SB Nation - Nick Reed

Roll On: How Cal's Offense Can Attack Oregon's Defense

Avinash — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:41:29 -0000

I'm so relieved Pac-10 season is here.

It's not that I don't like the OOC schedule; it's always fun to face new teams, and gauge ourselves to other teams around the country. But it makes things easier for me in terms of figuring out offenses and defenses. There's a familiarity with breaking down Arizona that isn't there with Minnesota or even Maryland. Figuring out what type of coverage packages UCLA will throw your way with their excellent secondary, or whether Oregon State is going to gap-cancel the shit out of you, or how many times Oregon will hit you over and over again with their zone read--these things I can deal with, I've seen them before.

Plus speculating about what an offense or defense might or might not do sucks, since there's a good chance you're going to look real stupid by the end of the game. At least here, there's a much better chance of nailing the general gameplan.

Let's get the ball rolling, shall we? We start with Andy Ludwig's Cal offense versus Oregon and Nick Allioti's hard-hitting, ball-hawking, tackle-missing defense.

(Major thanks to ieeebear for cutting videos for this post, you can see them after the jump! He deserves half the credit for the post.)

Oregon's run defense versus Best, Vereen, and Cal's O-line

I can't really dissect this properly, because one player could be the difference between Cal getting bottled up or taking the Ducks to task. You should see him plenty in the reels after the jump.

Hydro mentioned after last year's game how Allotti loved to bring a defensive back to take out the running back. You can see several times the defensive back (usually the free safety, which usually meant TJ Ward) sizing up the hole, then at the moment he senses run, starts targeting like a heat-seeking missile. One of the times the safety missed was when Best broke free for that long gain, albeit it ended in a fumble.

TJ Ward's health is crucial to Oregon's success at containing the run. You can see from this clip above how crucial Ward was in containing Best and Vereen; his ability to sniff out the run and quickly plug the gap kept the running backs from breaking into space. The dropoff is considerable after Ward, and I don't know exactly how the Ducks safeties stack up behind Ward.

You can also see that Oregon hits hard, so Cal's runners have got to be ready to maintain control of that football. Three rushing turnovers last season nearly cost the Bears dearly.

Although Riley appears to be a much better passer than he was a few seasons ago, I expect Oregon to, at least at the outset, play to contain Best and Vereen I doubt we'll see much difference in strategy from last season, especially on 1st and 2nd downs when the probability of run and pass are approximately equal. For all their struggles this season in various areas, one place the Ducks have remained consistent is guarding the run, and you can see from the video that their front seven has been equal to the task of pushing around Cal's usually solid offensive line.

This season there hasn't been a big dropoff. Yes, Boise State gashed them for 164 yards, but they needed FIFTY NINE CARRIES to get there. Utah, Boise State and Purdue are all upper tier schools in rushing yards per carry, and Oregon held them well under their respective averages.

Oregon has held Cal the last two seasons to an average of 3.38 rushing yards per carry, well below our general rushing average. So they've pulled all the stops to contain Forsett in 2007 and Best in 2008. If the Ducks are expected to pull out the stops against the run, the Bears will have to strip them will have to be won through the air.

Cal pass protection versus Oregon pass rush (or How I Am So Fucking Relieved Nick Reed is in the pros).

Reed was a one man wrecking crew in last year's game. Mitchell Schwartz did well for us in relief last year at left tackle, and Reed just chowed him down like moo goo gai pan.

1) First clip, :11-Reed blows by Schwartz, forces Riley to throw the football like a Thanksgiving turkey. I'm not sure whether Riley's trying the Tim Tebow leap pass here. It's close though.
2) :35--Cameron Morrah probably should've blocked a little bit better on that play before moving into receiving mode, Schwartz didn't seem like he had any chance of taking him up and can only manage a few weak arm shoves before Reed targets Riley.
3) :52--Right side completely collapses. Three defenders get untouched to the quarterback, it's a miracle Longshore even got that pass to Tucker.
4) 1:17--Perfect spin technique by Reed to blow by Schwartz, breaks up what might've been a touchdown to Morrah (although a safety was coming in fast).
5) 1:55--Reed lined up to the bottom against Edwards, and he absolutely smokes him. Plus there was a holding call. Safe to say the O-line was scrambling at this point.
6) 2:12--Mitchell is again caught looking with the spin move. GRAPPLE HIM Mitchell.
7) 2:41--"Sorry Mr. Schwartz, I do not want to participate in this tango." Gets up, screen pass broken out.
8) 3:00--Next play, lines up on Edwards, gets in unimpeded, even if a second too late. Longshore gets twirled like a Twizzler.

Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley were dinged around plenty, as they forced bad throws into traffic, or took sacks they shouldn't have taken. He'll make his mark with the Seahawks soon enough.

This year, the roles are reversed. With Reed gone, the responsibility for pass rush was supposed to fall to Will Tukuafu. So far he's been quiet, with fifteen tackles, but none for a loss. Oregon's pass rush this season has been non-existent. The Ducks averaged nearly 3 sacks a game last season, tied for 9th in the country. This year, they only have four through the first three games, along with only three quarterback hurries. Opposing quarterbacks have had their time to throw so far.

Cal's pass protection, however, has only been slightly better than it was last season (on average in terms of sacks, giving up five sacks and several hurries early on. Hopefully with Tepper and a maturing Schwartz, they can protect damaging sacks on the edge. Kenny Rowe (who has 2.5 of Oregon's sacks from the defensive end slot) seems the likeliest to get pressure, so watch what he does against the tackles.

Oregon's pass defense vs. Kevin Riley and his receivers

Defensive coordinator Nick Allotti is not a favorite of Oregon fans. He didn't look exceptionally good after USC's 44-10 trouncing of the Ducks, where Sanchez burned Oregon for 332 yards, 3 touchdowns on 68% completion rate. Although some of it was cover packages, it was also a case of corners cheating to stop the runs, biting on the play-fakes and getting burned for only putting one free safety in deep coverage.

Luckily, neither quarterback for the Bears could throw that well last season. Against Cal you saw a lot of soft zones, a lot of coverage packages determined to keep Best or Vereen from breaking into the screen. On one occasion when Oregon played close up man coverage they were scorched for a touchdown.

(Note: Understand I'm not an expert on defense. If I made any errors in formation or strategy please correct me and I'll edit them in, and attribute you for the help.)

1) (0:05) I think this is a Cover 4 deep (corners are playing back, safeties too). Best way to attack this is the outside flats (between the hash marks and the sideline), and Riley finds a wide-open Tucker along the out of bounds line. This could also be zone coverage (much like what Gregory runs on passing downs), since the corner seems to be playing a particular zone, trying to make the quarterback complete the throw. Also he could be trying to prevent a long run from the quarterback.

2) (0:36) Again, Riley targets the sideline to Tucker, who makes a great adjustment on the ball

3) (1:02) I believe this is Cover 1 Free (free safety is back to watch both sides of the field, see the replay at 1:19). Oregon stacks. Riley checks off the receiver on the strong side, freezes the free safety (notice him trailing to the top, where Riley's eyes are focused), then goes back and find Ross with a perfect strike. It helps that Wlater Thurmond was slow in recovering to Ross's original move.

