SB Nation - Andre Crenshaw

Remembering the Seniors

jtlight — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:00:45 -0000

When we look back on the seniors of 2009, I don't think they will be remembered in the same vein as some of the other Oregon greats. We'll remember 2001 for Joey Harrington. We'll remember 2007 for Dennis Dixon. We'll remember 2008 for the stellar offensive line and Jeremiah Johnson.

But 2009 is different. The face of the offense, LeGarrette Blount, was suspended for most of the season. The face of the defense, Walter Thurmond III, missed most of the season with a knee injury. And this year may end up being known as a year of transition, as successful as this team may end up being.

But this class is something special. They lived through 2006, when the team imploded down the stretch, and carried those lessons forward, helping to bridge the gap between 2007 and 2009, and providing leadership on a very young team.

Without the leadership and production of Walter Thurmond, Ed Dickson, Will Tukuafu, and T.J. Ward this team would not be where it is. On top of this, many other seniors who didn't see the field as much are just as important to the program. Morgan Flint, Andre Crenshaw, Rory Cavaille, Willie Glasper, Blake Ferras, Simi Toeaina, Titus Jackson are vital and productive members of the team, and worked their butts off day in a day out. Their hard work helped pushed other players to that next level. Lastly, we can't forget the contributions of three walk-ons, who all earned scholarships by their seniors years. Riley Showalter, Mike DiVincenzo, and Pono Kam earned their scholarships, and their play on special teams helped give Oregon one of the top special teams units in the conference.

Thanks for the memories guys. You will all be greatly missed. Enjoy your final game at Autzen.

After the jump, we have some videos, to remember the contributions of another special Oregon class.

Ed Dickson

In a long line of great Oregon tight ends, Dickson goes down as the most productive, with big plays over and over again during his career. His catch against Arizona was simply spectacular. Here are some of my favorite Ed Dickson moments:

T.J. Ward

He will be remembered as the enforcer of the Oregon defense, laying hits over and over again, and likely go down as the most YouTube'd Duck of all time (for exploits DURING the football game).

Walter Thurmond III

He had a knack for the big play. I feel cheated that we missed out on most of his senior year.

LeGarrette Blount

We'll ultimately remember Blount for his essentially lost senior year, which is too bad. He was utterly dominant as a change of pace his junior year. So let's remember him for that, and by one of my favorite runs of all time.

I'm sure I missed some big moments, so leave your favorite memories of our seniors in the comments. GO DUCKS!

Oregon Ducks Q&A with Addicted To Quack

Cory Williams — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:47:36 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

LeGarrette Blount: Back in action against ASU tomorrow.

Browse more photos »

Here at SBNation, we sometimes join forces with our excellent Pac-10 bloggers to discuss upcoming games and events. This week, we talked about the Oregon Ducks with our friend Jared at Addicted To Quack. Adam took the time to answer Jared's questions, and you can find them here. Without further ado...

What does LeGarrette Blount bring to the table now that his lengthy suspension is up? Do you think he will see a lot of action on Saturday, or will Chip and the rest of the staff put an emphasis on the players that have been producing all year long?

One of our writers, Paul, covered this topic very well earlier this week. Blount bring a physical presence that our running backs have lacked, and could prove very important on 3rd or 4th and short situations. He will be a much needed change of pace to LaMichael James if he can earn his carries. Blount will have some carries (I'm guessing around 5-8), but he will not be the #1 back this season. He will be fighting for backup carries with Kenjon Barner, Remene Alston, and Andre Crenshaw.

Losing to Stanford last weekend put a damper on Oregon's BCS chances. Where do you think the Ducks will end up come bowl season?

I still very much believe that Oregon will reach the Rose Bowl. I think that Oregon will be the favorite in the final two games, and the Ducks have a great chance to run the table and win the conference. However, Oregon still has the top offense and one of the best defenses in the Pac-10, so I think they're the favorites to win it. However, if Oregon drops a game or more, who knows what will happen. The Ducks could easily fall to the Sun Bowl.

More after the jump!

Oregon has been stomping the Sun Devils for years now. What can ASU do to increase their chances of winning this game?

