Blazers Media Notes

I could have probably accumulated a bunch of links from Blazer's Media Day yesterday but found that "Blazer's Edge" did a fairly good job of recapping. Here are also some updates from Oregonlive's Blazers Blog. The season is almost upon us!

USC Fans Jealous?

No, not of our football team. But our cheerleaders.

Make sure to read the comments. Here are just a few:

JamesUSC99 said:
"Now that the season has tanked from a football perspective, I'm at least excited to see the great Oregon cheerleaders. A big fight on to the Ducks!"

60614Trojan said:
Damn, there are a LOT of hot girls in that picture! A LOT! Quite a selection. They are going to really embarrass the USC Song Girls before a network audience, that's for sure."

TrojaninDC said:
"There are some seriously great abs on display here. Who knew that college cheerleaders were not required to be fat and ugly? Who knew that thick legs were not a mandatory requirement to be a college cheerleader in the politically correct 2000s? Who knew that cheerleaders were still allowed to be beautiful and thin? Hmmm.... Political incorrectness is alive and well in Eugene, Oregon. And I love it!"

Another Night Game

According to Moseley, the Ducks will play a night game at Autzen for the second time this year. The Ducks will kick off their homecoming vs. UCLA at 7:15 next Saturday.

Beaver's Rose Bowl Bound

I've already heard Beaver fans talking Rose Bowl. Can't we wait a few minutes here since you are getting WAY ahead of yourself. Isn't it only WEEK 5! Let's take a look at the Beaver's remaining schedule:

• 10/2 - @ Utah
• 10/11 - WSU
• 10/18 - @ Washington
• 10/25 - BYE
• 11/1 - ASU
• 11/8 - @ UCLA
• 11/15 - Cal
• 11/22 - @ Arizona
• 11/29 - Oregon

I think if the Beaver's play the way they did against USC they can probably go 7 for 8 of those games, resulting in another 9 win season before their bowl. While they do have a favorable home game slate, I still think road trips to Washington, UCLA and Arizona will all be tough (regardless of their current standings). Only time will tell. I remember Duck fans talking about National Championship last year after beating USC and ASU... We all saw how that ended.

Thanks For Nothing

First, I just want to say congratulations to Oregon State for upsetting #1 USC. Yes, I'm giving props now because I know I'll hear about it all season long.

Second, let me be first to say, DAMN IT... Thanks for pissing them off. So not only are Beaver fans going to gloat all season about beating the mighty Trojans, but will likely get to rub it more because USC is going to make some heads roll next week when they return to the Colosseum.

Some interesting things to take from that game:
1.) Who taught the Trojans how to tackle?
2.) Yes, that was the same defense that lost their whole front 7 and held USCs stable of running backs to under 100 yards rushing.
3.) "Quizz" is agile and quick but damn is that kid tiny.
4.) Maualuga's knee is F'ed.
5.) USC has now lost 3 of the last 4 games in Corvallis. Seriously? Corvallis?
6.) I love it when Sanchez looks like he is about to cry.

Mark it... Beavs are going to loose Utah next week. Further proving the Pac-10 isn't worth a $hit this year.

Just because this is a new season, the Thursday curse (top team upsets) is not broken. Thank our lucky stars that the Ducks aren't playing on a Thursday this year.

Uniform Rumor

Rumor from some Oregon grad whose friend's uncle (I'll just call him "Bob" so I don't have to go through that again... might as well be my mother's grandmother's best friend's niece's son-in-law) apparently had dinner with Phil Knight. Phil Knight told "Bob" and his brother that Oregon will be unveiling unitard uniforms for Homecoming vs. UCLA. Interesting story Bob's nephew's friend. Guess we'll see if that's true in a few weeks.

Best Catch Ever?

If not the best, I'm guessing it would make #1 in the top 10 plays of the week, if not year (century).

YOUR Fans?

The NUMBER #1 college football team IN AMERICA is coming to YOUR stadium. Espn will be in YOUR town for the 1st time EVER. YOUR game is only 1 of 2 games on national television on a Thursday night and the other teams playing are Southern Methodist and Tulane. YOUR team even pulled off the upset the last time this opponent was in town.

How do YOUR fans react?

By not selling out your stadium and at the last minute YOUR administration turns some of those tickets into student tickets so it's not THAT embarrassing. They have been discussing this issue on 1080 the past few days (and I'm sure on 95.5 as well... But I can't stand Canzano) and I've even heard Duck, Husky and Cougar fans calling in to admit they've bought tickets to go watch this game at Reser. Sad when your in-state rivals over-sell their stadium(attendance at the bottom) against the worst football team in the FBS.

Cheap Shots...

Cheap shots? You make the call...

I'm a little unsure what they are teaching these kids at Boise State. Once, I can understand. $hit happens. Though, twice in one game is completely unacceptable. Neither of these were questionable, but 100% flagrant. Ducks have your number next year Boise...

