A “Voice of the Fan” Article by Michael Tallia
This weekend I finally got a little taste of college football with CBS’s College Football Preview show. I sat down with my Dad, who went to Cal and whom I’ve fully converted to a Duck, anxious to see what they had to say about each conference and how they felt it would shake out. Of course the SEC got the most discussion (much deserved) but I was shocked that Oregon yet again got no love. As the experts talked about the PAC 12 it was all Stanford and some more Stanford with sprinkles of Washington and UCLA. All the talk was about how this conference was Stanford’s to take. Not a single discussion took place about the Ducks and Mariota or DAT. I’m used to the east coast bias by now but after the last 2 season we deserve the respect. Since CBS neglected to showcase the Ducks and a preview of our season I felt that it was my duty to do so from a recent graduate’s point of view.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MoHFolikbWM
You may not love us, you may despise us and call us University of Nike but the consistency of this program over the past 5 seasons is unmatched even by Alabama. Yes I know Bama has won National Championships but the current run the Ducks are on is USC-esque, which will be topped off with a Natty this year. I try to be realistic and objective with college football especially the Ducks. While everyone on campus said we were going to the Natty half way through the season I knew we wouldn’t purely because of conference strength and SEC bias, which is warranted. This is a new season and while Chip Kelly has left the pond, I think Helfrich has pushed all the right buttons. The hiring of Ron Aiken and Matt Lubick was just the beginning of Helfrich’s ability to keep this program afloat. Helfrich may not have the experience as a head coach but success tends to rub off when you’ve only lost a handful of games in the last 4 seasons. Helfrich hit the recruiting trail early and often ringing up big time recruits such as Royce Freeman and more to come after the slap on the wrist from the NCAA. Helfrich was the right hire and this team is ready to soar to new heights.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ZsMDSR7fZQ
Oregon returns nearly everyone on offense this year and only lost 3 players on defense. Yes Dion Jordan, Kiko Alonso, Michael Clay, and Barner will be missed but if there’s anything we’ve learned about this program it’s that we can easily fill big shoes.
A year ago everybody was up in arms with the departure of LMJ and DT but look how we bounced back. This year’s team is deep and more talented than ever and Helfrich knows what he has in Mariota. The passing game will undoubtedly take a step in the right direction with the development of Addison, Huff, and Lyerla. The offensive line has matured physically and mentally to the point where it could handle just about any defensive line. Wait did he just say that even after Stanford demolished that unit last year in Autzen? Yes, yes I did.
Grasu is an All-American candidate, Jake Fisher and Tyler Johnstone will be all conference and oh yeah I forgot about the man pulling the trigger. Mariota has all the tools to make every throw and read that will take this offense to a height not even Chip Kelly could have dreamed of. He has gained weight this season and built quite the rapport with Addison, Huff, Lyerla, Allen, and BJ Kelly. Scott Frost taught these young WR’s how to block the last couple years and now it’s time to open the stable and let them run free behind opposing secondaries. Gone are the days when Oregon’s offense would sputter when a big opposing D-line closed all the gaps in the running game and played man coverage. Sure Byron Marshall has made strides and DAT will continue to be the fastest man on the face of the earth in pads, but I’m not sure it’s enough to stop the aerial attack from taking a front seat in this offense. Yes, Oregon is a run first team and always will be but this year Mariota is poised to pick apart defenses and open the run game up by passing first. I expect the Ducks to pass a lot in the first few tune up games and run like a well oiled machine.
The run game won’t falter like it has in the past and young guys such as Tyner will be pivotal in the Ducks’ chances of reaching the Natty. If Tyner can get 8-10 carries a game along with 15-10 from Marshall and 8 from DAT this run game won’t miss a beat. The offensive line is far more developed than past years and for once there aren’t too many questions regarding who will start where and whether or not they have developed chemistry together.