Score more points. Slowing down Oregon will be a very tough job, even for ASU's great defense. ASU has simply not matched the offensive output of the Ducks, and they'll have to score at least 30 to win the game this weekend.

ASU will be starting true freshman Brock Osweiler on Saturday night in front of a ferocious road crowd. What is it like to attend an Oregon home game, and what makes playing in Autzen Stadium so difficult?

Autzen is simply insanely loud, every single play. What sets it apart is that the noise is constant throughout the game. At the Cal game earlier this year, Cal did a very quick snap and the crowd quite ready, so everyone yelled from the end of that play, through the next snap.

This noise has a definite impact. Two weeks ago, USC had 6 false starts. Linemen simply can't hear the snap count. Not only does this lead to penalties, but it means that opposing offenses don't have the advantage of the snap, and both teams are forced to go at the snap of the ball, rather than a count. It just adds that extra level of difficulty for opposing teams trying to execute offensively.

All in all, your season has had its ups and downs. Just how good is this Ducks squad? What are they most lacking, and are there any exciting recruits coming to fill those gaps?

The main thing these Ducks are lacking is a dominating defensive tackle. This isn't to take anything away from the Oregon defensive line, which was been excellent this season. But they don't have the size of other lines, and certain lines (like Stanford's) are able to use that lack of size to their advantage.

Other than that, this is a very very good Oregon team, and they finally have a defense that is keeping pace with their offense (up until last week). If Oregon can add some large bodies on the D-line for next year, watch out. Oregon returns 19 starters and will be a force next season.

Thanks again to Jared for taking the time to answer our questions. Go Devils!

Five Questions With Addictet Quack on Oregon Versus Utah

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:10:06 -0000

This week we have a short interview with Addicted To Quack about the upcoming game with Utah traveling to Oregon. Make sure to check their site for my answers to their questions. Check the interview after the jump.

1. Is the offense suffering because Chip Kelly is now the head coach and has more responsibilities then when he was only in charge of the offense as the offensive coordinator?

There are some that have that theory, although I'm not buying it. I think it has more to do with the personnel not performing to expectations. Its starts with QB Jeremiah Masoli, and he put on the worst display of quarterbacking I have ever seen in the Boise State game. He was locking in on one receiver and not going through his progression. He wasn't reading the read option. He was downright horrible. Purdue started to look like more of the same, but midway through the second quarter something started to click and Jeremiah started looking like the Masoli we know and love.

The running game, however, has been a bigger problem. The offensive line has been inconsistent, as you might expect with four new starters. But I'm not sure that's the issue as much as the backs themselves. Even before he self-destructed, there were questions about how in shape LeGarrette Blount was and he looked very slow against Boise. Andre Crenshaw played most of the first half against Purdue and showed again that he is just a very average back. But two redshirt freshmen-LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, really exploded for a lot of huge runs in the second half of the game with the Boilermakers and, at least with James, it was somewhat expected as he was fantastic both last spring and all camp, and we see him as maybe a Jacquizz Rodgers type. This offense is predicated on momentum and stringing together long runs in the running game. The failure to do that, moreso than anything schematic, has been the problem.

2. Will the Oregon defense do try anything special against QB Terrance Cain who is making his first road start in such a hostile environment?

I don't think they'll try to do anything special, they'll just do what they always do, which is blitz a lot, try and kill the run, and put a ton of pressure on him. You see a lot of other DCs do this as an adjustment to a freshman QB, but Oregon pretty much does it always. He'll have lots of guys coming at him and have to make quick decisions. The flipside is that the corners will be isolated one-on-one a ton and if he can find his receivers, they'll get the ball. It's a strategy of feast of famine. It really rattled Mark Sanchez in his first start here. But Kellen Moore absolutely shredded it. It is massively susceptible to play action, so that's something the Utes may be able to use to their advantage.

