Oregon Ducks (NCAA 10)

[Psyblast]

Ducks enter 2009 with a new look
Oregon has a Chip on its shoulder in the wide open Pac-10

EUGENE, OR - The Oregon Ducks ended 2008 on a high note, and that's putting it lightly. Chip Kelly's offense was firing on every cylinder imaginable at the end of last season. The Ducks put 65 points on the board in Corvallis against their archrivals, ruining Oregon State's Rose Bowl dreams. Then, in an offense-oriented Holiday Bowl, LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Masoli bowled over Oklahoma State's defense in a 42-31 victory, capping off a 10-3 season.

The offseason has been one of upheaval, however. Longtime coach Mike Bellotti has hung up the whistle and ascended to the booth as athletic director, while Kelly makes the move from offensive coordinator to head coach. Blount, the 240-pound bowling ball of a tailback, is gone, dismissed from the team over the summer for violation of team rules. Masoli, who stabilized an unstable QB position last season, returns as a junior, but the Ducks must find someone to fill the void left by the graduated Jeremiah Johnson and the dismissed Blount. There are several talented options: Andre Crenshaw has waited his turn behind Johnson, Blount and Jonathan Stewart, and as a senior may finally crack into the rotation. Most eyes however, are on redshirt freshman LaMichael James, who has dynamic speed and vision beyond his years.

The receiving options are a mixed bag for the Ducks. There is no superstar in the group, but several dependable pass catchers are available. Jamere Holland, despite having hands that remind Oregon fans of Jaison Williams, has elite-level speed that will stretch the field and keep defenses from cheating up against the run. Jeff Maehl is an excellent possession receiver, and DJ Davis is a physical presence at 205 pounds. There is plenty of room for youngsters to step up however, like sophomore Garrett Embry, junior college transfer Tyrece Gaines, or true freshman Diante Jackson. Despite the quantity of wide receivers though, the Ducks' #1 pass-catching option is senior tight end Ed Dickson. At 6'5 and 243 pounds, Dickson is too big for most safeties and too fast for most linebackers.

While the Ducks' offense expects to continue to terrorize opponents just like it has in Kelly's first two years in the program, there is uncertainty on the offensive line. Three quality starters - Max Unger, Fenuki Tupou and Mark Lewis - must be replaced, and there is youth at ever spot, as Oregon lacks a single senior in the trenches.

When Mike Bellotti retired, most fans expected his friend and longtime defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti to be replaced. Aliotti is not the most popular figure among Ducks fans, but Kelly opted to keep him on staff. That didn't stop Kelly from putting some pressure on Aliotti's shoulders, however. Much like Bellotti did prior to the 2007 season when he reached across the country to pluck a relatively unknown coach (Kelly), Kelly has brought in Brian Kudron to serve as "assistant to the defensive coordinator". Kudron is regarded as a youthful fire-breather who demands excellence and effort from his players. His other skill, which must be utilized to its fullest in order for Oregon to take the next step nationally, is his recruiting. Being a younger coach, Kudron has an attitude and demeanor that relates easily to recruits, and the product of those efforts is expected to be immediate.

In regards to the actual players on the defense, there is plenty of talent for the Ducks to work with in Aliotti's unconventional 4-2-5 scheme. Will Tukuafu and Kenny Rowe form a formidable duo of pass-rushing ends, while Brandon Bair, Simi Toeaina and Blake Ferras provide a solid rotation at tackle. While only using two true linebackers, the Ducks have accumulated impressive depth at the position. Juniors Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews should hold up well, but if they falter, Kilo Alonso, Dewitt Stuckey and JUCO transfer Bryson Littlejohn are prepared to step in immediately.

At corner, the Ducks took a hit when Jairus Byrd left early for the NFL, but Walter Thurmond III returns for his senior year, and he is one of the finest corners in all of college football. After him comes Talmadge Jackson, Willie Glasper and Anthony Gildon battling it out for the #2 corner spot. Highly touted freshman Cliff Harris out of Edison High School in Fresno has oodles of potential, but his late arrival has him behind, and with four solid corners ahead of him, he may redshirt to save a year.

Rounding out the unconventional defense are two safeties who act as hybrid linebackers on the outside - Eddie Pleasant and Javes Lewis - and the centerfielder, free safety T.J. Ward, one of the deadliest hitters in college football. There have been rumors that Kelly is not a fan of the 4-2-5 Aliotti deploys, and there is a possibility that if things go poorly, Kelly may step in and have Kudron take over the defense and implement a more traditional 4-3.