4) (1:32) Iffy interference call on Thurmond, who seemed to play Tucker very well on the play, but it does show the benefit of having a receiver who can elevate on a dime and make it tough for the ref to judge whether the defender came too early or not.

5) (1:56) 3-2 Dime package. Six defensive backs and Longshore routinely completes a 4th and 14 on man-to-man? Talmadge Jackson III had some real passive coverage on this one. This play surprised me the most. (Note: Jackson will be Oregon's other corner in this game).

6) (2:23) 4-1 Dime package. Again another great pass to the sidelines to Sean Young, as Oregon's defense seems determined to play their zones and dare Cal's quarterbacks to make that throw to the sidelines. So far Riley and Longshore have converted three crucial 3rd downs aiming at the outside flats, two that broke down the zones in the right places (one was just a great adjustment and catch by Tucker).

7) (3:02) This should be noted for all Nate-haters out there, but Longshore KILLED Oregon. He didn't have achieve greatness by any means (13 for 27, 1 TD), but over his career he threw for a solid 57% completion rate, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception. You can get a sense of how he did it from plays like this; his ability to break down zone defenses and read coverages was impeccable. Danzig has more on his 2006-2007 exploits here.

8) (3:50) Another break down of the zone coverage at the sidelines to Tucker. I'm guessing we might see this play a bit.

Note to self: Watch Verran Tucker (who I assume will be the #1 receiver) versus Walter Thurmond, who I'm guessing will be assigned to him. This is a critical assignment for Thurmond, who must bottle up Tucker on man packages so the rest of the coverage can focus more on Marvin Jones and Ross.

The Ducks have played aggressive, breaking up 19 passes (top 10 in the nation!), including four interceptions, but I'd be very surprised to see Aliotti utilize a man-on-man strategy and not go back to deep coverage zones. Riley isn't Sanchez 2008, but he has been capable of throwing the deep ball properly this season. Expect plenty of cover schemes on obvious passing downs, in addition to the base 4-3 Oregon runs.

If Ludwig can show the multiplicity that he displayed in last week, will Oregon's secondary be able to read and react? The last three seasons the Ducks have lost the Bears game in spite of slowing the run game. It's been their touted corners and safeties who haven't been able to finish off Cal's receivers.

If Kevin Riley can throw a precise, 63-65% completion rate against Oregon's zone coverages, or open up the deep routes, which will in turn force more defensive backs into the game, which will in turn allow the offensive line easier blocking...it's Duck season.

Coming soon: Breaking down Oregon's zone read.

Poll

Who has to be the best offensive performer for the Bears to beat Oregon?

Kevin Riley

145 votes

Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen

81 votes

The receivers (Tucker, Jones and Ross)

32 votes

The offensive line

111 votes

369 votes | Poll has closed

Morning Quack Fix: Labor Day Weekend Edition

dvieira — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:39:03 -0000

Nothing like a little afternoon quack to break up a long, three day weekend. With an amazing day of college football behind us, we have the makings of an excellent season. I thought it would be hard to top last year's "season of the upset" but this season looks promising. Scouring the Internet to find some positive Duck news was a little difficult but I found some good things.

Nick Reed made the 53-man roster for the Seattle Seahawks. Congratulations to the guy with the motor that won't quit.
How about that Oregon Women's Volleyball Team? Ahem, let me rephrase...that 4-0, No. 14 in the nation Oregon Women's Volleyball team. With the win over Seattle at Mac Court on Friday, that makes 4 straight sweeps. My how far this team has come in the last 4 years.
Cross Country is at it again with a sweep in the Pre's Trail Pre-View last Friday. Next up for the Cross Country Team is the Bill Dellinger Invitational on October 2nd.
Duck Sports News has released their 2009 wallpapers for iphones, computers and all kinds of electronic devices. I'm thinking Jay Jones has a crush on a certain cheerleader. ;)
George Schroeder has an article up on the R-G talking about LeGarrette Blount wanting to call Boise State's Chris Petersen and Bryon Hout to apologize for his actions last Thursday.
I'm not sure if we missed this one or what but the R-G also has a story up about Candyce Flynn, the newest member of the Oregon Women's Basketball Team.
The State Board of Higher Education in Oregon has approved a financial distribution plan that reduces the general fund budget for all seven Oregon universities. The article also contains a variety of information on how much each school will lose and where money will be distributed.
Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott is calling for sanctions against BSU player Byron Hout for his role in the LeGarrette Blount fiasco from Thursday. We always wanted Tom Hansen to get more involved in matters like these. Looks like Scott is the answer to that request.

As always, if you find some quack out there, please leave some in the comments. We won't prosecute you for distribution.

Opponent preview: Will Oregon stifle the Bronco ground game again?

Kevan Lee — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:08:22 -0000

The Duralog of Boise State good vibes that is still burning from last season's win over Oregon is just about finished. The warm fuzzies end Thursday night when a new chapter in the incredibly short, two-chapter book on Ducks vs. Broncos (tentatively titled: Quit hitting me: the Jeremiah Masoli story) is written.

Football is almost here, but it's not the same football that any other school in the country (except for maybe VaTech and Alabama) has been looking forward to. This game has huge ramifications for Boise State's BCS hopes. It has huge ramifications for LaGarrette Blount's MySpace friend requests. And there are about a billion different ways you can look at the matchup.

I've chosen one of the most overlooked, but one that I feel could become very important: Oregon's run defense. Let's talk about it, and feel free to add your most important factor in the comments.

No. 16 Oregon at No. 14 Boise State

Kickoff: 8:15MT, TV: ESPN, Radio: 580 KIDO

Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 90 during the day

Spread: Boise State -5

Starting Offense

WR Jamere Holland
WR Jeff Maehl	Leading returning wide receiver (39 recs, 421 yards)
WR Garrett Embry
TE Ed Dickson	John Mackey Award watch list
LT Bo Thran
LG Carson York	Redshirt freshman
C Jordan Holmes
RG Mark Asper	6'7", 323 pounds
RT C.E. Kaiser	Most returning experience on offensive line
QB Jeremiah Masoli	The consensus best QB in the Pac-10
RB LeGarrette Blount	7.3 average, 17 TDs in 2008

The Oregon offense is Jeremiah Masoli, for better or for worse. There are loads of talented skill players around him and a green offensive line in front of him, but Masoli is the heart of the Duck attack. If he is on his game, he is one of the best in the country. If he is on his back, then Ryan Winterswyk WIN!