3. How is Oregon a 4.5 favorite over Utah who is a top 20 team? Is the home field advantage that large in Autzen?

I think there are a couple of reasons for this. Yes, the home field advantage is tremendous, but by no means insurmountable. The bigger issue is that many people (including myself), look at Utah's ranking versus what they've done of the field and believe it to be a farce. Its based on what they did last year, because top 20 teams don't struggle against San Jose State and Utah State. Plus, Oregon has gotten better every half this season, and the offense in the second half of the Purdue game was finally looking like it did last year. If that trend continues, and Utah plays like it has this season thus far, it could be a long day for the Utes. On the other hand, if they roll into Autzen and win, it completely legitimizes their ranking.

5. What was the reasoning behind the hype for Oregon this year? They had one of the least experienced offensive lines in the country, only one returning starter on the defensive line, a new head coach, and a quarterback in Jeremiah Masoli who is more of an athlete then a quarterback.

Because they were blowing teams out at the end of last year with a high octane, entertaining offense and had their two best players coming back. Of course, Blount is now gone, and Masoli hasn't been great. But the defense has been better than expected and, as the offense gets back on track, I still think you'll see a very good Oregon team by the end of the season (last year started off really slow as well). Now, are we going to be BCS contenders as many predicted? With Cal looking so good and us already having dropped a game, that's probably a long shot at this point, but this isn't a team that's in any danger of falling into the lower half of the conference.

The Oregon Ducks Elevator - The Purdue Series Ends in Dramatic Fashion Edition

dvieira — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:26:51 -0000

Welcome to the Oregon Ducks Elevator. I'm still recovering from the heart attack of a game we saw on Saturday so forgive my tardiness. Also, I Can Haz Football will be back this week as soon as I get some time. Missing it is unforgivable and we have some great content to work with this week.

Jeremiah Masoli: For 6 quarters dating back to the Boise State game, Jeremiah looked lost out there running the offense. In the second half, the thunder storm came and things just sort of started to click. It seemed that he stopped thinking about the game so much and began to trust his eyes and teammates more. Oh, and it appears the spin move is going to be part of his arsenal from here on out. He would have gone up a level if he had a better first half. Could he be turning the corner with this group? We'll find out this week. Elevator: On the same floor

Nick Aliotti: A lot of fans like to bash on the guy and have for a long time. If you just look at the points on the board, you might think the defense did a bad job letting Purdue score that many points. The defense was directly responsible for scoring 14 points and setting up at least 3, keeping Oregon in the game. It was a high risk, high reward style and it paid off on Saturday. He had the correct players in the game and they were in the right positions to make plays. Tackling issues aside, this was a pretty good defensive performance with a strong, attacking, motivated defense. Elevator: Up 1 floor

LeGarrette Blount: No one thought he would make an appearance in the elevator again after his actions at Boise State. Who better to help break up a scrum at the end of the game then a big guy in a number 9 jersey and sweatpants? Although he won't be playing this year on the field, he showed me something by just being at the game to support his teammates. Showing leadership by breaking up a scrum, albeit slightly ironic, allows me to give him a new job for the Oregon Ducks Elevator: Elevator: Staffing the new Elevator Security Guard position

Andre Crenshaw: Had a very tough first half and just couldn't seem to get himself going. With a couple of good runs in the second half, he was able to beat out a few good runs against a tired defense but he needs to get more consistent, especially now that he is one of the feature backs in the backfield. Elevator: On the same floor

Jamere Holland: Dropped a couple of balls, one wide open pass that would have gone for a touchdown. He gets a bit of a pass because it had just started raining on the field and the ball was still fairly slick, but you have to catch those balls that hit you in the hands. Don't get down on yourself Jamere. People are very sensitive to drops because of J-Will last year. We know you've got mad skills. Elevator: Down 1 floor

Purdue Football: What a great series with the Boilermakers from Purdue. This latest home and home series has proved to be heart attack inducing fun that I hate to see go. Speaking of which, I have to give it up to the fans that travelled to Autzen to support their team. The entire visitors' section was completely full with Boilermaker fans. They were loud enough to be heard on the other side of the stadium where I was sitting and showed class in what much have been a tough loss to swallow. I became a Purdue fan this weekend, if, for nothing else, the extreme amount of class, dignity and support the fanbase and team showed. Elevator: Up 2 floors

Morning Quack Fix: Another NC commit, Getting Ready for Purdue

jtlight — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:59:02 -0000

After the utterly bizarre events of last weekend, it's been a pretty quite week for the Ducks, as they prepare for the home opener tomorrow night.

