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Sunday August 28, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
GAME WEEK IS FINALLY HERE
Oregon in Full Preparation for LSU Next Saturday
And so it begins.
Oregon's challenge for a return trip to the BCS National Championship, a 3rd
consecutive conference title and a first ever trip to the Pac 12 championship game.
Game week 2011 is finally hovering around Autzen Stadium, the University of Oregon campus and the city
of Eugene, not to mention the country. Coaches and players are locked in and focused on beating one
of the national contenders from the SEC, the LSU Tigers who they'll face next Saturday in Dallas at the
sold out Cowboy's Classic in front of 80,000 fans.
The heightened buzz surrounding this game has been out there since both university's placed it on their schedule earlier this year, especially since the Ducks lost to Auburn in the national championship game. But now with game week upon us, the hype has been ramped up ten fold. Not only has the increased hype found its way into local and national television and talk radio, its also got the attention of the Duck players,...and rightly so. "It's the last game in the world,... it's the Super Bowl," said Oregon's senior linebacker Dewitt Stuckey.
Motivation certainly shouldn't be a problem for the Ducks especially since Oregon fell to another SEC bully in the crown jewel of college football games just 230 days ago losing to Auburn 22-19. Whether the coaches and players want to admit it, this game is about redemption and proving to the college football world they belong among the national elite.
05 Darron Thomas
Like all team leaders are supposed to do, they try to play down the hype and importance of such a monster opening game. "Even if it's not a big game, we always come out working hard in training camp but everybody is also thinking about LSU and that's amping it up also," said quarterback Darron Thomas.
Saturday's closed practice in the Moshofsky Center officially began game week for the Ducks putting them one day ahead of their normal game week preparations. "Guys were good," said head coach Chip Kelly. "It was similar to what a Monday practice would be like during the season, but there was a lot of energy,....we kind of got our base stuff in both on offense and defense. We covered three phases with the kicking game today, so it's a start....but we still have a lot of work ahead of us."
During these last 3 weeks of fall camp the most asked question to Kelly was about this seasons depth chart. His answer was a typical Chip Kelly answer, "We'll take a look at film and see who stands out." With fall camp now in the rear view mirror, Kelly's providing a clearer picture of his game week focus. "Rotations are established,..I don't know if roles,...you would say that," said Kelly. "We're still trying to figure that out. At every position besides QB, we're going to rotate a few guys in there. I know we played 23, 24, 25 guys on defense last year. Steve Greatwood's always going to play at least 7, maybe 8 offensive lineman. We're going to roll 6 or 7 wideouts at you,...we're going to roll running backs at you,...we're going to roll our tight ends at you. So it's more of just getting our rotations and some of those things done."
In regards to CB Cliff Harris and LB Kiko Alonso, their temporary suspensions remain in tact for Saturday's opener. Coach Kelly has remained extremely tight lipped about either players eventual return although both have practiced since fall camp began. Starting in place of Harris will be redshirt freshman Terrance Mitchell who defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti is extremely high on. Mitchell will start opposite of Anthony Gildon. As for the middle linebacker position, Kelly suggested Dewitt Stuckey, Michael Clay and Derrick Malone Jr. will see significant action at that position.
02 Tra Carson
There's also been a tremendous amount of speculation on whether 5 star recruit De'Anthony Thomas will see playing time in Dallas. Throughout the last couple of weeks Thomas has shined during his reps with the one's and two's. There's no question his speed will be a valuable weapon for the Ducks and Kelly understands that. Redshirt freshman RB Tra Carson has also been a stand out in camp and is likely to see snaps along with Thomas. Because game week practices are closed to the media and fans, we can only continue to speculate as to what the Ducks might do next Saturday. Only the coaches and players know. Game week is finally here,....let the hype continue!
August 14, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP - Week 1 Recap
Offense Playing Faster, Defense Installs More Schemes
With seven practices in six days, the Ducks wrapped up their first full week of fall football camp and from all indications they seem to be right on schedule.
Coach Chip Kelly
Early in the week, the Oregon coaches concentrated primarily on pace and fundamentals in every aspect of their game. With an influx of true freshman and untested returnees, practices seemed crisp and focused with few errors. In regards to the offense, Kelly said, "we only put the ball on the ground once or twice since practice began." With such a young team across the board on offense, ball handling and limiting giveaways will certainly play a significant role in how far the 2011 team will go.