Starting defense

DE Will Tukuafu	Second-team PAC-10 in 2008
DT Brandon Bair
DT Blake Ferras	6'6", 290 pounds
DE Kenny Rowe
OLB Eddie Pleasant
MLB Casey Matthews	Took over from starter John Bacon six games into 2008 season
OLB Spencer Paysinger	95 tackles as redshirt freshman in 2008
CB Walter Thurmond III	Jim Thorpe Award watch list
CB Talmadge Jackson III
FS T.J. Ward	Preseason all-Pac-10
ROV Javes Lewis

There will be up to five first-timers on the Ducks' starting defense on Thursday, but that isn't to say that this unit is short on talent. A loaded linebacker corps is the meat, T.J. Ward is the special sauce, and veterans like Thurmond and Tukuafu are the bread that holds the whole thing together. Still, the sandwich seems to be missing something. Game experience, maybe?

Special teams

P Jackson Rice	true freshman, making his first college start
K Morgan Flint
KR Walter Thurmond III
KR LaMichael James	Really fast and quick
PR Kenjon Barner

This has nothing to do with special teams, but I thought I should mention Oregon's tazer players: LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. The tazer is Oregon's answer to traditional football positions; it's an athlete who can make plays from anywhere. Get ready to hear this term about 20 times on the ESPN broadcast.

What happened last season

via media.idahostatesman.com

Boise State ran for 38 yards on 35 carries (1.1 average) with one touchdown and a long rush of eight.

Credit the Oregon defense for taking away the run and making Kellen Moore beat them. Credit Kellen Moore for beating them. Credit me for not injuring myself mid-fistpump. Credit Mike Bellotti for that immaculate goatee. And when you're done crediting people, know this: The Bronco offensive line really struggled moving Oregon defenders out of the way and creating holes for the backs. Was it a size/strength issue, similar TCU truck that hit the Broncos? Was it something wrong with the backs?

I'm siding with size and strength (or am I siding against it?). Boise State's O-line looked just fine protecting Kellen Moore on passing plays. The issue wasn't form or technique. It was owning the line of scrimmage that really went Oregon's way. Nothing shows this more than the statistics from Oregons' defensive line. Typically, linebackers lead the team in tackles, or when prolific passing offenses take to the air, players in the secondary get big tackle totals. Rarely do you see it happen along the defensive line.

However, Oregon's D-line really filled the stat box, with one player tying for team lead in tackles and another racking up an inordinate amount of tackles for loss. Combined, four members of Oregon's defensive line - Ra'Shon Harris, Will Tukuafu, Nick Reed, and Cole Linehan - recorded 26 tackles, six TFLs, and one sack. Incredible.

What has changed over the past 12 months

Attrition has struck both the Oregon D-line and the Boise State O-line. The Broncos lost all-conference G/T Andrew Woodruff and his bearded buddy John Gott. The Ducks graduated Reed, Linehan, and Harris, in addition to linebackers Jerome Boyd and John Bacon.

Reed is the most notable absence along the Oregon defensive front. He was an All-American last year, recording 13 sacks, 7 TFLs, and five FR, but his departure might not be the most important hole up front for the Ducks. Both defensive tackles, Linehan and Harris, are gone, leaving a big void for a rotation of JCs and others to fill. Blake Ferras leads a merry-go-round at the position that will sub in as many as four at defensive tackle. The Ducks replace Reed with inexperienced junior Kenny Rowe.

Boise State's O-line has a new look again, just as it did in virtually every game last season. The Broncos will start the year with first-timers Michael Ames and Will Lawrence in the lineup. The other three positions return experience from last year, including center stud Thomas Byrd. Kevin Sapien and Matt Slater are the other two starters, and Nate Potter might see the field in optimal false start packages.

Spotlight on: DE Will Tukuafu

via image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com

Reed wasn't the biggest terror against the Broncos last season. It was Tukuafu, the JC transfer who recorded six solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and one sack against Boise State. He was a handful, in part because the Broncos paid a lot of attention to Nick Reed, and in part because the guy is just a stud.

Coming out of Scottsdale CC, Tukuafu was ranked as one of the two best DL JCs in the nation and reached as high as No. 7 overall on Rivals list of JC players. He was originally recruited by BYU, going so far as to sign a letter of intent with the school. He chose to take a two-year mission instead, and found himself on the CC route when he returned. Thanks to his time away, he is now listed as the oldest player on the Oregon roster at age 25.

His old man strength serves him well. At least, that's what I attribute his being able to sack Jake Locker one-handed.

Tukuafu, a team captain this season and the only returning starter on the defensive line, could be lined up often against Ames, playing in his first actual game in two years. How will Ames handle the new guy? Is Tukuafu's presence the reason why Tommy Gallarda was picked to start at TE against the Ducks? What will the coaching staff do to handle this matchup? I'd like to know your thoughts because none of mine end well.

Can Boise State beat Oregon without an effective running game?

Ah, one of the cruxes.

Well, the obvious answer last year was yes. Boise State would have done just as well letting Kellen Moore fall forward every time they called a running play, and still the Broncos built a 24-point lead and hung on for a win in Eugene. The running game was not needed to win. It would have been nice to have around, especially when BSU needed to salt away some time late in the game. It also might have helped Ian Johnson get drafted, but oh well.

The Broncos proved time and again that they didn't need the running game to be successful last year. But was that a product of their easy schedule? How many times out of 100 would the Broncos beat the Ducks by only running for one yard per carry?

It's nice to dwell on the win from last year, but this is not last year's Bronco team (or Duck team, for that matter). One of the most disconcerting parts of this discussion is that we don't know how the Broncos will perform this year. What do you think? Is the 2009 BSU team built to win without the running game?

The signs seem to say yes. Kellen Moore should be improved over last year, which is just an impossibly crazy idea. The Oregon secondary might be the team's biggest weakness, and with the Boise State's passing game being their biggest strength, well, I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Where the running game really makes its money is if the Broncos get a lead late in the game. As my friends at Football Outsiders love to point out, "You run when you win, you don't win when you run." Let me let them explain.

The first article ever written for Football Outsiders was devoted to debunking the myth of "establishing the run." There is no correlation whatsoever between giving your running backs a lot of carries early in the game and winning the game. Just running the ball is not going to help a team score; it has to run successfully.

In general, winning teams have a lot of carries because their running backs are running out the clock at the end of wins, not because they are running wild early in games.

Thoughts on this?

How will Oregon defend the Broncos

Of course, Oregon's run defense is not just limited to the four guys up front. The Ducks have a deep and talented linebacker trio as well with Spencer Paysinger, Casey Matthews, and Eddie Pleasant. These three players could be the key to making up for the inexperience along the defensive line.

Also, Oregon has the luxury of bringing in rover person Javes Lewis (and sometimes Marvin Johnson) to support the run from his quasi-safety position. At times, Boise State could see eight in the box. But will they?

Given how coolly Kellen Moore shred the Oregon defense last season, you have to wonder if the Ducks won't try to take away the pass and make the Broncos beat them on the ground. This will be fascinating to watch. Seriously, watch it. In the first couple series of the game, strategies should be clear, and you should be able to tell which direction these teams are going. Does Boise State have what it takes to fashion a successful running game off of a traditional seven-man front?

How will Boise State come out against the Ducks

The Broncos could come out with guns a-blazing, using the pass to set up the run. We saw in previous games last year that BSU is not afraid to completely abandon the run in favor of chewing up yards through the air. If it's not working, coaches seem to think, then why hammer it down.