[UPDATE] In the wake of the Chris McCain commitment, his former teammate, James Scales has also given his commitment to the Ducks! Scales sounds like he is a real heavy hitter, and could end up being a Patrick Chung type of player. Welcome James!
Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune has his game prediction up, and predicts a 27-21 Oregon win. Not surprisingly, he seems to be still reeling from the Boise State loss. Vondersmith also has an article that looks at Purdue, and asks whether or not they will be able to stop the pass, or run the ball. I think that Purdue must be able to do both if they want to win.
The Statesman Journal has a piece looking at how the Ducks will regroup offensively after the BSU game. Oregon must come out and just get into a bit of a rhythm. If the team gets some confidence, look out. But they need to put together a few consistent drives.
The Oregonian is playing up the redemption angle in its game preview, spending almost none of the article on the actual game, and most of it on how Oregon will rebuild it's imagine, but must do that with wins more than anything else.
Adam Jude from the Register Guard takes a look at one of the few bright sports in last weeks game: Punter Jackson Rice. While it's unfortunate the punting had to be a bright spot, Rice did a phenomenal job punting the ball, and didn't give Kyle Wilson many chances to return the ball. Not only did he average over 43 yards per kick, but averaged over 41 net yards per kick.
Lastly, Rob Moseley has an interview with Ed Dickson. Dickson talks a bit about Autzen and his favorite moments there, as well how the team will bounce back from Purdue.

As always, leave any links or thoughts in the comments. After the jump, we have a video of new Oregon commit Chris McCain making his announcement, one of Oregon being discussed on College Football Live yesterday, and an interview with Andre Crenshaw. GO DUCKS!

Morning Quack Fix: Moving on...

ntrebon — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:55:51 -0000

Well, there's not a lot of variety in the quack this morning. Here's what I could find -- enjoy.

Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal wonders how the Ducks will replace Blount's power running style. The RB depth for Oregon now consists of Andre Crenshaw, LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. Remene Alston was absent from practice yesterday as he continues to work on academic issues.
Ted Miller notes that it's not just the RB depth that Oregon should be concerned with. Miller calls Ward "questionable -- at best" to play against Purdue while the "official" word out of Oregon is that there is optimism he might be available.
Ken Goe has a blog post saying that the Oregon defense did their job on Thursday night in Boise. And, he's right. While people may argue that Boise State was running the ball more in the second half, doesn't it ultimately come down to the fact that Oregon still had chances to come back in the second half if only the offense had been able to make plays?
Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune writes about how the Ducks moving on towards this weekend's matchup with Purdue. And, in the notes section at the end of the article Kelly mentions that Nate Costa might see some playing time on Saturday. Mike Tokito has a quick rundown on the Boilermakers.
John Hunt blogs about Kelly setting up a phone call for Blount with Kermit Washington. Washington, of course, is a former NBA player who is remebered infamously for punching Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977 during an on-court brawl. Given his history, I am sure he had a lot of insight and advice for LeGarrette. And, just in case you're not completely done reading about the Blount situation, Moseley has a collection of links. If you'd rather skip the Blount links, then jump to the bottom of the post, where there are links to Oregon's next four opponents.
Finally, don't forget to make your weekly jersey contest picks.

After the jump is an interview with Chip Kelly looking at the week ahead.

Go Ducks!

Kelly talks about the week ahead, and Purdue

ATQ 2009 Football Preseason Awards

JConant — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:16 -0000

A few of us ATQers got together and voted on a variety of preseason awards. All in good fun. At the end of the season we'll do it all over again and see how preseason predictions compare to post-season results. Thanks to jtlight, ntrebon, dvieira, PaulSF and Addicted to Quack.

Nominees and winners after the jump...