In the first week of practice, the pace of repetitions seemed as fast or faster than last year. Kelly said, "We're getting in about 3 to 4 plays every minute,..which is about right for us." And with such a fast pace the younger players are definitely getting a lot of work in which bodes well for conditioning and learning the Chip Kelly run offense. "We don't have a depth chart yet," said Kelly. "That will come once we take a look at the film later in camp and see where everybody is."
46 Michael Clay
There's still a lot of questions to be answered Kelly told the media on Friday. "As practice continues we'll look at tape and see who stands out,...those kinds of things will work themselves out as we go" said Kelly. Staying healthy in camp is certainly important to the Ducks and all seems well in that area except for sophomore Josh Huff who missed Saturday's workouts. Huff was seen wearing a safety boot on his left leg, but there's no word on the extent of the injury.
With week #1 in the books, the Ducks have three weeks from this weekend to prepare for the season and get ready for the 4th ranked LSU Tigers. Stay tuned,...more to come next week!
August 9, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP
Aliotti Likes Attitude & Focus of 2011 Defense
Coach Aliotti
"What excites me the most is being around good kids,...and we have those," said Aliotti. "They'll give you all that they got,...they understand the effort we have to give to have another solid season."
With the 2011 season officially underway, Aliotti understands college football is about moving forward and what he's tasked with to build another solid defensive squad. But as Aliotti discussed his 2011 team, he couldn't help but briefly re-visit an opportunity lost at last years BCS National Championship game. "People don't understand we only allowed Auburn 22 points in that game,...if we allowed them only 17-18 points,...we win."
So what will change in 2011 for Aliotti and his defense? "Every year you add or delete from your defensive package," said Aliotti. "This year there are no changes."
With strong recruiting classes under his belt in the last several years, it's no wonder Aliotti is so optimistic. "Nothing concerns me going into camp. I like our kids."
Because Aliotti and the Ducks defense seem to have a full cupboard of talented players at every position, he and his staff of coaches will have tough decisions to make when it comes to their two deep. When talking about position battles on his squad Aliotti has a clear vision of who will play. "Starting today and every day you get evaluated," said Aliotti. "If you play up to a first team caliber guy, you're gonna get more reps,..it's that simple."
Guys Aliotti mentioned who could make an immediate and valuable impact were young defensive backs, Terrance Mitchell, Troy Hill and Brian Jackson. Both Mitchell and Hill are redshirt freshman and Jackson is a sophomore. Key players according to Aliotti especially in the first game against LSU when the Ducks will be without their super stud corner Cliff Harris who is under a one game suspension. "We'll see who grows more in practice," said Aliotti.
With just over 3 weeks until the Ducks travel to Dallas to face LSU in the opener, Aliotti says he has the utmost respect for the Tigers, but there's much to do before that game. "Our focus is to take care of our own backyard first in these first two weeks."
Playing a lot of players is just as important for the Duck defense as it is for the offense. Aliotti says he and his staff have a lot of bodies to look at when it comes to their defensive approach. "We're like a hockey team," he said. "We'll have different guys coming over the walls,...our thing is we'll send guys in for 3 downs to play hard and smash your head,...and then another guy for 3 or 4 downs."
As for the loss of cornerback Cliff Harris and the impact his single game suspension will have against LSU, Aliotti was sharp and to the point saying, "that'll have a huge impact on the secondary,...they're going to go after the other guy on that side." Before that happens though, Aliotti and the entire coaching staff have the annual fall camp challenge of developing their young talent and getting the veterans ready for game action. With a lot of work ahead though, Aliotti says, "So far I like our attitude and focus."
August 8, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP OPENS
It's a New Season With High Expectations Say's Kelly
Coach Chip Kelly
Speaking in front of a full house this morning at The Club in Autzen Stadium, Kelly discussed every aspect of the 2011 edition of the Ducks from the teams youth, the Ducks key players, the upcoming seasons opponents and the ever present NCAA investigation.
"That's what fall camp is about," said Kelly. "Seeing where we are,...the last time we saw these players was April 30th".
One of the primary topics today for Kelly was the obvious losses to graduation. "How do you replace a Jeff Maehl or Drew Davis," said Kelly. "They're great players, but we have great players coming in to replace them."
When asked about the challenge for receivers coach Scott Frost, Kelly said, "He's really going to earn his paycheck this year".