In scrimmages this fall, the passing offense seemed to be a step ahead of the rushing O, and potential starter Jeremy Avery was absent from it all. He even slipped a little on the depth chart into 1A status slightly above 1B D.J. Harper. Both backs are very talented. But you have to wonder how much faith the Broncos have in their running game at this point.

Also, there is more than one way to run the ball. Boise State loves its flare passes and bubble screens that work as basically extended hand-offs. These often get just as many, if not more yards than actually running the ball. Boise State could use this extensively.

How do you think the Bronco running game is feeling at this point?

Other factors in the Oregon run defense debate

Crowd noise. Running games tend to struggle on the road because they cannot hear the snap count and therefore lose that advantage. This won't be the case on Thursday night, provided I can shut up the "Whose House" guy at appropriate times.
Backs that hit the hole. Not to say that Ian Johnson was a poor runner, but he definitely was better suited to run behind a line that allowed him to get up a head of steam. Avery and Harper can go from 0-60 in nothing flat, so that could be a factor in the run game.
Misdirection and gadget plays. Boise State can keep defenses honest with many different looks. If the line wins individual battles, this can lead to big plays.
Playing with a lead or coming from behind. Depending on which team is in which position, the running game could either be a huge focus or a superfluous afterthought.
Richie Brockel. He's really good, and he could be lined up at fullback a lot more than we're used to seeing.
Kellen Moore audibles. Will he be smart enough to check into a high-success running play? That was a stupid question. Forget I asked.

Are there some other factors that I overlooked or failed to mention?

The bazillion other factors that could determine the outcome of the game

The Oregon run defense is just one of a myriad of little battles that could mean win it or lose it for either team. Do you have a factor or matchup that you'll be watching? Here are some others I thought of off the top of my head.

Special teams, and in particular, Kyle Wilson returning punts
Oregon skill players LeGarrette Blount, LaMichael James - they're apparently fast and good
Jeremiah Masoli vs. Boise State secondary - Will the game be won or lost here?
Coaching - Advantage: the guy who has coached before

There are loads more. Which one are you looking at?

Conclusions

So many different things could happen on Thursday, rendering any one of these conclusions irrelevant or prophetic. I'm hoping for the latter.

Which of the following conclusions are you?

Boise State's offensive line will dominate an inexperienced Oregon defensive line, the Broncos will control the line of scrimmage, and the running game will be a solid option for the fourth quarter
Oregon's defensive line will overpower a young Boise State offensive line, the Ducks will control the line of scrimmage, and the Broncos will be forced to pass if they want to gain yards
The Broncos and Ducks will exchange good plays, canceling out the impact of the running game, and putting the focus onto another big matchup
Michael Ames will have a big game
Michael Ames will have a bad game
Will Tukuafu will have a big game
Will Tukuafu will have a bad game

I'm just getting warmed up with conclusions, but I should probably stop there. How do you guys see this matchup playing out? Where on the scale of importance does it fall? What factors did I miss? What players should I have mentioned? And most importantly ...

.. are you ready to finally get this thing over with?

Oregon Roundtable

TwistNHook — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:00:10 -0000

via www.uoregon.edu

TwistNHook: Every game the last few years in Autzen has been tight.

2007-Last second miracle touchback
2005-Last second missed regulation field goal leads to terrible OT
2003-Blackout gives Oregon momentum in 4th quarter

Cal is 1-2 in those games and could just as easily be 0-3 or 3-0. Odd things always seem to happen up there. Given that USC will be the next weekend at home, some Cal players might be peeking ahead. Who knows?

Avinash: How do people think Chip Kelly will fare as the new leading man at Oregon? He seemed rather quippy during Media Day.

There's no doubt he is an offensive master of the spread offense, especially the spread run, and you'd figure that their excellence will continue into this season. But as we've seen before, being both head coach and offensive coordinator can easily bog you down once you hit a rut (Tedford 2007 anyone?). Will he be able to handle both duties at once?

Do you feel that Oregon will be a better team?

TwistNHook: If I were an Oregon fan, my biggest concern would be about the O-Line. Don't they have large amounts of inexperience there?

Avinash: Maybe, although that inexperience might be deceptive.

via cdn.bleacherreport.com

"Oregon's no huddle-spread offense forces their offensive linemen to run much more than traditional units. Oregon not only relies on an exceptional conditioning program, but also uses frequent substitutions to keep their linemen fresh.

Last year the Ducks rotated nine players in and out of the lineup. While the one constant on the field, Max Unger, is now playing up I-5 for the Seahawks, the Ducks do return four players with significant game experience"

HydroTech: Doesn't sound like their OL will be as green as we thought. I'm concerned about LeGarette Blount, their runningback. This guy is apparently a first round draft pick in the waiting. He's 240 pounds! Almost as big as former Wisconsin runningback and Heisman winner Ron Dayne (250 pounds). I'm hoping Blount's career is the opposite of Dayne's - sucky in college and good in the NFL. This guy, along with Oregon's athletic offensive line, will definitely give Cal's defense a HUGE test. Frankly, just thinking about playing in Autzen and having to deal with Blount makes me feel like we're going to lose and I haven't even mentioned Masoli. So about Jeremiah Masoli. That guy can run and is another threat for the defense. His passing could use some work. He puts up some pretty inconsistent games. Last year he had a game where he threw only 33.3% completions, and another game where he threw 80.8% completions. Overall, he's about 57% passer which leaves a lot to desire stastically.

So, just thinking about Blount, Masoli, their OL, and their home field advantage makes me think this is going to be the second toughest team Cal will face in 2009. I would put this game at perhaps a coin-flip for who wins or perhaps a 60/40 in favor of Oregon.

Ragnarok: In spite of that fearsome rushing attack, I would argue that the key to the Ducks' fortunes vs. Cal lies with Masoli's arm. Let's run some numbers:

Last year, Cal's defense gave up more than 125 yards total rushing five times. They lost four of those games (accounting for all four of their losses), but only gave up more than 200 yards on the ground once, yielding 206 yards on the ground to Oregon in a 26-16 victory. Deplorable field conditions and inopportune turnovers aside, I believe that the Ducks' biggest weakness was their inability to pass the ball when they needed to.

Oregon's option offense hummed along just nicely on the ground, chewing up big chunks of yardage on first and second downs, but when the Ducks *had* to pass, especially on third down, they were abysmal. Discounting Oregon's final, desperate drive (under 2 minutes left, down 2 scores), the Ducks faced 14 3rd downs that day. How'd they do? When they dropped back to pass, they were 0/6, getting sacked once for -3 yards and throwing one interception. That...is pathetic. (They weren't much better rushing. Yes, they converted 3 of 7 times, but only once longer than 3 yards, and they gained a total of 16 yards on 3rd down. Total.)

That final drive? Masoli didn't even play. Although I don't *know* why he was benched, I feel confident in guessing that Justin Roper (who has since transferred) came in because Oregon *had* to pass, and Masoli just didn't provide enough of a downfield threat. If Masoli learns to throw, then I'll be really worried, but as it is, I don't see the Ducks getting through their schedule with fewer than three losses.