Most Valuable Player

LeGarrette Blount, Ed Dickson, Jeremiah Masoli, Walter Thurmond III, T.J. Ward

Winner: Jeremiah Masoli
Runner up: LeGarrette Blount

Offensive Player of the Year

LeGarrette Blount, Ed Dickson, Jamere Holland, Jeff Maehl, Jeremiah Masoli

Winner: LeGarrette Blount, Jeremiah Masoli (tie)

Defensive Player of the Year

Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger, Walter Thurmond III, Will Tukuafu, T.J. Ward

Winner: Walter Thurmond III
Runner up: Will Tukuafu, T.J. Ward

Offensive Newcomer of the Year (includes '08 red shirts)

Tyrece Gaines, LaMichael James, Diante Jackson, Carson York

Winner: LaMichael James (unanimous)

Defensive Newcomer of the Year (includes '08 red shirts)

Zac Clark, Scott Grady, Bryson Littlejohn, Terrance Montgomery

Winner: Bryson Littlejohn
Runner up: Terrance Montgomery

Freshman Player of the Year

Everett Benyard, Blake Cantu, Michael Clay, Diante Jackson, Jackson Rice

Winner: Jackson Rice
Runner up: Diante Jackson

Most Improved - Offense

Rory Cavaille, Andre Crenshaw, Garrett Embry, Jamere Holland, Jordan Holmes, David Paulson

Winner: Jamere Holland
Runner up: Jordan Holmes

Most Improved - Defense

Brandon Bair, Blake Ferras, Talmadge Jackson III, Casey Matthews, Eddie Pleasant, Kenny Rowe, Javes Lewis

Winner: Brandon Bair
Runner up: Jackson III, Matthews, Rowe, Lewis

Position Coach of the Year

Jerry Azzinaro, Steve Greatwood, Mark Helfrich, John Neal, Don Pellum, Nick Aliotti

Winner: Jerry Azzinaro
Runner up: Steve Greatwood

So, how did we do? If we blew it or nailed it, let us hear about it in the comments. Who are the players you're most looking forward to watch this season and why?

Morning Quack Fix: Defense gets revenge. Matzek and Marisnick sign

ntrebon — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:12:49 -0000

Not a whole lot of Duck news out there this morning. Here's what I could round up:

As Jared (and Dave) posted last night, Tyler Matzek and Jake Marisnick both signed professional baseball contracts with the clubs that drafted them, the Rockies and Blue Jays, respectively. Best of luck to both of them. Oregon closer Drew Gagnier will return for his senior season after choosing not to sign with Oakland as a 14th round pick.
Tony from Duck Territory has write ups for both the offense and defense from yesterday's practice. On the offensive side of the ball, Tony had positives for each of the various units, with Andre Crenshaw and Lavasier Tuinei standing out. The second practice of the day featured the second compeition day of the fall, which the defense led from start to finish. The competition ended with a T.J. Ward pick returned for a TD. Moseley also blogs about the defense winning the right to wear the black jerseys, including what he calls the "first significant fight of the fall" between Jordan Holmes, Casey Mathews and Eddie Pleasant.
John Hunt blogs about Tom Osborne's preparations for Oregon's special teams as the Boise State game draws near. With Jackson Rice sounding like the real deal, I just wish we could get some consistency with the kicking game. Besides consistently poor, that is.
Nick Daschel looks at which players are the most irreplaceable for each team in the wake of the news that Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski is out indefinitely with a back injury. Oregon's player? Walter Thurmond III. Daschel's argument against Jeremiah Masoli (and LeGarrette Blount, I assume) is the remaining depth at the position.
Ron Bellamy has a quick blog note up that Galen Rupp finished 8th in the IAAF World Track & Field Champships on Monday in Berlin. Rupp finished nearly a full minute behind (!) Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, who is the current world record holder.
And, it looks like Jake Locker will give baseball a shot, after signing with the Angels. His baseball activities are not expected to interfere with football. Maybe a summer off playing (or struggling) at professional baseball will have the same transformational effect on Locker as it did on Dixon?

And, that's it for today. Post any comments or links below.

Morning Quack Fix: Rounding up the first few days of fall camp

jtlight — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:32:26 -0000

Wow, what a weekend it was for the Ducks. With practice on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there is a lot of quack to make your Monday better.

