Oregon Ducks 9-2 Overall (7-1 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon 44 – Arizona 41 (2OT)

Next Week’s Opponent: BYE

Oregon and Arizona treated the college football world to an instant classic on Saturday (and ESPN agrees as the game will be rebroadcast on ESPN Classic this week). The Ducks spectacular win at Arizona Stadium featured everything you could ask for in a game with Rose Bowl implications: great defense, amazing offense, brilliant individual efforts, thrilling runs and passes, and a raucous environment (in fact, a little too raucous considering the unfortunate bottle throwing incident after the game).

What else can be said about QB Jeremiah Masoli? He really is the kind of game changer that causes defensive coordinators to lose their minds. Make no mistake about it, Mark Stoops had a tremendous game plan and his swarming ‘Cats defense executed it beautifully for most of the night. But when Masoli gets in a groove there is nothing a defense can do about it. The junior accounted for six total touchdowns (3 rushing, 3 passing) and accumulated 345 yards of offense (284 passing, 61 rushing).

Maybe most impressive of all was the fact that the ‘Zona D forced Masoli into difficult passing situations throughout the game (a key to slowing the UO offense). But instead of wilting under the pressure, Masoli seemed to elevate his game to an even higher level in the most critical moments. What an inspiring performance.

RB LaMichael James had a solid day (19 carries 117 yards), and Ducks fans have to be especially thrilled that he broke Jaquizz Rodgers Pac-10 freshman rushing record (James now has 1,310 yards). Obviously WR Jeff Maehl and TE Ed Dickson came up huge (especially at the end of the game), but I was also very impressed with the play of WR Lavasier Tuinei (4 catches 60 yards).

Nick Aliotti’s unit played as hard as they possibly could, and they performed very well considering the potency of the UA offense. QB Nick Foles was spectacular, but the UO defense deserves credit for maintaining the type of poise and composure that wins championships.

I made it pretty clear in recent write-ups how excited I was for the possibility of a Civil War for all the marbles. Well, here we are! The Ducks and Beavers are playing incredible football right now, and I can’t even imagine what the atmosphere at Autzen will be like.

It seems like Oregon fans have seen it all this season, but amazingly, the defining moment of this memorable 2009 season is still to come. Pac-10 fans can only hope the game on December 3rd is as good as the one we just witnessed in Tucson.

Oregon Ducks 1-1 Overall (0-0 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon 38 – Purdue 36

Next Week’s Opponent: Utah

A good win for the Ducks, and they needed it badly. But I had a lot of questions about this team coming into the game, and honestly, I still do. While it was encouraging to see Jeremiah Masoli running around and making plays again, where were the wide receivers?

I fear that Jamere Holland is going down the Jaison Williams path, but hopefully the dropped balls do not continue to be an issue. Otherwise, will Holland be considered 50/50 part two? Also, I am very confused as to why Ed Dickson isn’t a bigger part of the offense (one catch against Purdue). Only two wideouts (Holland, Maehl) and two tight ends (Paulson and Dickson) made catches against Purdue, and I am sure Chip Kelly is not happy about that.

The running game was more encouraging, as the Ducks ran for 193 yards, led by Masoli with 84. Both James and Barner continued to display their explosive potential, but the two were only given a combined 14 carries (90 yards between the two). I will say that James worries me with his ball security issues, and that may be a reason for his limited touches. Crenshaw didn’t do much (23 yards, 1 TD, 2.1 ypc) but he should be productive as the season progresses. It is critical that the misdirection and option plays continue to keep defenses off-guard, because Oregon does not have an overly physical group of tailbacks; not anymore at least.

I thought the defense did some really good things against Purdue, but the Boilermakers certainly got their fair share of offensive production (PUR out gained ORE 451-356). Obviously, the Ducks D came up with two huge touchdowns and a pivotal blocked PAT. When Walter Thurmond scores a TD, the Ducks normally come up with a win so that was fun to see. I still see no real pass rush, and that looks like it may continue to plague this unit, but the pass defense was solid nonetheless.

Now the Ducks will face another BCS-busting power that is full of confidence. The game against Utah will be tough, but it is also a great opportunity for Oregon to regain some respect nationally.

Primary 2008 contributors Terence Scott and Jaison Williams are gone to graduation (combined 3,301 yards and 26 TD’s for their careers). Promising young receivers Chris Harper and Aaron Pflugrad have decided to transfer to other schools (Kansas State and Arizona State, respectively).

Despite losing all of that production and potential, head coach Chip Kelly still has plenty to like about the Ducks wideouts in 2009. The receiving unit will be greatly aided by some of the most athletic tight ends in the Pac-10, including an accomplished senior that is one of America’s best at the position.

One wide receiver that figures to get more of the spotlight after all of the off-season shuffling is junior Jeff Maehl. Only a couple of years ago, Maehl was playing as a reserve in the defensive secondary before switching to wideout. He had an excellent 2008 campaign at WR, catching 39 passes for 421 yards while also tying for the team lead in TD catches with five. He started every game of the season in 2008 for Oregon.

Jeff Maehl secures the ball for the catch

The 6-1 175 pound Maehl is a reliable pass-catcher, with a knack for running tight routes and finding the gaps in defensive zones. He is a perfect fit for the slot in Chip Kelly’s spread-offense, and has already established chemistry with Masoli. The Paradise (CA) native enjoyed a productive spring, and will begin the season as one of the three starters at wide receiver.