TwistNHook: Well, I agree that Masoli being able to throw is key. But I guess I'm higher on him that you are. Did you see him in the Civil War? He was killing it out there. I even said right before that game that Masoli would be key. And when he was killing it out there, the double pronged attack was murderous.

In many ways, this Oregon offense is similar to ours. Great rushing attack with a suspect passing attack. And if the passing attack CAN step it up and become consistent and productive, then they could have something special. That said, I like our talent almost across the board. This is not to denigrate the Oregon talent, including Blount Force Trauma (even though he had something like 5 rushes for 7 yards against us last year). But instead just to look positively upon our talent.

Avinash: I'm not sure even how to count last year's game. They were playing in the mud. Neither Longshore nor Masoli could do much damage when they couldn't see two feet in front of them.

Also, even though the Bears have won four of the last five from Oregon, three of those wins have been incredibly fluky. Two involved the Ducks committing a hundred turnovers in the red zone, the other involved that receiver catching a ball near the end zone that would've set up a game winning field goal, and then casually letting it drop to the ground. Rose Bowl 2004 hopes would've ended that day.

We talk about the Bears failing to execute offensively, but do you guys feel the Ducks have a similar execution problem when they're expected to succeed with their offense?

Avinash: *bold that last question, Twist.

TwistNHook: DON'T TELL WHAT I SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BOLD!

Why you always bolding so much stuff? Regular font not good enough for you? Why you gotta hat?

Is Jairus Byrd still around? That guy has been around forever. It's like every year they have tons of hype around the secondary and we still pass well against them. If CBKWit wasn't enjoying his relaxing tour of downtown Pyongyang of indeterminate length (somebody call Big Daddy Clinton!), I'm sure he'd agree with my assessment. Those Oregon DBs always seemed to be overhyped.

Ragnarok: I'm not sure what game you were watching, Avi, but there was no mud (Memorial Stadium has turf), and visibility was fine (it was just a little wet, that's all - it's still good, it's still good!).

TwistNHook: Also, I thought Longshore passed the ball decently well, given all the conditions.

Avinash: It was hyperbole! Hyperbole, damnit!

Ragnarok: I guess you just weren't ridiculous enough. Perhaps you could take hyperbole lessons from rollonubears?

TwistNHook: Here is the box score from last year's game.

Longshore went 13 for 27 for 136 yards with an average of 5 yards per reception. In a vacuum, those are not great numbers. When you look at the other side (where the Oregon QBs were averaging 2.1 and 3.6 yards per reception) and given the weather, I thought that that was not halfway bad. Riley actually played better, but was knocked out fairly early in the game.

I am concerned about the fact that Oregon had murderized our QB the last 2 years. If that happens again this year and Sweeney is starting against USC, it could be a LONG game slash season slash off-season slash rest of our lives.

Avinash: Here is Addicted to Quack's perspective.

I do agree that if there is any Pac-10 defense that will slow down, even stifle Best this season, it will be Oregon. Their back seven is one of the fastest in the country, and they can definitely make sure Best doesn't find the holes.

TwistNHook: This story angers me greatly:

EUGENE — Receiver Diante Jackson was one happy camper Friday as the Oregon football team kicked off practices.

Jackson was cleared for academic entry into Oregon, after taking a sociology class and finishing a history class this summer. The NCAA Clearinghouse, which rules on eligibility for players, approved him Thursday.

Damn you, Diante! Why must you succeed and be happy for the other people???????

via blog.oregonlive.com

Of course, the biggest question is new coach Chip Kelly. And everybody is focusing on the offense. But what of the D? How is it going to look?

Oregonlive has this to say:

"[Last year] Oregon finished seventh in scoring defense (28 points), eighth in total defense (390 yards) and last in pass defense (270 yards). The loss of defensive end Nick Reed and rover Patrick Chung, both consummate leaders, made this season's rebuilding job that much tougher.

So the Ducks tweaked their philosophy. Like many teams, they sought to add a little speed to the edges, and the results this spring were encouraging.

Kelly's first move was to bring in feisty defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, who inherits a line of senior Will Tukuafu and question marks at the three other spots. Brandon Bair, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, figures to start at one tackle along with either Blake Ferras or Simi Toeaina. Pass rusher Kenny Rowe or stockier Terrell Turner will start at the other end.

The Ducks haven't ruled out the athletic Josh Kaddu at end as they try to add speed wherever possible and stand up one or two defensive ends to help cover the field. That leaves the middle more open, putting pressure on the steadily improving Casey Matthews at middle linebacker. At his side will be the undersized but fast Eddie Pleasant and Spencer Paysinger, who was second on the team with 95 tackles last season.

Newcomer Bryson Littlejohn was perhaps the biggest eye-opener on defense this spring, showing an eagerness to hit.

Behind them, the secondary is again a strength -- although Oregon ranked last in the league in pass defense in 2008. Hard-hitting T.J. Ward is back at safety, along with Thurmond, who was the team's best player in the spring.

Willie Glasper and Kenjon Barner will battle for the other corner, and Chung's replacement at rover will be either the athletic Talmadge Jackson or the physical Marvin Johnson -- improving juniors with complementary skills."

To me, that bodes fairly well. There is a lot of turn over. On a D that wasn't very good. A lot of camp battles for spots. Maybe some of these guys will take that next step and I'll be eating crow. But reading that leaves me feeling fairly confident (even though I think there's a good chance we lose this game).

Avinash: The last five years we've played them, I have never uttered the phrase, "Oh shit, we have to face the Oregon defense".

Football is obviously a 50-50 games; stop the offense, go at the defense. But generally Cal's offense has held their own with Oregon's defense, sometimes even blowing it open with them. Maybe it's because Tedford has coordinated alongside Allotti for three years and knows many of his tendencies (Although to be fair, Allotti probably does likewise). I'd still say Tedford is the more capable of the two in winning the strategic battles between the two, especially with Ludwig in tow (who also coordinated alongside Allotti at Oregon).

My attention will be focused on the defensive side of the ball with Cal, and how they battle the spread option. Do you guys feel that it'll be more important to beat Oregon's defense, or stop Oregon's offense?

HydroTech: I think the key is to slow down and stop Oregon's offense. Oregon's offense is so high octane and fast, that it can quickly build up a multiple touchdown lead forcing the opposing team to play "catch-up." In other words, the Oregon offense will put their team ahead enough to the point where the opponent has to start playing risky and getting aggressive to reduce that score differential before there is too little time left in the game. I think Oregon's offenses have been really carrying the team and it's the offense, not the defense, that the Cal Football team needs to really stop.

via www.marshawnlynch.info

TwistNHook: How do you guys see this one ending up? I really don't know. I feel like Cal has more talent on paper, but Oregon has such a strong home field advantage. It will be close, no matter how you cut it. I think Cal wins 4-2.

Avinash: I think Oski could put the Duck in a headlock and suplex him.