Changes on the offensive line was also an important topic for Kelly. "We're always going to play 7 or 8 guys up front,...last year we didn't have any new guys up front,...these guys this year don't have any game experience and there's no way to manufacture that".
The guys he does have coming back though are obviously the key players in the Chip Kelly run offense and no doubt will carry this team throughout the 2011 season. "The growth of Darron Thomas will be huge for us this year," said Kelly. "He got better and better each week last year and he got better this summer growing into a leadership role. We need Darron to improve because he doesn't have the luxury of Jeff Maehl or Drew Davis."
When talking about the Ducks running game Kelly was definitely concerned about limiting the touches of LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner. "You can't have LaMichael on the field for 60 snaps,...or Kenyon on the field for 60 snaps,...we'll need to find our 3rd running back." Although Kelly didn't discuss personnel, the likely candidates for the 3rd back are Lache Seastrunk, Tra Carson or even incoming true freshman De'Anthony Thomas.
Although the cast of players are ever changing in college football, the one thing that won't change for Kelly and his Ducks is the emphasis on fundamentals. "Training camp doesn’t change,...the players change...,we'll spend a lot of time on fundamentals", said Kelly. "We’re right back to square one, almost every year you don’t bring back the same players so its back to fundamentals."
One of the keys for the Ducks is turnovers. "The big thing for us is to limit turnovers lost," said Kelly. "Darron did a good job not throwing INT’s,...ball security is important,...we have to stay away from SIW's,...SELF INFLICTED WOUNDS."
While Kelly doesn't expect significant changes during this years fall camp, he does say there's one thing he wants to do. "We think pace is an advantage for us. We're going to try and play faster this year."
Play faster, is it even possible? In 2010 the Ducks averaged an offensive play every 13 seconds.
With fall practice officially underway, the Ducks attention will quickly turn to the LSU Tigers, the Ducks first opponent in 2011. Kelly gave high praise to the #4 ranked Tigers from the SEC. "They're really good," he said. "When you look at them on tape, they're really athletic,...they will be as good a football team as we'll play in conference. We're excited about the challenge."
As for defenses stopping the Ducks this year and a greater emphasis on teams limiting the spread offense, Kelly discussed the notion that it's the scheme that makes this team successful. "There's not one magic formula to stop what someone else is doing," Kelly said. "This game is about players,...we've been fortunate to have those players play for us,...we have to get out of the way and let them play."
And that will be the case this year. The 2011 edition of the Ducks is as good as last year and should have another winning season. The only question is how fast will the cast of the new Ducks gel with the veterans. "That's what fall camp is all about," said Kelly.
August 6, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
DUCKS YOUTHFUL O-LINE
Will Be Tested in 2011
79 Mark Asper
While the 2011 football season may be filled with a little early pain for the Ducks youthful offensive line, the experience they'll gain as the season progresses will definitely have its rewards. With just four veteran players returning with actual in-game and considerable experience, Oregon's O-line should still have a strong season.
The 2011 offensive line returns two starters in right tackle Mark Asper and left guard Carson York but will have considerable help from seniors Darrion Weems and Ramsen Golpashin. Weems is targeted for left tackle and Golpashin is slotted for right guard. While Weems saw solid game action last year ( 11 games / 7 starts ), Golpashin saw game action in 12 of the 13 games and had at least 18 snaps in at least half of his games played. While the Ducks offensive line isn't necessarily young, they lack the valuable experience necessary to gel immediately.
York, a 6'5 286 pound junior and Asper a 6'7 325 pound senior will anchor this years O-line for the Ducks. York started 10 of 13 games in 2010 while Asper started 11 of those games. Both players helped lead Oregon to being the 4th best rushing team in the country and the top scoring offense ( 47 points per game ) and total offense in the FBS with 530.7 yards per game.
The center position is still a position of concern for head coach Chip Kelly. Leading the depth chart going into fall camp should be 6'2 260 pound sophomore Karrington Armstrong followed by 6'3 278 pound redshirt freshman Hroniss Grasu. Both players have the physical tools to make an impact but lack the overall experience on an offense that's arguably the fastest in the country and demands even quicker decision making. The wildcard in the mix is 6'3 315 pound redshirt freshman Hamani Stevens who's back with the Ducks after his two year mormon mission. Stevens is probably the player with the most strength and power at the position but he simply lacks the experience.