The schedule is anything but easy for the Ducks, as right off the bat they travel to Boise for a grudge match with the Broncos. Sugar Bowl Champion Utah comes to Autzen two weeks later, and immediately after that Cal is in Eugene to start Pac-10 play. The best news is that the two favorites in the conference, Cal and USC, both must come to Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks have one of college football's most intimidating homefield advantages.

[Psyblast]

Ducks Recruiting Primer: 2009
It's time for Oregon to join the big boys on the recruiting trail

EUGENE, OR - That's the message being given inside the Casanova Center on campus in Eugene. If you judge by recruiting rankings, the Ducks have been anything from average to good, with the big names they have landed, like Haloti Ngata, Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, becoming program changing players.

Well, the message being sent, and the one falling squarely on new assistant Brian Kudron's shoulders, is that it's time to ramp it up.

The Ducks have facilities that are unmatched in college football. They have an offense that burns out the light bulbs on scoreboards. They have uniforms that are atrocious to old-timers and oddly appealing to teenage football players. They have certain drawbacks: Eugene is, to the typical recruit, in the middle of nowhere. Over the past couple years, the Ducks have come close to scoring big with major recruits, and each time, it's been the distance from home that has ruined UO's chances. Terrelle Pryor, Tajh Boyd, Tommy Streeter, Bryce Brown, Bryce McNeal. These were bigtime recruits from far away who either visited or showed interest in visiting, but the Ducks weren't able to overcome the location factor.

So Brian Kudron has been given the task of A) overcoming that, and/or B) drill deeper into the goldmine of California. The Ducks' ultimate goal is to go toe to toe with USC in the Pac-10, and in order to do so, the recruiting efforts must be elite and efficient. And to start, they must protect their own state. Normally the state of Oregon is almost completely devoid of elite national talent, but this year it contains one prize that will be coveted by the entire country: 5-star defensive end Michael King out of Portland Jesuit High School. At 6'7, 242 pounds, King is a physical specimen, and he has speed almost unheard of for a DE. The Ducks have made him priority #1, but the battle to keep him home will be a brutal one, as USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Miami, Florida State, and Notre Dame are all in hot pursuit as well.

Kudron is also being tasked with the job of establishing a foothold in the state of California, which means going heads up with the Trojan juggernaut. There are three recruits in the Golden State that stand out more than most on the Ducks' recruiting board, all hailing from elite high school programs: CB Mario Hill of Anaheim Servite, DT Kenton Montgomery of Long Beach Polytechnic, and QB Jarrett Jones of Fresno Edison. Hill hails from the same school that current USC MLB Chris Galippo came from, so there will be USC ties at play there. Montgomery comes from LB Poly, which has send dozens and dozens of star players into the college ranks over the years. And when it comes to Jones, it's almost a dream come true for Oregon's coaches. At 6'6, 187, he is a twig, but he is lightning fast and built to run the spread option. He is raw as a passer, but as a runner, he invokes memories of Dennis Dixon from 2007. And his presence at Edison High may be a plus for the Ducks. Edison sent T.J. McDonald to USC a year ago, but it also sent Cliff Harris to Eugene, and Jones does not fit the profile of laser accurate pocket passer that Pete Carroll looks for.

While that is just barely the tip of the iceberg, King, Hill, Jones and Montgomery are far and away the top recruits on the radar of the Ducks this recruiting cycle, and their performance in these battles will say a lot about Kudron's recruiting acumen, and the increased appeal of the Oregon football program.

[Psyblast]

Preseason Top 25:

1. Florida (40)
2. Oklahoma (21)
3. Texas
4. USC
5. LSU
6. Alabama
7. Ohio State
8. Penn State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Ole Miss
12. Oregon
13. Georgia
14. Boise State
15. California
16. North Carolina
17. BYU
18. Georgia Tech
19. TCU
20. Florida State
21. Nebraska
22. Iowa
23. West Virginia
24. Utah
25. Kansas

Preseason All-Americans:
QB: Tim Tebow, Florida
HB: Charles Scott, LSU
HB: Jahvid Best, California
HB/FB: Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
WR: Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
WR: Arrelious Benn, Illinois
WR: Julio Jones, Alabama
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
T: Ciron Black, LSU
G: Rodney Hudson, Florida State
C: Josh McNeil, Tennessee
G: Sergio Render, Virginia Tech
T: Sam Young, Notre Dame

DE: Carlos Dunlap, Florida
DE: George Selvie, South Florida
DT: Terrence Cody, Alabama
DT: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
OLB: Mark Herzlich, Boston College
MLB: Brandon Spikes, Florida
OLB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
CB: Alterraun Verner, UCLA
CB: Randall Burden, Kentucky
FS: Major Wright, Florida
SS: Taylor Mays, USC

K: Kai Forbath, UCLA
P: Zoltan Mesko, Michigan
RET: AJ Jefferson, Fresno State

Pac-10 Projected Order of Finish:

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. California
4. Oregon State
5. Arizona State
6. Arizona
7. UCLA
8. Stanford
9. Washington
10. Washington State

Preseason All-Pac-10 Team:
QB: Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon
HB: Jahvid Best, California
HB: Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
FB: Stanley Havili, USC
WR: James Rodgers, Oregon State
WR: Terrence Austin, UCLA
WR: Damian Williams, USC
TE: Ed Dickson, Oregon
T: Charles Brown, USC
G: Jeff Byers, USC
C: Kristofer O'Dowd, USC
G: Justin Cheadle, California
T: Timmy Oshinowo, Oregon State

DE: Will Tukuafu, Oregon
DE: Everson Griffen, USC
DT: Brian Price, UCLA
DT: Christian Tupou, USC
OLB: Keaton Kristic, Oregon State
MLB: Reggie Carter, UCLA
OLB: Mike Nixon, Arizona State
CB: Syd'Quan Thompson, California
CB: Alterraun Verner, UCLA
FS: T.J. Ward, Oregon
SS: Taylor Mays, USC

K: Kai Forbath, UCLA
P: Bryan Anger, California
RET: Terrence Austin, UCLA

[Psyblast]

2009 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location
September 3	#14 Boise State	Boise, ID
September 12	Purdue	Eugene, OR
September 19	#24 Utah	Eugene, OR
September 26	#15 California	Eugene, OR
October 3	Washington State	Eugene, OR
October 10	UCLA	Pasadena, CA
October 24	Washington	Seattle, WA
October 31	#4 USC	Eugene, OR
November 7	Stanford	Palo Alto, CA
November 14	Arizona State	Eugene, OR
November 21	Arizona	Tucson, AZ
December 3	Oregon State	Eugene, OR

[Psyblast]

2009 Depth Chart

Offense

Pos.	Starter	Backup
QB	#8 Jeremiah Masoli, JR (90)	#7 Nate Costa, r-JR (85)
RB	#21 LaMichael James, r-FR (85)	#22 Andre Crenshaw, SR (86)
WR	#19 Jamere Holland, r-JR (89)	#86 Garrett Embry, SO (83)
WR	#23 Jeff Maehl, JR (84)	#85 Diante Jackson, FR (81)
WR	#10 D.J. Davis, JR (86)	#82 Dion Jordan, r-FR (82)
TE	#83 Ed Dickson, r-SR (94)	#42 David Paulson, r-SO (78)
LT	#69 Bo Thran, r-JR (87)	#74 Darrion Weems, r-SO (84)
LG	#77 Carson York, r-FR (81)	#76 Charlie Carmichael, r-SO (80)
C	#54 Jordan Holmes, r-JR (84)	#64 Max Forer, r-JR (80)
RG	#79 Mark Asper, r-SO (82)	#70 Ramsen Golpashin, r-SO (77)
RT	#68 C.E. Kaiser, r-JR (84)	#61 Nick Cody, r-FR (79)
K	#25 Morgan Flint, r-SR (87)	-

Defense

Pos.	Starter	Backup
DE	#39 Will Tukuafu, r-SR (92)	#98 Chris DiVincenzo, r-SO (83)
DE	#58 Kenny Rowe, JR (86)	#99 Zac Clark, JR (80)
DT	#88 Brandon Bair, r-JR (90)	#50 Simi Toeaina, r-SR (87)
DT	#90 Blake Ferras, SR (84)	#95 Conrad Davis, r-JR (83)
LB	#35 Spencer Paysinger, r-JR (88)	#53 Dewitt Stuckey, SO (81)
LB/S	#11 Eddie Pleasant, r-SO (83)	#1 Marvin Johnson, r-JR (88)
LB	#55 Casey Matthews, JR (84)	#47 Kiko Alonso, SO (81)
ROV	#14 Javes Lewis, r-SO (80)	#1 Marvin Johnson, r-JR (88)
CB	#6 Walter Thurmond III, r-SR (93)	#17 Willie Glasper, r-SR (88)
CB	#37 Talmadge Jackson, JR (89)	#18 Anthony Gildon, r-SO (81)
FS	#2 T.J. Ward, r-SR (93)	#20 John Boyett, SO (81)
P	#49 Jackson Rice, FR (83)	-

Specialists

Pos.	Starter	Backup
KR	#6 Walter Thurmond III, r-SR	#21 LaMichael James, r-FR
PR	#6 Walter Thurmond III, r-SR	#10 D.J. Davis, JR

[WWF80sKid]

Following. Good luck.

You not playing Blount since he got suspended?

[Marino]

It's about time.

[Lucky Number 23]

Finally...