Yellow Fever: 5-4. I feel a last-second safety deciding this one.

TwistNHook: I see Cal fumbling right at Oregon's 1 yard line down 4-3. Then, Oregon takes over and we get the safety FOR THE WIN!

HydroTech: I'm really hesitant to do too much predicting of how our team will perform when we have such huge questions about our passing game. If our passing game sucks, we could lose big time. If our passing game is decent, we can win a close one. If our passing game is great, then we can crush the life out of them. I could see this being a 20 point loss, I could see a 3 point win, and I could also see a 21 point win. To me, it just all depends on how well our passing game is, and that's something we won't know until the season starts.

Poll

How will Cal do against Oregon?

Big win

37 votes

Close win

170 votes

Close loss

190 votes

Big loss

93 votes

490 votes | Poll has closed

Morning Quack Fix: Camp continues on, both lines still a work in progress

jtlight — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:08:13 -0000

It's Friday, time to celebrate with some quack:

The offense did not get to don the black practice uniforms on Thursday after a poor ending to Wednesday's practice. However, despite the defense seeming to do better on the day, the offense earned praise from Kelly. During the practice, the team was going at a very fast tempo, getting in 22 plays during on 9 minute stretch. The pace reminded new WR coach Scott Frost of his practices at Nebraska in 1997, the year he led his team to a national title. Oregon will practice today and tomorrow, but will have Sunday off, the first off day during fall camp.
Unfortunately, both lines are still a work in progress. While there are flashes of greatness, consistency must still be seen, and the offensive line must walk the delicate line of nursing C.E. Kaiser and Bo Thran to full health while still making sure they shake off any rust. And with the offensive line growing, it's tough to gauge the defensive line. However, they are working hard, spurred on by Coach Azzinaro, and seem to be channeling their inner Nick Reed. I have a feeling that both lines will be fine, and that the hard work and repetition will pay off when the season starts.
The Oregonian has a couple of short pieces on D.J. Davis and Darron Thomas. Davis hurt his foot after a TJ Ward hit on Wednesday, which has brought back some bad memories. But Nate "Mr. Three Torn ACLs" Costa has been his mentor, with his example of working hard throughout his many injuries. Meanwhile, Thomas is looking to play, and has no thoughts at all about redshirting.
Rob Moseley rounds up some of the most embarrassing "trash talk" we've seen in some time. It's quite ridiculous that Masoli's, Dickson's, and now Kyle Wilson's comments are being construed as trash talk. However, what is encouraging is that while the Ducks are looking forward to the BSU game, it never comes up in practice, and isn't needed to create excitement. The Ducks are focused on the task at hand, and I believe will carry that attitude all season.
Chip Kelly has another post up on OregonGridiron.com. Kelly is really stressing "habits, discipline, and structure," and the team seems to be responding. It's at the point of fall camp where it becomes tough, and the team must battle through, and it looks as if they're doing just that.
Buster Sports picked Oregon at Number 12 in their preseason countdown, though I'm not sure that they've talked with Nick Daschel (their Pac-10 writer) on that, as he has not been excited about the Ducks in the offseason, and pegged them at 4th in his Pac-10 poll.

As always, leave your comments and links below! GO DUCKS!

Predicting the Season - Purdue Boilermakers

dvieira — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:15 -0000

via blog.oregonlive.com. No Jarius Byrd next year but Oregon should have more opportunities like this punt return.

Although Boise State is getting most of the attention from the media, I'm personally looking forward to the 2nd week of the season when the Purdue Boilermakers come to town. BoilerTMill, with the SB Nation blog Hammer and Rails, took a look at the matchup with Oregon back in June. We also talked him into doing a question and answer session in May. Even though the Big-10 has been getting a bad rap the past few years for being "down", there is something exciting about seeing a good, old-fashioned Pac-10/Big-10 matchup.

In 2008, Oregon escaped Ross-Ade Stadium with a victory in overtime as LaGarrette Blount ran it into the endzone for the go ahead score. I wish I had seen it. Back in the early part of the year, I agreed to help out some friends by working at the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire. It was blistering outside, dusty with no chance for relief. Because I was working the faire, I had to be in costume. Of course, I picked the hottest, most uncomfortable monk's outfit I could find for the event. I sat in my car with the engine on, air conditioning blazing, listening to Jerry Allen call the game on an extremely weak radio broadcast, cursing and banging my head into the steering wheel, honking the horn at regular intervals. At halftime, I had all but given up. I was depressed, weakened from the Boilermaker onslaught, the searing heat and the looks of fellow nerds scoffing at the prospect of someone enjoying a sporting event. I worked a shift at a stage and slowly marched back to the car after 45 minutes just in time to find out that Oregon had come back to send the game into overtime. Heavenly...

With Purdue coming to town in early September, let's take a look at the Boilermakers and how things match up for Oregon

Oregon's Offense vs. Purdue's Defense

Purdue's defense is similar to Boise State's in that they bring back a very talented and experienced secondary with a very young front seven that hasn't performed well against the run. Because of the other schools in the Big-10 scooping up the majority of the talent, Purdue's approach seems to be taking talented athletes and putting them in position to help the team, no matter what that position is. They are the type of team that might put a quarterback at linebacker if it meant helping the team win. The talent and athleticism is there to defend the spread and the issues it poses. With the team being so young and inexperienced however, there may be some cases of over-pursuit on the zone read and that's where Oregon's offense can win the day. Jeremiah Masoli is firmly entrenched as the starter for Oregon and ended the 2008 season on a tear. If the offensive line can gel quickly, Purdue may be in for a long afternoon on the ground, especially if their inexperience rears its ugly head. Purdue did a great job against Justin Roper last year but Jeremiah Masoli is a much bigger deep threat and with an improved passing game, Purdue's defense will have to respect the passing game which should open up the run even more.

The Purdue secondary is all coming back and is very deep. Even with an improved passing game, Oregon should have some difficulty passing against this veteran group, especially Torii Williams who is back for his 17th year of eligibility. Where Oregon can take advantage is the inexperience of the linebacking core and the lack of depth to create opportunities in the short to medium passing game as well getting to the second level in the ground attack. With all of the talk from Chip Kelly about using some double tightend sets, Purdue could be exposed to these types of plays, especially given the experience and talent level of the Duck tightends. We might see Ed Dickson break out.

The X-factor will be Kwann Short, 6-4, 310lb redshirt-freshman defensive tackle. This guy looks like a future NFL pick. If he turns it up a few degrees, he might cause some massive disruptions early on in the game that could change the outlook of the contest. With Oregon replacing several starters on the offensive line, his play could very well determine how successful Oregon can be executing the offense.

Oregon's Defense vs. Purdue's Offense

Purdue lost some key players from last year's squad including QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets. If you remember from last year, Sheets ripped Oregon up carrying the ball 29 times for 180 with 2 touchdowns. Jaycen Taylor, who was going to be splitting time with Sheets last year, should be coming back after missing last season with an ACL tear. Ralph Bolden and new comer Al-Terek McBurse will round out the stable of running backs that should give Purdue lots of options, depending on who has the hot hand. They've all got quickness and can run both inside and outside. Experience may be a factor when you start going down the depth chart but with Oregon essentially rebuilding their front 7, Purdue should have some opportunities to exploit the defense in the ground game.