The Ducks once again have a tremendous amount of agility and speed at offensive line, but the conventional wisdom says they'll struggle against the larger more physical lines like the one they'll face on September 3rd against LSU. Being agile and fast in a Chip Kelly run offense is no doubt an advantage against any team, however size and strength are important as well. The single most important aspect of this years offensive line is veteran coach Steve Greatwood. Greatwood is once again tasked with building a starting line to hold up to the rigors of a potential 14 game season. While the 2011 season may be more of an uphill challenge for Greatwood, he certainly has the tools to make this year another season of delicious delight for the express train known as the Oregon offense.
August 4, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES TAB OREGON #3
Oklahoma Sooners #1 and Stanford #6
The USA Today College Football Coaches poll was released today and they've tabbed the Oregon Ducks #3 in the nation. The Ducks have long been speculated to be somewhere in the top 5 in most preseason polls for the 2011 season. The #1 team in the preseason coaches poll is the Oklahoma Sooners followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Rounding out the top 5 is LSU, Oregon's first opponent on September 3rd in Dallas, and the Florida State Seminoles.
The Ducks were given a total of 1,309 points, just 145 points shy of Oklahoma for the #1 slot. Alabama received 1,414 points. LSU came in 4th with 1,296 points just 13 shy of Oregon. The only other Pac-12 team in the coaches top 25 was the Stanford Cardinal at #6 with 1,101 points. The Arizona State Sun Devils fell just shy of the top 25 landing in the 26th position with 158 points.
Other notables were Utah at #28, Arizona at #32, Oregon State at #46 and Washington at #48. Last years national champion, the Auburn Tigers were given the 19th position in the poll with 329 points.
Aug. 4, 2011 - USA Today College Football Coaches Preseason Poll
|
Rank
|
Team |
2010 record
|
Points
|
Final 2010 ranking
|
|
|
1.
|
Oklahoma
(42)
|
12-2
|
1,454
|
6
|
|
|
2.
|
Alabama
(13)
|
10-3
|
1,414
|
11
|
|
|
3.
|
Oregon
(2)
|
12-1
|
1,309
|
3
|
|
|
4.
|
LSU
(2)
|
11-2
|
1,296
|
8t
|
|
|
5.
|
10-4
|
1,116
|
16
|
||
|
6.
|
12-1
|
1,101
|
4
|
||
|
7.
|
12-1
|
1,065
|
7
|
||
|
8.
|
11-2
|
933
|
10
|
||
|
9.
|
Texas A&M |
9-4
|
885
|
21
|
|
|
10.
|
11-2
|
829
|
8t
|
||
|
11.
|
Nebraska |
10-4
|
814
|
19
|
|
|
12.
|
9-5
|
779
|
22
|
||
|
13.
|
11-3
|
767
|
15
|
||
|
14.
|
10-3
|
750
|
12
|
||
|
15.
|
13-0
|
687
|
2
|
||
|
16.
|
12-1
|
631
|
5
|
||
|
17.
|
Michigan State |
11-2
|
536
|
14
|
|
|
18.
|
Notre Dame |
8-5
|
440
|
NR
|
|
|
19.
|
14-0
|
329
|
1
|
||
|
20.
|
9-4
|
301
|
17
|
||
|
21.
|
Missouri |
10-3
|
266
|
18
|
|
|
22.
|
Georgia |
6-7
|
260
|
NR
|
|
|
23.
|
8-5
|
240
|
NR
|
||
|
24.
|
Texas |
5-7
|
162
|
NR
|
|
|
25.
|
Penn State |
7-6
|
161
|
NR
|
|
| Others receiving votes | |||||
| Arizona State (6-6) 158;
West Virginia (9-4) 149; Utah (10-3) 50; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 49; Iowa (8-5)
41; Northwestern (7-6) 30; Arizona (7-6) 28; Central Florida (11-3) 22;
Michigan (7-6) 19; Air Force (9-4) 15; North Carolina (8-5) 14; Houston
(5-7) 13; South Florida (8-5) 9; Hawaii (10-4) 8; Clemson (6-7) 7; Tennessee
(6-7) 7; Southern Miss (8-5) 6; Brigham Young (7-6) 5; North Carolina State
(9-4) 4; Northern Illinois (11-3) 4; Oregon State (5-7) 4; Pittsburgh (8-5)
3; Washington (7-6) 3; Georgia Tech (6-7) 1; Nevada (13-1) 1. |
|||||
August 4, 2011
Warren Williamson - ODFN
STEVE KRAGTHORPE STEPS
DOWN
AS LSU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Health Issue Forces Resignation
Coach Kragthorpe
Kragthorpe, 46, was hired as LSU's offensive coordinator after the 2010 season. Kragthorpe was the head football coach at Louisville from 2007 to 2009. In 2010 Kragthorpe was hired by Texas A & M as its receivers coach, however he decided to take the year off to help his wife Cynthia with her illness of multiple sclerosis. Kragthorpe was then hired as LSU's offensive coordinator for the 2011 season.
