr (2.5)
Interceptions: CB Cliff Harris, Jr (6)*
*will start season on suspended list
Bowl Predictions:
Athlon: Rose Bowl (vs Ohio State)
Phil Steele: Rose Bowl (vs Nebraska)
It’s hard to believe that Chip Kelly has only been the Head Coach of the Oregon Ducks for two years. It seems like he’s accomplished so much. Two BCS Bowl games, two Pac-10 Championships, runner-up to the National Championship in just his second game. He’s won 12 straight Pac-10 conference games and has gone an amazing 17-1 in the conference since taking over. There is no reason to think anybody else is going to take the mantle from Oregon in the Pac-12 this year until they actually do it.
Some people seem to be down on Oregon this year. On offense they lose three starters off the OL and they lose their top two receivers. On defense they lose three along the DL and two LBs. So yes Oregon will not be as good along the offensive and defensive lines. I personally think that’s more problematic on defense than it is on offense. The offense is so diverse that it can work while breaking in some new offensive linemen. Oregon brings back a dynamic QB in Darron Thomas we grew as they progressed. In his first five games he threw five interceptions, but in the next eight he only threw four. This year Thomas is poised to be more of a leader as he will have a better grasp of the offense and the speed of the game. Also back for the Ducks is that LaMichael James guy. You remember him right? 1,700 rushing yards, 21 rushing TDs, Heisman Trophy finalist. Also back is Kenjon Barner (92 rushes for 569 yds and 6 TD. Oregon will be just fine offensively.
On defense Oregon will be breaking in some new guys up front but they aren’t exactly bums. Both starting DEs will be seniors who have experience and both DTs, while young, got game experience last year. Oregon could struggle with power running teams and the teams that most resemble that on the schedule are LSU, Nevada, Colorado and Stanford. Throw out Nevada and Colorado and you are left with LSU and Stanford. Stanford is replacing three OL themselves so they might go through a bit of a struggle. The LSU game is the key. With Jordan Jefferson out, LSU should rely more on a ball control offense and running between the tackles.
Our CFBZ voting crew has dubbed Oregon as the #3 team in the country but in my personal poll I’ve got them at #2. I think they do have some positions they will need to replace this year but I think they will go undefeated in the regular season and will get a second straight shot at the National Championship. Will they be able to get over the hurdle in their second effort or will they be destined to go the way of Ohio State? To get a local perspective of the 2011 Oregon Ducks we caught up with Dale Newton of The Duck Stops Here.
Oregon has to replace a lot of starters on the front seven of their defense. Who are some of the new starters that will need to step up to help the Ducks this year?
Good question. The Ducks have significant losses in their front seven, especially in terms of leadership. They graduated starting DTs Brandon Bair and Zac Clark, LB/DE hybrid Kenny Rowe, who led the team in sacks the last two years, and two three-year starters at linebacker, Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews, who are now plying their trade in the NFL, both getting close to making a lineup in their first year in the league.
The good news is, defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and his position coaches played a deep rotation on the defense, regularly playing 26 different players to keep pace with Oregon’s blur-fast, 47-points-per-game offense. So younger players and substitutes got significant time on a unit that held opponents to under 19 points a game, and finished second in the nation in turnovers gained with 37 for the season, even holding juggernaut Auburn to 22 points in the national championship game.
The Ducks return a lot of speed and athletic ability in the front seven, and they have a big, power, run-stuffing anchor in the middle in sophomore defensive tackle Ricky Heimuli, 6-4, 320 pounds. Heimuli decided to forego a Mormon mission to return for his sophomore and his presence gives the Ducks their strongest, most gap-destroying defensive tackle prospect since Haloti Ngata left for the NFL. Line coach Jerry Azzinaro is a master at teaching d-line play, having sent Dwight Freeney to the NFL while at Syracuse, and transforming Oregon’s defensive interior into a tenacious, agile fighting unit. He’s an accomplished martial artist, and he constantly implores his troops at the top of his lungs, “Be VIOLENT with your hands!” maximizing their advantage in the battle at the line of scrimmage.
His players seem to be getting the message. Senior defensive end Terrell Turner returns as the strong side defensive end. At 6-3 265, he leads the Ducks defensive linemen with a 405-lb. bench press, and he’s the vocal leader of this group on the field. Turner has a knack for getting his hands up in the passing lanes and tipping and batting down passes.