The most exciting wideout on the team is junior Jamere Holland. The transfer from USC will be entering his second season with the Ducks, and although he had a quiet 2008 campaign (4 receptions, 53 yards), Eugene is buzzing about his potential in 2009.

At 6-1 185 pounds, Holland is a prototypical deep-threat with world-class speed. The Taft High School (CA) product won state track titles in the 100m and 200m in 2005, and recorded a 10.36 100m time in 2006 (3rd fastest time in the nation in 2006).

Holland was arguably the best offensive player of the entire spring. He caught lengthy touchdown passes in multiple practice sessions throughout April. After struggling to learn the playbook for much of last season, Holland will enter 2009 with a firm grasp of Kelly’s offense. His ability to stretch the field should create space for the other receivers and running backs, and he enters spring as the starting wideout on the outside.

Aaron Plufgrad’s decision to transfer has opened the door for senior Rory Cavaille. The 6-3 207 pound former walk-on is primed for a much bigger role with the offense than he has had in the past. Cavaille has only 6 career receptions for 42 yards and one TD, but is a sure-handed receiver with good route-running skills. The Shelton (WA) native could be pushed for playing time during 2009, but will enter the season as the third starting receiver.

Junior receiver D.J. Davis could be a factor for the Ducks this season. He showed great ability in 2008 before an injury against Stanford cut his season short. The 6-1 205 pound Davis has eight career catches for 120 yards and one touchdown. Rivals and Scout.com gave the Denver (CO) native 4-star recognition after his great career at Montbello High School. Davis enters the fall right behind Cavaille on the depth chart.

Exciting newcomers Tyrece Gaines and Diante Jackson could also find playing time in 2009.

The 6-2 225 pound Gaines is a junior college transfer from Butler County C.C. (KS). He is a great athlete possessing 4.4 speed, and also has the size to block downfield. Gaines was given a 4-star rating by Rivals.com and ranked as the #8 junior college player in the country.

The 6-1 188 pound Jackson is a true freshman, choosing Oregon over a few other Pac-10 schools. The Walnut Creek (CA) native was also a Rivals and Scout.com 4-star selection. He will push the starters for time this fall.

One more name to look out for this season is sophomore Lavasier Tuinei. The 6-5 200 pound JC transfer is a big target who could offset the loss of Jaison Williams (another big target). Tuinei transferred to Oregon from Golden West C.C. and participated in spring practice this past April in Eugene. The Arcadia (IN) native showed Chip Kelly and the UO coaches what he could do in the spring game, catching a team high five passes for 59 yards and one touchdown for the Green squad.

Tight Ends

Senior Ed Dickson leads this deep and talented group of tight ends. Dickson has been a mainstay at the position for the last couple of years, and enters 2009 as a Mackey Award candidate. Last season, he finished second on the team in receiving yards with 508 yards on 35 receptions and three touchdowns. For his career, Dickson has 82 catches for 1,006 yards and 6 TDs. He earned second team All-Pac-10 honors last season.

Ed Dickson reaches out for the catch

The 6-5 243 pound Dickson is the Ducks premier pass-catcher heading into 2009. For his size, Dickson runs with very good speed, and can be a mismatch for any defense. He has the size to outmuscle defensive backs, and the speed to run by linebackers. Dickson is also a gifted blocker, helping to open holes for the great Oregon run game during his career in Eugene. The Bellflower (CA) native will enter his last season at Oregon primed and ready for a great 2009 season.

Dickson will be backed up by another supremely athletic tight end in junior Malachi Lewis. The 6-4 220 pound Lewis has played sparingly in every game since joining the Ducks two years ago, and has 5 receptions for 37 yards in his career. Chip Kelly may utilize his great hands and speed more this season, but Lewis must also demonstrate that he has improved as a blocker. The Oxnard (CA) native enjoyed a solid spring and is the clear number two on he depth chart.

Hybrid athlete Dion Jordan could be called upon as a receiver or tight end this season. At 6-7 215 pounds, the gifted redshirt freshman is a frightening mismatch option for defensive coordinators to deal with. He may not see much time with Dickson and Lewis in front of him, but he would be a perfect fit for the red-zone offense. The Chandler (AZ) native was given 4-stars by Scout.com.

Other receivers and tight ends competing for time are: freshman Will Murphy and Blake Cantu, and sophomores David Paulson and Garrett Embry.

My Take

When you have a running game that averages 280 yards per contest, the offense is already in pretty good shape; but I believe this unit of receivers has the potential to make Oregon a balanced offensive attack in 2009. With all of the off-season losses at wideout, there are still plenty of weapons for Jeremiah Masoli to work with.

It all starts with Dickson, who I think could be all-conference again this season. Masoli found him often in 2008, and the production should go up even more in 2009. Maehl is a steady provider, and the excitement surrounding Holland is palpable in Eugene. I expect the former track star to be a hit this season, as long as he continues to make the strides that he did during the spring. There are also some exciting freshmen that could have an impact as the season develops.

The unit has question marks, but I believe that all of this talent will come together for a productive season in 2009.