The offense will be just fine and I trust Frost, Lubick and Helfrich to make the right calls during games to propel Mariota into the Heisman race. People forget just how good he was last year as a FRESHMEN. I expect his efficiency/accuracy to improve and his numbers to exceed what any of us could do on EA Sports’ NCAA Football 14 video game. This is his year to win the Heisman and if you look at the past Heisman winners, even they emerged almost out of no where to take it home.
Enough about the offense, we know Oregon will be just fine in that area. The age-old question that needs to be answered is, will Oregon’s defense be championship caliber?
Simply put, yes. This secondary is hands down the best in the nation. Ifo and Mitchell might just be the best 1-2 punch in the nation and now that Patterson is healthy and Jackson has a full season under his belt I have no concerns about their ability to stop teams in the air and force them to test our D-line/LB’s. The D-line is going to be another strongpoint of our defense. Taylor Hart is a man among boys who should be among the best in the nation with Wade and Ricky standing beside him. Tony Washington is ready to take on a starting role and Christian French just may be the next freak on the outside to come through Oregon. Although you can’t ever read too much into a Spring game, there’s no denying how dominant he was in April.
Then there’s our two studs in Armstead and Buckner who stand among the tallest skyscrapers this world has to offer. Coaches raved about Buckner last season and his ability to grasp concepts and make plays. Even Chip Kelly himself put him in the same sentence when it came to football IQ as Michael Clay, and that’s saying something. Armstead has finally come into his big body and is ready to show people why he made the right decision playing D-line.
This unit is ready to finally be a force to be reckoned with and with Aiken as their master they can finally use their imposing attributes to good use.
The biggest question this year is whether or not the Ducks find the right line backing unit prior to the big games. We know Boseko will be a force whether he plays inside or out, but it’s up to Aliotti to find those other 2 guys. My guess is Tyson Coleman and Walker will be the other two. I’ve always been impressed with Coleman and I think this is his job to lose. He had a tremendous Spring game and coaches and players alike can’t stop talking about his potential.
Walker is another guy who brought his paper bag to work and only plans on taking a 10-minute lunch break. Rodney Hardrick has had some tough injuries but after asking him personally on facebook if he finally felt healthy, he answered with an emphatic yes. Let’s not forget Derrick Malone. While he’s mostly used in Nickel sets, he always seemed to be around the ball, which could be valuable for Aliotti.
There’s no doubt this unit will be young and somewhat inexperienced but all of them have the potential to be better than Clay and Alonso. Michael Clay, bless his heart, was an incredible guy for us but even when he made the right decision he lacked the physical tools to deliver a big hit or make a play on the ball. Alonso was a freak but even he had issues with gap integrity and over-running plays. If this unit can iron out the kinks in the first couple weeks I have no doubt in my mind this will be the best defense Duck fans have seen since “Gang Green”.
All that being said, it’s up to Helfrich to lead his troops into battle and prepare them for the rigors of every team’s best shot. Helfrich isn’t Kelly and he never will be, he’s his own man. In his interviews you can see a man who’s anxious to compete and ready to take on the added pressure. If, as he said, he can be known as the guy who continued to win after Chip Kelly left, I am more than okay with that. Helfrich knows not to fix what isn’t broken but he also knows college football is an atmosphere of change. He has all the pieces he needs to make this his empire and with his coaching staff in place he is ready to exceed that which we, as fans have become accustomed to.
Is there pressure for Helfrich to succeed? Sure there is but he wouldn’t know it. He’s been prepared for this moment ever since he came on board with Kelly and he learned early on that pressure is what you feel when you’re not prepared. Helfrich will take this bull by the horns and use every weapon in his arsenal to his advantage as he leads us on a quest to perfection. This is the Duck’s year to bring it all together and forget about the hiccup last year against Stanford. It’s time for this program to finally get the recognition it deserves and maybe, just maybe CBS will part like the red sea for the second coming of Joey Harrington in Marcus Mariota.
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