With their weakside defensive ends Oregon likes to employ a flexible 4-3/3-4 scheme by using this position as a hybrid, standing this defender up like a linebacker or down in a three-point stance depending on the offensive alignment and the defensive play call. He can rush the quarterback or drop back into coverage. The Ducks have two players who will be very effective in that role this year, converted linebacker Brandon Hanna, 6-2 240 or freak athlete Dion Jordan #96, a converted tight end with a 6-7 240-lb. frame and an awesome wing span to go with 4.77 speed in the 40 (electronically timed, very solid for a defensive end). Jordan, a junior from Chandler, Arizona, had four solo tackles in the national championship game, and two sacks in the Spring Game, and he could be one of the breakout players for the Ducks this fall.
At tackle, Heimuli is joined by in-state produt Taylor Hart, 6-6, 283, Isaac Remington, a junior college transfer who redshirted last season, 6-6 286, and Jared Ebert, 6-5 285, a jc transfer from Iowa Western CC, who was named the top jc defensive tackle in 2010 by JC Gridiron magazine and website. Sophomore Wade Keliikipi, a 6-3, 300-lb strongman from Hawaii, had a great spring and seemed to be ready to nail down a starting job, but he’s been plagued by back problems in fall camp and has not suited up much.
Jeff Maehl and Drew Davis have moved on and with it they take almost half of Oregon’s receptions from last year, half the TD receptions and half the receiving yardage. Who do you see stepping up to take their place?
Replacing Maehl and Davis and their production is one of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich’s biggest challenges, on an offense that racked up 6899 total yards and an NCAA-best 611 points last year. One factor is, having LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner to carry the ball means defenses have to commit a lot of attention to stopping the run, which makes quarterback Darron Thomas and the Oregon passing offense more effective no matter who the receivers are. The two leading returnees lanky 6-5, 216-lb. outside receiver Lavasier Tuinei (36 catches, 396 yards, 2 touchdowns) and 5-11, 207-lb. sophomore Josh Huff (19 catches, 303 yards, 5 total tds, who was second on the team with 1086 all-purpose yards as a receiver, kick returner, and running with the football on reverses, pitches and an occasional carry out of the backfield. Huff is a confident, dynamic talent, sturdily built and fast. He had an 85-yard run, a 57-yard reception and an 80-yard kick return last season, showing just how dynamic he is with the ball in his hands. On the ground, he had 12 carries for 214 yards a 17.8-yard average, to go along with 15.9 yards per reception. Huff has been banged-up in fall camp but it doesn’t look serious; he practiced Monday in a helmet and shoulder pads.
Darron Thomas passed for 2881 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, and his most capable targets this year may be an athletic pair of tight ends, David Paulson, a 6-4, 241 senior from Auburn, Washington, who caught 24 passes for 418 yards, a team-leading 17.4 yards per catch, and true freshman Colt Lyerla, a 6-5, 238-lb. athlete, a 5-star recruit from Hillsboro, Oregon who has a vertical leap of 40 inches. Lylerla was the Oregon state high school player of the year as a junior, recording 40 touchdowns in leading his team to a state championship. He was an Army All-American, and enrolled early at Oregon to participate in spring drills, catching three balls in traffic during the nationally-televised Spring Game. Lyerla followed up his strong spring with an impressive fall, and looks to make an immediate impact in two tight end sets and goal line situations, a dramatic match-up problem for linebackers and 5th defensive backs.
Justin Hoffman, a junior walk-on from Churchill High School in Eugene, a fierce down-field blocker is likely to start in three-receiver sets. One of the hardest workers on the team, he runs disciplined routes and has good hands. One intriguing newcomer is jc transfer Rahsaan Vaughn 6-1, 195, fast, fluid and physical, a 1,000-yard receiver at San Mateo Junior College last season. He’s shined in the first two weeks of camp, getting separation with his 4.4 speed, dangerous after the catch. De’Anthony Thomas, “The Black Momba” a five-star runnng back from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles, is the wild card, a true freshman who’s been compared to Percy Harvin and Reggie Bush for his dazzling open-field running ability. Thomas, or DAT as some fans call him, has soft hands out of the backfield and is fast and elusive, so the Ducks may use him in a variety of roles his first year, out wide, in the slot, or spelling Barner and James at tailback. He’ll make an impact as a true freshman.