Drats... Time To Look For Another Job

Harrington has been cut from the Saints only 5 days after being signed to free up roster space for Sean Ryan. He may be signed again later in the season. Hope he didn't settle in too much.

All Debts Paid

The bet that I referred to in a previous post was won by OBNUG and all debts have been paid. OBNUGs blog post is actually quite entertaining. Can't wait for next year's payback.

The Football Monopoly...

So if you didn't hear about (or see) the UCLA ad that appeared in the LA Times before the start of the college football season, here it is... Even stated as "The Best Ad Ever" on the LA Times Bruin blog. I thought it was fairly clever at the time but it seemed very (very very) premature. Sure UCLA's huge season-opening win over Tennessee had fans (and others) chugging the Kool-Aid but how do they feel now that their team has had a demoralizing 59-0 loss to BYU and 31-10 loss to Arizona? I'm sure they have lowered their expectations much like the rest of Pac-10 teams this season.


Which brings me to another brilliant advertisement I found on Chat4quack's best-thread-ever "A picture is worth a thousand words" (Yes, you need to register). I doubt this was actually an ad in the LA times but a photoshopped picture of the original, hilarious nonetheless.

Rudy Arrives

Rudy Fernandez arrived in Portland yesterday with a welcoming crowd between 100-200 people at PDX... adding to the continual increase in Blazer Mania.

Coaching Problems

Moseley did a great job of explaining the coaching problems that most people thought we had on Saturday. Throw in Harper full time (they weren't planning on using him in passing situations) and a Boise State offensive scheme that Oregon hadn't seen on tape this year. You have to believe the coaching staff did a pretty decent job with some serious adjustments.

So What Now?

Wasn't that game like night and day? One moment the Ducks can't throw the ball and the next that is all they were doing. While the second and third quarters we just painful to watch, the fourth quarter made completely made up for that.

So what next? Thomas' redshirt was burned for what seemed like a horrible idea at the time but after watching Darron play, it completely made up for it. It is now apparent why Kelly continued to recruit Thomas even though he was committed to LSU at the time. It's even rumored that when Harper threw his last interception before being pulled Darron looked at Bellotti and told him to put him in. That is the type of player we want running our offense in the future. According to Bellotti, Darron Thomas and Jeremiah Masoli will be splitting snaps this week for the WSU game. They will now open the playbook up a for Thomas as he continues to learn the offense. People have to remember that Darron has been at Oregon since last January and has had more time with the play book, film room, etc. than Harper and Masoli. While I hate the idea of a "quarterback controversy," I can't help but think this is a good situation to be in. These quarterbacks will only push each other to be better and all hope will not fly out the window if another quarterback goes down for a season. We have to believe this stretch of bad luck will end sometime soon and I truly believe everything happens for a reason.

The end of that game made me excited for next year's matchup in Boise. Payback time.

Recruiting Some Serious Talent

Bryce Brown, largely considered to be the best running back in the 2009 recruiting class, has been having doubts on his commitment to Miami. Brown happens to be from Wichita, Kansas... the same city where the Ducks plucked (pun intended) Chris Harper and it is rumored that the two stay in contact. Not to mention Chip Kelly seems to be keeping up his superior recruiting efforts.

Interesting that the article mentions that Missouri has the best facilities in the country. Hope the Ducks can get Brown to visit Autzen and some of the Oregon facilities.

My Team Is Better Than Your Team

If you want to read some pure entertainment, the moderators of Addicted to Quack and One Bronco Nation Under God agreed to post why their team will win on the others Blog.

Why Oregon will win - Addicted to Quack's post on One Bronco Nation Under God
Why Boise State will win - One Bronco Nation Under God's post on Addicted to Quack

I especially liked the comments regarding Gremlins II.

Harrington Has a Job!

New Orleans Saints signed Joey Harrington to be the teams 3rd string QB behind Drew Brees and Mark Brunell. A deal to get paid to basically practice with the team? Not a bad gig at all.

Ten Things to Watch for on Saturday

Ted Miller listed the ten things to watch for on Saturday. Watching a redshirt freshman start in Autzen is #2 and expecting some interesting play calling is #7.

Visitors for the Weekend

Looks like the Ducks will have 2 DE recruits visiting during the Boise State game this weekend. A 5 star from Broomfield, Colorado and another 2-star (likely unrated) from Orlando, Florida. Shows the Ducks are looking nationally again this year and likely won't settle for a players unless it is a pressing need.

Oregon Preview from the Enemy and an Interesting Bet

I found this preview of the Oregon / Boise State game from One Bronco Nation Under God (OBNUG). The writer is actually fairly accurate with all his research and does a good job breaking down this year's Oregon team (and how the Broncos will match up).