With Curtis Painter gone to graduation and Justin Siller having academic issues, the job falls to senior Joey Elliott who saw some limited time last year before getting a shoulder injury. He doesn't have a lot of game experience but seems a serviceable replacement for Painter. A lot of what we will see from him will be determined by how good a fall camp he has. It will also depend on what the coaching staff sees from redshirt freshman Caleb TerBush. At 6-5, 222lb with a cannon for an arm, he may very well push Elliott out of the job during the season and should see time against Oregon as a change of pace. Depending on how crazy Coach Hope goes, could we see some double quarterback sets? The pass rush for Oregon should help to pressure Elliott or TerBush into some bad decisions. Will Tukuafu is back on the defensive line and is looking to break out of Nick Reed's shadow but he will be going up against an experienced Purdue offensive line. The injury bug made for a lot of shuffling last year for the Boilermakers but the upside of that is a ton of experience coming back. With a warmup game before traveling to Autzen, you may see them come together at just the right time to help neutralize a rebuilt Oregon defensive line.

The receiving core for Purdue is young and inexperienced but talented. The offensive schemes employed always seem to get the ball into the hands of their receivers and next year should be no different, despite the inexperience. Last year, Purdue dinked short passes all the way down the field and with Elliot back there, that success should continue. Oregon has a good amount of depth in the secondary coming back but defending the passing game was not one of their strong suits. The much-heralded linebacking core for Oregon will have a lot of opportunities to make plays, but it needs to translate to the field and not just practice. Purdue should be able to move the ball in the air in the short to medium passing game but the deep ball shouldn't be a factor in the game given Elliott's arm strength and the speed/experience of the Oregon secondary.

Special Teams

Chris Summers will have the punting duties for Purdue, averaging 38.4 yards per kick last year. He was doing the field goal kicking as well but only kicked 50% last year, causing Tiller to turn to Carson Wiggs. Summers had great success kicking field goals 2 years ago so he may come back to the job. The key is consistency and if I'm a Boilermaker, I don't feel good about having to guess about field goals. Purdue's biggest weakness appears to be in punt return coverage, giving up 16.7 yards per return and 3 touchdowns, one of those touchdowns being Jarius Byrd's 87 yard run. Oregon should have an advantage as returning kicks and punts has been a hallmark of Oregon teams the past few years. The kicking game should be good for Oregon with Morgan Flint coming back but punting is up in the air going into fall camp. Jackson Rice will be looked to for an immediate contribution in punting. If he doesn't stand out as the clear favorite going into the season, Oregon could be in a world of hurt in field position.

The Bottom Line

I think Oregon fans may be looking at Purdue's 4-8 record last year and be thinking that the Boilermakers will be a pushover. Even though Purdue has some question marks, they appear to be a solid team with several ways to hurt you. There is a lot of potential to couple with inexperience and sometimes that can be a dangerous mix. With Oregon coming off an emotional game at Boise State, the outcome of that game may very well impact how the Ducks home opener will go. Win at Boise State, and it could be a long day for Purdue. Lose at Boise State, and Oregon may come in flat with Purdue able to steal one at Autzen.

Prediction

A Big-10 team coming into Autzen is always huge but I predicted a win against Boise State and I'm going to predict a win here against Purdue to start us out 2-0. I think the Boilermakers will be able to score but not enough to keep Oregon's offense at bay.

Oregon 32 - Purdue 20

Pac-10 Media Day: Preview and Open Thread

Jake Bertalotto — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:16:54 -0000

It's Pac-10 Media Day. Do you care? Just in case you do, here's a mediocre preview to whet your whistle.

Also, because the media will be releasing their poll today, the Building the Dam pre-season poll has been released. USC comes in at #1, and you're never going to believe comes in at #2. Check it out...

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PAC-10 MEDIA DAY

9:30 am - Introduction - Jim Muldoon

Assistant Commish Muldoon will introduce Pete Carroll as the new Dean of Pac-10 Coaches. Carroll will replace Mike Bellotti, who served 14 years as the Dean before being promoted to Oregon's Athletic Director this year. Before Bellotti was Washington State's Mike Price, who also served for 14 season.

9:35 am - Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott

This will be the first real public appearance for new the new Pac-10 Commish. Expect questions about what he's planning to do regarding television contracts, as well as questions about the quirky new Rose Bowl selection rules.

9:45 am - Paul Wulff/C Kenny Alfred - Washington State

What a great way to start off Media Day. Paul Wulff, who doesn't get a ton of attention from the media on a regular basis, will have a lot of eyes on him for the first time in awhile. He's got some pressure after his team finished last season with a 2-11 record.... it seems like WSU fans are still behind him, but he'll have to come up with something more intelligent than, "We have some players who have played college football." Yes, he really said that.

10:00 am - Steve Sarkisian/OLB Donald Butler - Washington

It's at this point in the press conference in which you realize that the teams speak to the media in the reverse order of their Pac-10 finish last year. Coach Sark will likely try to avoid questions about recruiting violations while talking about the potential his team has this year... but it's always tough to build off an 0-12 season. We hear he's excited to face the media... things can only get better from here, I suppose.

10:15 am - Rick Neuheisel/MLB Reggie Carter - UCLA

Slick Rick will have a lot of questions to answer about his offensive line, and whether they can provide some sort of protection for newly-dubbed starter Kevin Prince. Prince takes over for Kevin Craft, who will be a senior this year, but just doesn't have what it takes to take the Bruins beyond four wins this season. Neuheisel will also have a promising recruiting class to talk about, one that has the Bruin Nation thinking that he has the program headed in the right direction.

10:30 am - Jim Harbaugh/RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford

We know, Harbaugh. Gerhart is a stud. He makes your offense go. Gerhart rushed for 1,136 yards last year, but still calls last year just "alright". Stanford faded down the stretch last year when they needed to win to become bowl eligible... a bowl is definitely what Harbaugh and Gerhart have their eyes set on this year.

10:45 am - Dennis Erickson/OLB Mike Nixon - Arizona State

Arizona State was the Pac-10's biggest disappointment a year ago, when they were picked to finish second in the conferece at Media Day and ended up finishing with a losing record. The defense should be solid with Nixon as one of it's studs, but the offense has some problems on the line, and ASU will need to break in a new QB-- Danny Sullivan seems like the guy there.

11:00 am - Break

11:10 am - Mike Stoops/FS Cam Nelson - Arizona

Arizona fans were happy to see Coach Stoops get the Wildcats to a bowl game for the first time in ten years last season, but he has his work cut out for him in order to repeat the feat. Concussion-prone but skillful Willie Tuitama is gone, and the Wildcats have a quarterback competition on their hands in fall camp. Matt Scott and Nick Foles are the two guys who will duke it out in camp. Eight players return on the UA defense, so that shouldn't be a huge issue, so expect most of the questions to be directed towards the offense.