Let's kick things off with a blog post from the big man. He has a new blog post off titled, "There is no 'Hall of Average.'" The first thing that pops out, not only with the title, but with the whole post, is Kelly's intensity and focus on competition. This is really the main change he's brought to the program so far, as has really taken a page out of the Pete Carroll playbook. I like this shift in attitude. It's easy to get stuck in a rut, and if anything, the Kelly hire has changed that. The main downside is the possibility of the players getting burnt out. But I feel that players that have stuck around are the competitors, and those that will relish this environment. Players, such as Talmadge Jackson III are also learning not to cross Kelly, or else they will be running like crazy.
In practice news, the two names that jumped out were LaMichael James and Diante Jackson. Despite having clearance issues, Diante is making his presence known (this notebook also has some notes on Andre Crenshaw), not only with a big personality but with his abilities. He gained praise from both Masoli and Kelly. However, how we really know he's a duck is his style choice. Not only does he sport some awesome dreads, his mom will be dying them before every game to match the uniforms the ducks will be wearing. For more on Jackson, Moseley and Adam Jude have a video interview with him, as well as incoming players Mike Bowlin (K) and Andrew Iupati (DT). James was impressive as well, and displayed the speed that has been so tantalizing all offseason. He also spent a lot of time with the second unit on Sunday.
What may be most encouraging is the status of LeGarrette Blount. After being dismissed from the end of practice on Friday (over going too hard after a blown whistle), Blount came out in force on Saturday. George Schroeder also had a column up this weekend on Blount, and his tumultuous offseason. Though Blount has his personal issues, what is great about this team is that there are a lot of leaders, and Blount won't be able to get away with anything.
To quell another worry, Rob Moseley has a feature on the offensive line. And what will likely dispell any worries is Steve Greatwood saying, "I expect them to break every record of the group ahead of them." The group exudes a quiet confidence and they sound comfortable with each other. Most have been in the program for at least 2 years, and are ready to prove it on the field. As I've said before, this is a very physically talented line. That they seem to be coming together is incredibly encouraging. C.E. Kaiser, the leader of the line, said of the group, "People say we need to gel; we’ve already gelled."
The Oregonian also had a slew of videos up, including one on the first day of practice, one with Blount, and one with Will Tukuafu.
After Sunday practice, there are a few injury concerns. Jeff Maehl, Tyrece Gaines, and D. Jackson were all nursing knee issues (though it's nothing major at this point), while Bo Thran wasn't with the ones because of a knee injury. Meanwhile, Cliff Harris and Justin Brown have still not reported.
Lastly, George Schroeder tackles the question of expectations. Are they too high for this season? Well, no matter what, they can't be higher than Kelly's, who expects to win every game. There are definitely questions for this season, but there is also a lot of talent. Kelly has a lot to work with, and his long term success will be judged on his ability to bring talent to Oregon.

That's all for now. There is a lot of quack floating around today, so post it in the comments. GO DUCKS! 24 days!

Feeding the Addiction: Q&A with Addicted to Quack

BoilerTMill — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:00:14 -0000

Last week Dominic from the Oregon blog Addicted to Quack contacted me with some questions about our return trip to Eugene. The Ducks 32-26 double overtime win in West Lafayette last season was one of the most exciting games of the year. many Purdue fans have openly wondered how things would have been different if we had held on to the lead. We get a chance to avenge ourselves September 12th out in Eugene. Be sure to visit Addicted to Quack for my answers, but here is what Dominic had to say.

Hammer & Rails: Purdue's history against the Pac-10 has not been kind at 10-19-3 overall. It has been even worse on the road as Purdue is just 3-7-2 in Pac-10 venues (winning at Arizona in 2005, Stanford in 1970, and Washington in 1961). What has Oregon fans afraid of Purdue even though we were just 4-8 last year and have such a poor Pac-10 record?

Addicted to Quack: Unknowns all over the place. Who is Joey Elliott, how will our new defensive look be affected by the short passing game, what will Danny Hope surprise us with. Last year, the short passing game of Purdue gave us fits. Our linebacking core is supposed to be a lot faster and more reactive than last year but only time will tell if we will be able to stop the passing game from eating us up.

