| 24 October 2011
Beating Colorado was never the issue. The only question was by how much and how well. The Ducks needed a game where they got out of Boulder without falling between a rock and a hard place: no injuries, good focus, using their depth and continuing to develop as a team. A 45-2 win accomplished all of those goals.
Chip Kelly's team was lightning efficient, striking for four quick touchdowns on their first four possessions. Bryan Bennett never blinked. He took to the opening assignment like it was another week at Crespi High, prepared for the situation, in command, with adept feet and vision and a passing arm that found its rhythm as the game went on. Misfiring early on a couple of long throws, before walk-on Dustin Haines took over Bennett tossed pretty strikes to David Paulson, for a 31-yard touchdown, and a 31-yard catch-and-run to Lavasier Tuinei that hit LT in stride running down to the one, falling short of the end zone by one skinny buttcheek, laying out over a defender with maximum effort.
Photo left: this Bleacher Report file photo from 2009 illustrates what great defense should look like, and the Webfoots displayed plenty of the same kind of swarming intensity in Colorado. Can they dial it up again for Washington State?
The entire Duck team made the right kind of effort. Even Cliff Harris, whose mental blunder fielding a punt over his shoulder inside his own three resulted in a safety, was trying hard to make a play and contribute. Kash is no doubt discouraged by his role this year, following many gloomy days in Chip Kelly's penalty box, but he's eager, perhaps too eager, to earn his way back on top of the nachos. He's so overly pumped up he's taunting and drawing fouls before the game. Nick Aliotti said it best. He told the press after the game that had Harris "lives on the edge and we love him for that." Saturday he went over the edge, and it's just another part of the challenge for Harris as he struggles for maturity and rehabilitating himself as a football player and a young man. Oregon fans want him to succeed, knowing they'll need him in marquee matchups against Marquess Wilson, Jermaine Kearse, Chris Owusu and Robert Woods. Chip Kelly often says that the players determine the starting lineup by the way they practice. Harris' mission is clear, should he decide to accept it. With his talent anything is possible.
The defense as a whole had a sterling game. Against an outmanned opponent they dominated as they should, stoking their inner warrior fires with five sacks and a pick six, holding the Buffs to 231 total yards. Colorado never reached the red zone. They were driven back and frustrated, with Josh "Can Do" Kaddu swarming in for two sacks and 10 official tackles, the best individual game of his Oregon career. Dewitt Stuckey had eight tackles and a sack. Kiko Alonso also broke in for one among his three tackles. The linebacker corps is finding its game. Little-used backup Ryan Hagen, a sophomore walk-on defensive tackle from Troy High School in Brea, California, got the fifth one for his first Duck highlight. Hagen's no slouch. He's a hard worker who pumped out a 435-lb. squat lift in winter conditioning, serious iron from a large man. Altogether the Quack Pack cracked back for ten tackles for loss, Josh Kaddu with three of those.
The secondary had a solid day also. Aided by the fearsome pressure from the front seven they held the home team to 15-33 passing and 133 net yards. John Boyett had 7 tackles and Avery Patterson six. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu had five stops and Eric Dargan four. Boyett's total includes one assist, but all the others were solo, indicating some sure tackling by defenders in space, always a good sign. The young Ducks are wrapping up and getting to ball carrier's legs, fundamentals they'll need in a stretch drive to a championship. The Ducks have crafted several blowouts in the first half of the season, and the depth and player development will only help them as they try to close the deal.
Letter Grades: (for the identified keys to the game)
Quarterback Play: A-
Bennett ran the ball beautifully, operated the offense coolly and capably, and handled the assignment and the resultant media crush with poise. He showed good signs, progress, and increasing comfort as he adjusted to the role of starting quarterback in a conference game, highlighting his day with a couple of downfield throws and nifty running. The experience of succeeding under the pressure of taking over will accelerate his progress as a starter; Bennett's made a huge down payment toward winning the starting job when Thomas departs, and he's increased his and everyone else's confidence in his ability to take over if needed. He adds a dimension with his top end speed and confidence in his running ability; in two games he has 134 yards on the ground.
Defensive line play: A+
With a near shutout, five sacks and 10 tackles for loss, the opponents never reaching the red zone, this is the only grade possible. In the Oregon defensive scheme the defensive line and linebackers are a unit; Aliotti dials up pressure from all directions. They were extremely effective in this game, launching themselves into the ball, relentless. Colorado had the ball for 36 minutes but it was all futility. It was an effort that the defensive players and coaches can take great pride in, making it their standard for the rest of the season. This is how it feels to be a great defense, to inflict our will on an opponent.
Containing the Colorado passing game and recognizing and shutting down their screen game: A
The longest three pass plays for Colorado went for 28, 22 and 21 yards, in 33 attempts. Add in the five sacks and the pick six, and Oregon dominated and stifled the Buffaloes aerial game, coach Embree so frustrated he benched his senior quarterback. The Ducks rallied to the screen pass wonderfully, time and again breaking it up or holding it to small gains. Neither CU quarterback completed 50% of his passes, averaging only four yards an attempt.
This week's opponent, the beleaguered but improved Washington State Cougars, has many holes but a dangerous passing attack that ranks 10th in the country with 313 yards per game. The new challenge is to accept the challenge to be great, and make the next opponent not one-dimensional, but no-dimensional. With an Autzen crowd gaining even more excitement as the Ducks move to 6-1 and seventh in the country, this would be a very good week to continue the emergence as a great defense.