11:25 am - Jeff Tedford/TB Jahvid Best - California

It is at this point in the press conference when all hell could break loose, as the California Golden Blogs will have representation at Pac-10 Media Day, and I'm sure they'll have a question prepared that has nothing to do with on-field matters and more with, you know, trees. Or something like that. But really, I would be interested to hear how the linebackers are doing, since Follett, Williams, and Felder are all gone at that positon.

11:40 am - Mike Riley/OLB Keaton Kristick - Oregon State

When I first saw that Keaton Kristick would be Oregon State's representative about a week ago, I thought it was an interesting choice. He's not a high profile guy like the Rodgers' or even Moevao or Canfield, he's just a hardworking guy on the defense, who will really need to step up this year. He should get questions more oriented towards OSU's need to replace eight on the defense. Also, everyone will want to know about the quarterback situation, even though we all know what Riley's going to say. If you want to see what went down last year, here's the place.

11:55 am - Chip Kelly/CB Walter Thurmond III - Oregon

It's the first media day for Coach Kelly... and expectations are high in Eugene. They have a lot of playmakers to work with-- Jeremiah Masoli and Legarrette Blount, to name just two. It seems that the biggest questions are on defense, where Nick Allioti has to replace key secondary members and Nick Reed on the defensive line. The Ducks' defensive statistics from last season don't look good at all-- but that's mostly due in part to the Oregon quick-strike offense. Expect questions about how Kelly is liking his new office chair, the job, and if UO can contend for a Pac-10 title this year.

12:10 pm - Pete Carroll/FS Taylor Mays - USC

Taylor Mays is back as one of only three returners on the USC defenses, so expect Carroll and Mays to spend some considerable time talking about the progression of the defense. When it comes time to talk about the offense, Carroll will probably have to address the quarterback "battle" between Mustain and Corp. Then he'll probably brag about his running backs. Look for USC to be atop the Media Poll once again.

12:25 pm - Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott

The press conference will go back to the commish for some closing thoughts, before everyone jumps back on a plane and gets out of the LA smog.

Here's your place to talk anything media-day related.

--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)

Oregon's 2009 NFL Draft Summary

dvieira — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:34:19 -0000

Congratulations to the following Ducks that have been selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. Big ups to Nick Reed especially who conquered the odds and went in the 7th round, despite not having that typical NFL body. Sometimes having that motor helps and it will be good to see him remain local. I was also very surprised to have 3 Ducks go in the Top 50 of the draft. That's awesome and hasn't happened before. All of these teams should be competing for playoff spots next year as well. Great job guys!

-- Patrick Chung to New England: 2nd Round, 34th overall

-- Jairus Byrd to Buffalo: 2nd Round, 42nd overall

-- Max Unger to Seattle: 2nd Round, 49th overall

-- Fenuki Tupou to Philadelphia: 5th Round, 159th overall

-- Ra'Shon Harris to Pittsburgh: 6th Round, 205th overall

-- Nick Reed to Seattle: 7th Round, 247th overall

Poll

Which Duck will have the biggest impact on the field next year in the NFL?

Patrick Chung

237 votes

Jairus Byrd

58 votes

Max Unger

206 votes

Fenuki Tupou

9 votes

Ra'Shon Harris

2 votes

Nick Reed

41 votes

553 votes | Poll has closed

Seattle Seahawks 2009 Draft Recap

John Morgan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:30:46 -0000

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Seattle's draft was about the future. Seattle lost Julian Peterson and formerly franchised linebacker Leroy Hill is now a free agent. In light of that, drafting Aaron Curry is a lateral move at best for 2009. Check back in 2012, when Peterson is approaching retirement and Curry is terrorizing the league.

Browse more photos »

Draft coverage continues on Monday. We'll do full tape analysis of every Seahawks pick. Tomorrow we start with Max Unger and discuss his potential and his potential at guard.

Field Gulls Draft Day Coverage:

Aaron Curry by John Morgan

Aaron Curry by Doug Farrar

Courtney Greene, Nick Reed and Cameron Morrah

Seattle's Free Agent Signings

Gut Reaction: Seattle adds some talent to put itself back into contention, if outside contention, but Tim Ruskell mostly defers to the future. Aaron Curry is the near-consensus best player in this entire draft, with some calling him a once in a decade linebacker talent. In the short term, with the loss of Julian Peterson and the free agency possible loss of Leroy Hill, this is a lateral move. Curry will be a pro and in his prime when Peterson retires. I love Leroy Hill. I love his ability to explode the screen, blow up the lead blocker and explode into rushers before they achieve positive yards. Curry may never be as good as Hill, but he probably. He'll probably be amazingly better.

Max Unger is another nod to the future. Unger is a center by designation, but an offensive lineman by trade. His slightness might force him to stick at center, but I prefer him at guard. If he's a guard he can be an improvement right away and really solidify Seattle's move to a zone blocking scheme. If he sticks at center, that means the end of the Chris Spencer era, and I know many are saying "not soon enough".

Seattle added some talent at wide receiver and quarterback. Wide receiver Deon Butler is a burner with good route running skills. People are comparing him to Deion Branch and fellow Penn State alumni Bobby Engram, but his skill-set and talent is more like Lee Evans. Butler is a tenacious blocker who added almost 20 pounds before going pro. Mike Teel is a legend at Rutgers. He looks like a David Greene pick.

The big move of the draft, bigger even maybe that selecting Aaron Curry, is Seattle trading their second round pick for Denver's first round pick in 2010. Before losing Jay Cutler, the Broncos were likely to decline. Given that loss and their coaching instability, Seattle's pick could be in the top ten.

Finally, Seattle wrapped it up with three project picks. Nick Reed is a pass rush specialist that needs to get up to NFL speed and NFL size. Courtney Greene is a big upside strong safety that will need time on the practice squad to learn how not be made foolish my NFL offensive coordinators and NFL quarterbacks. Cameron Morrah is an athletic tight end that might play something closer to a wide receiver role in Seattle.

All in all, like it or not, Tim Ruskell is looking towards the future. To better tomorrows.

Oregon Defensive End Nick Reed to visit Cincinnati

Kirkendall — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:52:32 -0000

PFT writes that Oregon linebacker (actually a defensive end) Nick Reed is scheduled for a visit with the Bengals, as well as Seattle. Reed became a first-team All-American, recording 13 sacks (first in the Pac-10) and winning the Morris Trophy -- Pac-10's top defensive player of the year award. He was also voted Most Outstanding Player by his teammates. Addicted to Quack named him the defensive player of the year.

Nick Reed defined "impact player" during his career at Oregon. His numbers in 2008 were again gaudy: 53 tackles, 20 tackles for-a-loss, 13 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries. Nick was a two-time first-team All Pac-10 player, a first-team All-American and the Pac-10's 2008 Morris Trophy winner as the top defensive lineman.

Could Marvin Lewis be envisioning Reed as David Pollack redux (convert defensive end to linebacker)?