Every year there are burning questions, and reasons to fail.
This season, it’s “How will the Ducks maintain their winning edge without Chip Kelly?” and “How can the Ducks possibly replace Kenjon Barner, Michael Clay, Kiko Alonso and Dion Jordan?”
Some analysts say the loss of Kelly and these key players will be too much to overcome, that Oregon can’t possibly sustain the fabulous success that brought three league titles and 46 wins without the intensity and innovation brought by Kelly, whom many consider the best coach the school has ever had.
Ch-ch-ch-changes: Before Darron Thomas was the impossible-to-replace veteran, he was the untested rookie. Transitions are inevitable in college football and the burning, overwhelming questions give way to plankton-trails-in-the-ocean solutions. Marcus Mariota turned out to be a pretty good quarterback. (dm.gatech.edu photo)
Every season there are obstacles and challenges that seem overwhelming in the beginning of August. Think back over the last four years:
2009: Starting the season on the road with a big game against Boise State is a big risk. How will the team recover if that game doesn’t go well? Can Chip Kelly really replace Mike Bellotti? He’s never been a head coach at any level. With Jeremiah Johnson graduated, LeGarrette Blount is the only proven running back. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner have never taken a handoff in college football. The secondary has lost veteran Patrick Chung to the NFL. If veteran T.J. Ward goes down, that leaves redshirt freshman John Boyett to play safety. On the offensive line Max Unger and Fenuki Tupou have moved on to pro football, leaving a group that has less than two dozen starts at the college level. Leading receiver Jaison Williams has graduated also, after 21 tds and 2,546 yards in his career.
The Ducks get humiliated in the opening game at Boise, not even making a first down in the first half. Kelly looks confused and overmatched on the sideline. The offensive line, disorganized and out of synch, can’t handle BSU’s pressure and penetration. LeGarrette Blount punches a Boise State player after the game and gets suspended for the season (later reinstated after 10 games). T.J. Ward and Walter Thurmond go down early in the year with injuries.
But freshman John Boyett, Bo Lokombo and Michael Clay blossom into key contributors on the defense, Boyett leading the team in tackles. Jeff Maehl emerges as a big-play receiver. LaMichael James rushes for 1546 yards and 14 tds as a redshirt freshman.
Jordan Holmes takes over at center and becomes a two-year starter and a stabilizing force on the offensive line, with Mark Asper and Carson York taking over at guard. On defense, a tall, skinny junior tackle named Brandon Bair and fellow junior Kenny Rowe emerge to lighten the loss of veteran Nick Reed.
Result: the Ducks win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl for the second time in 51 years, finish 10-3.
2010: Veteran quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Masoli is suspended from the team after stealing a laptop in February, and elects to transfer to Mississippi. Who’s going to win the quarterback battle between Nate Costa and Darron Thomas? Can the Ducks compete in the PAC-12 without an experienced quarterback? Blount, Thurmond, Willie Glasper, Ward and Will Tukuafu have all graduated.
Result: Thomas wins the quarterback job and shows cool decision-making and pinpoint passing in leading comeback wins early in the year over Tennessee and Arizona State on the road, overcoming two early interceptions and a 21-3 deficit in outdueling Andrew Luck and Stanford in game 5.
The Ducks complete a 12-0 regular season and advance to the National Championship Game versus Auburn.
2011: The Ducks lose Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger, Brandon Bair, and Kenny Rowe to graduation. On the offensive line, they are without Bo Thran and C.E. Kaiser. 1,000-yard receiver Jeff Maehl has moved on to the Baltimore Ravens. They open the season with an all-or-nothing clash with LSU in Texas Stadium.
With the loss of so much leadership and the pressure of a such a big game in the opening week, can this team come anywhere near the achievements of the 2010 squad? Should Bryan Bennett, who has more athleticism and a better passing arm, start over Thomas? What about freshman Marcus Mariota, who insiders say has been tearing it up in practice?
Result: Thomas holds on to his starting job. The Ducks overcome a week one loss to LSU and a November loss to USC on a last-second missed field goal, host the first-ever PAC-12 Championship game with a convincing win over UCLA, and beat Wisconsin 45-38 to take home their first Rose Bowl Trophy since 1917.
2012: LaMichael James and Darron Thomas leave early for the NFL. Bennett and Mariota duel it out in spring and fall camp, and Mariota wins the job. How can the Ducks win with a completely inexperienced redshirt freshman quarterback? Does Kenjon Barner have the durability to be an every down tailback?
The Ducks have lost WR Lavasier Tuinei, LB Dewitt Stuckey, DE Terrell Turner, David Paulson, Josh Kaddu, Eddie Pleasant, Darrion Weems, Mark Asper, Anthony Gildon and Ramsen Golpashin. How will they possibly replace that kind of leadership and experience?
Result: Mariota quickly makes everyone forget about Thomas, passing for 2677 yards, 32 touchdowns and rushing for 752 yards. Barner zooms to 1754 yards and 21 tds, carrying the ball 278 durable times as he vaults to #2 on the Oregon career rushing list. Jake Fisher, Hroniss Grasu and Tyler Johnstone take over on the offensive line, Grasu emerging as the quarterback of the o-line in his second year as starting center, and the unit gets a big boost from jc transfer Kyle Long, an athletic force at guard. Sophomores Terrence Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu anchor a secondary that leads the country in interceptions.
The Ducks complete their third straight 12-win season, besting Kansas State 35-17 in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing #2 in the country.
As in the stock market, past results are no guarantee of future profit. But it’s imminently clear the Ducks have a track record of overcoming big challenges. Their “next man up” philosophy and crisp pace uniquely prepares them for transition. Players know what they are doing and have confidence about it. With a strong leadership structure among the players, there isn’t any reason that Oregon under Mark Helfrich can’t look a lot like Oregon under Chip Kelly and respond to the ever-present questions with winning answers.
Here’s what leadership looks like for the 2013 Oregon Ducks:
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