Oregon Ducks Preview
By Bruce Marshall
The Gold Sheet
It wasn't your normal offseason in Eugene, where in recent years the big spring drama surrounding the successful Oregon football program usually involved what shade of green (Chartreuse? Jade? Emerald? Asparagus?) Nike might introduce as the latest versions of the Ducks' trendy ensemble of uniforms. Indeed, so vast have been the possible color combinations in the Oregon gridiron wardrobe that even Ivanka Trump was said to have been envious. But this offseason, discussion of the Ducks' colorful on-field outfits took a back seat to the big news that HC Mike Bellotti would be stepping aside to assume Athletic Director duties at the school, which meant that pre-anointed replacement Chip Kelly, Bellotti's creative offensive coordinator the past two seasons, would get his chance as Oregon's head coach a few years earlier than anticipated.
Kelly indeed has some big shoes to fill. Bellotti "only" recorded a 116-55 mark in his fourteen seasons at the helm, which included 12 bowls and four double-digit-victory seasons. Bellotti also went out in style, fashioning a 10-3 mark in '08 that included dropping a 65-point bomb on Civil War rival Oregon State in the regular-season finale that kept the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl, and a wild 42-31 win over Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl. Kelly is also stepping into what has been the most-secure position in the Pac-10 for a generation, as only Bellotti and predecessor Rich Brooks have led the Ducks into battle the past 32 seasons.
But Kelly will have to shuffle the deck in the fall, when he must address significant graduation losses on both sides of the ball, especially up front. The good news, however, is that much of the nucleus of last year's prolific spread attack that produced a tantalizing 42 ppg and 486 ypg returns for another go.
The QB situation is certainly light years ahead of where it was at the same time a year ago, when uncertainty abounded in the wake of Dennis Dixon's graduation. Now, there's more stability at the position, thanks to versatile jr. Jeremiah Masoli, who became something of a rock star in Duck Nation when emerging as a dual-threat QB somewhat along the lines of Tim Tebow and Jake Locker. While relinquishing some snaps last fall to Justin Roper (who has since transferred), Masoli still managed to toss 13 TDP and rush for another 10 scores while gaining 718 YR. The Holiday Bowl MVP also forms half of a dynamic 1-2 backfield punch with slashing RB LeGarrette Blount, a juco transfer who reminded UO fans of former star Reuben Droughns while bouncing for 1002 YR and an eye-opening 17 TDs last fall. Although Masoli's arm won't be mistaken for John Elway's, he does provide enough of an aerial component to keep opposing defenses honest, and he has a couple of established targets in WR Terence Scott (team-high 50 catches LY) and sure-handed TE Ed Dickson (35 receptions), plus spring revelation Jamere Holland, whose ability to get deep reduces the likelihood Kelly will have to count upon newcomers such juco Tyrece Gaines & true frosh Diante Jackson right off the bat. Masoli's mobilty could come in handy behind a rebuilt OL that must replace four starters. Kelly was also fretting about a kicking game that was subpar at best in spring.
Like the offense, only five starters return on d.c. Nick Aliotti's stop unit, which similar to the "O" has to fill some graduation-related gaps up front, including replacing Pac-10 sack leader Nick Reed. Only one DL starter, sr. DE Will Tukuafu, returns. Still, Aliotti liked what he saw of his new-look DL when it controlled the line of scrimmage in spring, although scouts wonder if that could have been due to the struggles of the reshuffled OL. Pac-10 sources also question how much the 2ndary will miss NFL-bound S Patrick Chung (Patriots 2nd round) & CB Jarius Byrd (Bills 2nd round) after getting burned more than expected LY. CB Walter Thurmond has similar NFL potential, but Aliotti's search for a competent sidekick on the other corner will continue in the fall.
Summary...The transition to new HC Chip Kelly figures to be a smooth one, with few adjustments in the system or coaching staff to worry about. But even with the electric Masoli and prolific Blount still in the fold, there are some questions about Kelly's spread attack being as prolific as last year if the rebuilt OL can't straighten things out in the fall. That's important if the Ducks want to ascend above minor bowl status, because a modest "D" is not going to get UO close to the promised land of the BCS on its own.