H&R: Oregon looks to have some questions of its own having to replace several players along the offensive line and in the secondary. Who is in line to step into these positions after so many guys went pro?

The offensive line has been battered by injuries this spring so it has been a bit hard to gauge who will emerge as the leaders of the unit in the fall. (ED note: Be wary. This was Purdue at this time last season.) C.E. Kaiser and Bo Thran are both out with injuries and are projected starters. Jordan Holmes at center will be a key person on the line when the season starts. Steve Greatwood, our offensive line coach, has an amazing mind for the game and has produced some really great units the past few years. Most everyone coming back will have game experience. The key factor in all of this will be how the offensive line gels together with that experience.

H&R: You guys had a great one-two offensive punch of Blount and Johnson last year. With Johnson gone to the NFL who will pick up his production?

ATQ: This is a big question mark right now for the team, especially since LaGarrette Blount came into the spring about 15 pounds overweight and a step or two slow. Most people say he is one of the hardest working guys on the team and that he will get it together by fall but I personally hate to see all of this time wasted. Injuries have really hurt the playing time of guys behind Blount also. Remene Alston has had foot problems since last year and appeared to have re-injured that same foot in the spring. LaMichael James has been nursing a bad shoulder all spring and has been kept out of contact drills. Andre Crenshaw is the only other healthy true running back on the roster but he has been extremely inconsistent throughout his career and would have to make a huge jump up to equal the ability of Jeremiah Johnson in the backfield. Injuries have hurt the backfield so much, Kenjon Barber (normally a defensive back) has been taking a lot of snaps at tailback and played significant minutes in the spring game.

If I had to make a bet right now about who would be starting alongside Blount in the backfield for Oregon, I would go with LaMichael James. He redshirted last year and was specifically used to replicate Jacquizz Rodgers in preparations for Oregon State. I can't wait to see him on the field. Also, look for some sets that feature QB turned WR turned all round awesome guy Chris Harper.

H&R: Why is Eugene, Oregon the most dangerous place on the face of the earth for the human anterior cruciate ligament? Why do you have so many of these injuries, specifically to the quarterback?

ATQ: It really depends on who you talk to but there are a lot of theories floating around. Some people blame the spread offense, saying that it puts too much stress on the quarterback to make plays with movement. Other people claim it just happens to be bad luck and that quarterback injuries are a fact of life for any team. I think the answer is right in the middle. When Jeremiah Masoli was injured last year during the Boise State game, it was due to a blind side late hit. Justin Roper's injury in last year's Purdue game was on the option but it was a freak thing in the way he was tackled. Dennis Dixon had the same thing happen to him in 2007. We weren't even running the spread when Kellen Clemens was injured. I do think the spread offense puts quarterbacks in more precarious positions than a traditional power I does but these guys are athletes. Most everyone saw Masoli run over a cornerback in the Holiday Bowl last year. How many teams are blessed to have a quarterback that can run like a running back? Higher risk, higher reward.

Jeremiah Masoli torches Oklahoma State

On the upside, we have this built into our recruiting pitch for new recruits. "Come to Oregon! Be a Duck! When you tear your ACL, we have the most experienced staff and best facilities available to help you return to form!"

H&R: What are the major areas of concern after Spring practice?

ATQ: We are pretty banged up in a number of areas and unfortunately, it just so happens that each one of them is a concern. Offensive line will be a major concern going into fall but the progress we've made during the spring has been astronomical. Without a great offensive line, the rest of the offense just doesn't click very well. Since we run almost all of our offense out of the shotgun, we've had quite the challenge in replacing NFL draftee Max Unger at center. Snaps are getting better though and it appears that the offensive line is starting to gel a bit better. Coming into the spring, the defensive line was a huge question mark, mainly because of the loss of Nick Reed. From everything we've seen in spring, it appears that we won't lose as much as we thought. Hard to tell completely though because we have a new offensive line going against a new defensive line. Our kicking and punting game has been awful this spring. Unless something dramatic happens in fall camp, this will be an area of concern the entire season.