No doubt, replacing Maehl is a particular challenge. He was the Ducks’ clutch, go-to receiver last season snaring 77 passes for 1076 yards and 12 touchdowns. They won’t try to replace him with one guy. Darron Thomas, who excels in the multiple options of the Oregon attack, will spread the ball around. Tuinei and Huff will get more touches. Paulson will be the reliable receiver over the middle and in key situations like third and five or second and eight. And Vaughn, Lyerla and De’Anthony Thomas will have an immediate impact.
Oregon starts off the season in Arlington against the LSU Tigers in a match-up of Top 5 teams. How do you think Oregon matches up with LSU?
It’s a classic and much-anticipated match-up, featuring Oregon’s dynamic offense against a very fast, strong and physical LSU defense. If it’s a shootout, Oregon wins easily, because the Tiger offense isn’t equipped to keep pace. If LSU controls the ball on the ground on offense with Spencer Ware running behind four big returning linemen, and John Chavis’ defense disrupts and frustrates the Ducks’ offensive tempo, they’ll win a lower-scoring game.
Oregon came really close to winning a National Championship last year. What do you think are the primary areas in which they need to improve if they want to make another run this year?
Oregon lost last year’s National Championship at the line of scrimmage. But SEC fans would be deeply mistaken to presume The Cowboy Classic would be a predictable repeat of January’s game in Glendale. These Ducks are faster, bigger, deeper and stronger, and they’re determined to play a better game.
Outside of LSU and Stanford, which games do you see as being the most important for Oregon this year?
They’re all equally tough and important. Coming off a number two finish in the country last year, two-time defending conference champions, ranked #3 or #4 in most preseason polls, everybody wants to go Duck hunting. The first conference game, on the road in the extreme heat of a night game in the Arizona desert against Nick Foles and Juron Criner and the Wildcats potent passing attack, will be a challenge. A November 5th date in Seattle against rival Washington, just a week before the showdown with Stanford in Palo Alto looms as a potential trap. USC has lost to the Ducks two seasons in a row and three of the last four and wants revenge. In-state rival Oregon State has been denied two trips to the Rose Bowl and lost three seasons in a row to Oregon, and would like nothing more than to spoil a dream season when they meet in Autzen Stadium on November 26th. It goes on like that.
What is your gut feeling on the final record for the 2011 season and what makes the season successful in your eyes?
Everything hinges on the LSU game. Win that one, and the Ducks have a legitimate window for returning to the National Championship Game. Slip up or get embarrassed in Dallas, and the challenge is to regroup in time to defend the PAC-12 title. But with an impressive variety of weapons, a deep stable of athletic and hard-hitting defensive players, and an innovative and intact coaching staff , the Ducks begin the season as one of the favorites to win it all. At Oregon Media Day, Doak Walker Award winner and 1731-yard rusher LaMichael James, who is just 20 yards from becoming the Ducks all-time leading rusher at the start of his junior year, said, “There is no such thing as too high of expectations.” Oregon won’t lose in 2011-12. They’ll be 14-0, and finish what they’ll fell painfully short of in Glendale.
CFBZ Top 25
#1-#2?
#3 Oregon Ducks
#11 West Virginia Mountaineers
#14 Mississippi State Bulldogs
2011 Team Previews
ACC- Boston College, Clemson, Duke, FSU, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, NC State, UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Big 12- Baylor , Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri, Oklahoma St, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Big East- Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, USF, West Virginia
Big Ten- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota , Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio St, Penn St, Purdue, Wisconsin
C-USA- East Carolina, Houston ,Marshall, SMU, Southern Mississippi, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF
FCS- Georgia Southern, Georgia State
Independent- Army, BYU, Notre Dame
MAC- Akron, Ball St, Bowling Green, Buffalo , Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Temple, Toledo, Western Michigan
MWC- Air Force, New Mexico, TCU, UNLV, Wyoming
Pac-12- Arizona , Arizona St, California, Colorado, Oregon St, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington
SEC- Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Miss St, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee
Sun Belt- FAU, FIU, Louisiana, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Troy , ULM, Western Kentucky
WAC– Fresno St, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico St, San Jose St
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