According to the university Kragthorpe will be replaced by offensive line coach Greg Studrawa who has been on the Tigers coaching staff since 2007. Even though Kragthorpe is stepping down as offensive coordinator he'll remain on staff to assist with game planning and help coach from the press box. "This is obviously a bit of a blow to myself," Kragthorpe told Gannett, "but by the same token we're a family of great faith."
LSU plays Oregon in its first game of the 2011 season on September 3rd.
| Home | Top | July Stories >> |
November Stories Index
Ducks Roll Into Pac-12 Championship Game
UCLA Wins Pac-12 South Division Crown
DT Wants Civil War Win for Eugene
Will This be the Last Hurrah
for LaMichael James?
LaMichael James Named 2011
Doak Walker Award Finalist
Trojans Upset 4th Ranked Oregon
Corso Blurts Out Profanity
on ESPN'S Game Day
Kiffin's Ego a Negative Against Oregon?
USC'S Barkley Say's
Ducks Defense is "Vulnerable
Trojans Coming to Eugene
Searching for Redemption
Nick Aliotti: "These Kids Are Magical"
Oregon Chops Down #4 Stanford 53-30
LAMichael James Selected
Doak Walker Semi-Finalist
Clash of the Titans II
#4 Stanford vs #7 Oregon
Eddie Pleasant
Named
Pac-12 Player of the Week
Dawg Pound Closes Down with a Wimper
Ducks Take Bite out of Dawgs
with Impressive 34-17 Win
Huskie Win Over Ducks
Would End
Years of Frustration for Dawgs
October Stories Index
Clumsy Beginning Turns into
43-28 DUCK Win Over WSU
Oregon Defense Produces Wins
Depth is the Recipe for Success
Oregon CB Cliff Harris Suspended
for all Football Activities
A Start to Remember for Bryan Bennett
A Rocky Mountain High for Oregon
James Say's He'll Make the Trip to Boulder
Injuries Dampen Oregon Win Over ASU
Oregon Sticks a Pitch Fork
in the Sun Devils 41-27
Darron Thomas on the Aerial Attack
Duck Secondary Will Be Tested
Once Again Versus ASU
It's Time for Oregon Freshman to Step Up
ESPN'S Gameday Headed Back to Eugene
Marks Sixth Appearance for Chris, Kirk & Lee
Oregon Overwhelms CAL in 43-15 Win
LaMichael James Carted Off Field
LB Micahel Clay: Status Still Uncertain for CAL
Lower Leg Injury May Keep Him Sidelined
September Stories Index
Brilliant Offensive Display
in 56-31 Win Over Wildcats
Ducks Torch Arizona in the Desert
Ducks Open Pac-12 Against Wildcats
#10 Ducks Begin Conference Play
MSU Final Tune Up Before Pac-12 Play
Darron Thomas Ties School Record
for Most TD Passes in a Game with 6
CLIFF HARRIS BACK IN A DUCK UNIFORM
Kiko Alonso Reinstated
After Four Month Suspension
A LABOR DAY PROMISE
Oregon Players Vow to Work Harder
Jarrett Lee Leads LSU to 40-27 Victory
August Stories Index
Preparation for LSU
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP - Week 1 Recap
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP
Aliotti Likes Focus of 2011 Defense
FALL FOOTBALL CAMP OPENS
Season With High Expectations
July Stories Index
of Chip Kelly's Media Day
Media Chooses Oregon to Win
the 2011 Pac 12 Title
Kelly Stresses Three Areas of Concern for 2011 Ducks
Will the Spotlight Be on Football
or Willie Lyles?
Career of Oregon TE Brandon
Williams Cut Short
Thomas and James Join
Walter Camp Watch List