H&R: What should Purdue fans expect in the way of hospitality at Autzen Stadium? Are there any other "must see" sights in the area?

ATQ: There are always a few bad apples in every crowd, but generally Oregon Fans are pretty friendly to opposing fans, especially in non-rivalry games. You will always have the random knucklehead that can't keep his mouth shut but there are 10 times as many positive stories as negative ones. The Autzen Stadium complex is quite the sight to see in itself. I recommend getting there early to tailgate and make sure you check out the Mo Center, our indoor practice facility. Fall in the State of Oregon is beautiful. Eugene is 45 minutes from the Oregon Coast and about an hour from the mountains for skiing. If there is one thing you should check out, it would be some of the local breweries here. The Northwest is known for microbreweries and several companies offer factory tours that are a lot of fun. Specifically check out Rogue Ales and Widmer Brothers Brewing. If you make it up to Portland, make sure to check out Voodoo Doughnut . Oregon is all about outdoor activities so bring your hiking shoes, swim trunks and fishing poles because this place is unlike any other. Travel Oregon has some great information about places to check out while you are here.

H&R: In your Q&A with me you asked about the transition from Joe Tiller to Danny Hope. Is Oregon's transition from Mike Bellotti to Chip Kelly roughly the same in terms of offensive styles?

ATQ: There will be little to no difference in offensive styles from last year to this year. Mike Bellotti was much more of a program "manager" than he was an actual coach on the field. The buck stopped with him of course but Chip Kelly was calling all of the plays and running the offense schemes. If anything, I expect more wrinkles to show up in the offense next year because of how many of the skill position players are coming back. Kelly also recently hired Colorado Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich to be the new quarterbacks coach on his staff. Helfrich was looking at coming to Oregon in the early part of the decade but decided against it because he didn't want to run the spread. In an interview, Chip was asked about Helfrich being more of a "pro style" offensive mind and Kelly quipped, "Why would I get someone who runs the spread? I know the spread". At least for the next year, Chip will be calling all of the plays and things shouldn't change drastically.

H&R: Do you view Purdue as a bit of a trap game since it falls between two quality non-conference opponents in Boise State and Utah?

ATQ: It could be a trap game, yeah but not because of Utah persay. To open the season, Oregon will travel to Boise State for a game on the smurf turf. That game will set the tone, not only for the season, but for the Chip Kelly era at Oregon. After the 2008 game, Oregon fans became polarized after a late hit put on Jeremiah Masoli, knocking him out of the game.

Boise State threw some fuel on the fire last year with this late hit.

Chris Peterson, coach at Boise State (and Oregon alum) was called out for backing his player in the situation and even, in some fans' eyes, being a coach who encourages dirty play. The fanbase is calling for blood this year and having to go to Boise to start the season is absolutely gut wrenching. Purdue is the home opener for us the following week and the outcome of the Boise State game will greatly impact how Oregon treats that game. The last time a Big 10 team came into Autzen, they ended up with a loss in a nationally televised game. Even though Purdue had a down year last year, they are still a Big 10 team and when you talk about Big 10 teams in this area of the country, you start talking about the Michigan loss at Autzen in 2003. If Oregon wins against Boise State, look out because Autzen will be rocking on opening weekend. Utah isn't being discussed as nearly as much as the Purdue and Boise State games, primarily because of the belief that Utah is nowhere near the same team that beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last year. Whether that is true or not, the Oregon Fanbase isn't giving them much credit... at least at this point. Oregon will be focused on Purdue coming home, especially if they get a win in Boise. If Oregon loses to the Broncos, Purdue will be in great shape to steal one from a deflated Oregon team.

Final Thoughts: Thanks for stopping by, Dominic. As for a prediction like you asked, I have a weird really good feeling about this game. Purdue is long overdue for a shocking road win and I really like what I saw in spring practice. I say Purdue pulls off a stunner on the road 31-28. Of course, what do I know?

Poll

Does Purdue pull off the shocker in Autzen Stadium?

Yes

45 votes

No

180 votes

225 votes | Poll has closed