I actually came across this article because I was reading Addicted to Quack's interesting bet with OBNUG regarding this weekends game. I'll look forward to reading that post.

By the way, good luck to Kellen Moore (a redshirt freshman QB) making his first road start for the Broncos at Autzen. I think this will be the first game they will truly miss Zabransky.

More Links

Here are some more daily links from both home and away...

• Ducks Depth Chart vs. Boise State
• Idaho Statesman - Heading into a lions den... Then playing the Oregon Ducks.
• Idaho Statesman - BSUs safety Jeron Johnson looking to make some big plays against the Ducks.
• Times-News (Twin Falls, ID) - Chung played a key role in the recruitment of Ian Johnson to the Boise State Broncos.
• Arbiter Online (BSU Independent paper) - Ducks will be a tough test for BSU. Does Petersen really believe that piping in noise will sufficiently prepare his team for Autzen's noise?
• Idaho Press - Oregon's secondary will create problems for Boise State. And considering they are starting a redshirt freshman at the QB position it makes you wonder if he knows what's coming.
• Register Guard - Harper's passing is constantly improving.
• Register Guard - Masoli is ready to contribute.
• Off the Pond - Oregon will win, but not handily.
• Statesman Journal - Byrd making huge plays.
• Collegefootballnews.com - Pac-10 Fearless Predictions for week 4.
  

Thanks, as always, to Ducksportsnews.com for most (Damn close to all) of the links.

Cal vs. Maryland Big Hit

Why can't every game have this type of entertainment? Makes you wonder if "The Exorcist" is Jahvid Best's favorite movie...

Auburn Fans Jealous?

Does this sound like Auburn fans are jealous Ducks picked up Masoli and Blount?

More Jersey Ideas...

I agree with this blogger on everything but the camoflage uniforms. What would this be trying to achieve, a GI Joe look?

"That team is so fast, you can't even see their feet."

Arrested Development Update

So we heard a little rumor than an Arrested Development Movie was being made. And even back in August, E Online talked with Jessica Walter (Lucille) and she said she heard it was "in the works." Recently though, a few reporters asked Michael Cera about the project he admitted he hadn't heard of the rumors and that he doesn't know why people would want to see an Arrested Development movie anyway. I hope his recent successes on the big screen haven't made him forget his roots.

Wallpaper / Billboards

It is usually around this time when Duck Billboards go up around Eugene and down I5. Here is a look at this years billboards/wallpaper from Goducks.com. I'm not so sure about the 3 Musketeer Quote (ok, they reversed it)... And we can all be happy that at least Bryan Adam's "All for Love" isn't being played during DuckVision.

A Look Back and A Look Forward...

Here are some articles floating out there about the Ducks and this weekend's matchup with Boise State...

• Bronco Nation Now - Broncos looking to beating their first BCS team on the road and gaining some respect.
• Idaho Press - Speed and depth at skill positions await Boise State in their trip to Eugene but the Ducks are playing a more "up-tempo" team than most. Interesting that both teams have a "bend, but don't break" philosophy.
• Idaho Statesmen - Transfer and two true freshmen will share load for Oregon vs. Broncos.
• Espn.com - Inexperienced quarterbacks will start in the first matchup between Oregon and BSU.
• Ducksattack.com - Ducks likely to land a commit this weekend.
• Espn.com Pac10 Blog - Masoli likely to start, though it depends on the play.
• Goducks.com Blog- Game balls from the Purdue game and predictions revealed from that game.
• Goducks.com - Oregon Weekly Football Release.
• Register Guard - Quarterback situation and it's toll on the defense, Roper's injury, Thompson news (or lack thereof) and Music at Purdue.
• Register Guard - Ducks may have bought what Tiller was selling
• Oregonian - Driving the Ducks to Drink...
• The Sports Network - Predicts a Boise State win over Oregon (at home?!?)
  
  

Doesn't it just seem like Ian Johnson has been with the Bronco's for a decade?

Ducks Taking Over in Carolina

Jonathan Stewart had 77 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Panther's win over the Bears. While Stewart didn't get one of the game balls in the win, a writer from Fox Sports and Cat Scratch Reader, a Carolina blog, (among other writers) are giving Stewart props for helping kick start the offense on Sunday.

Dante Rosario wasn't much of a factor in week 2 but had 7 receptions for 96 yards and the game winning catch on 4th & 1 and time expiring against San Diego the week before.

2 weeks and 2 huge contributions by previous Ducks (and on the same team nonetheless). Great to see...

New Uniforms?!?!

New Uniforms? I actually heard this rumor almost a year ago from someone inside Nike whom had seen a new design. Nothing new came to start the season so I kind of figured we might see them in the Civil War (like in 2005), the bowl game or to start the 2009 season.

It would be great to see some new unforms or even to see some throwbacks for possibly one of our bigger games (USC, ASU, Cal or OSU). There have also been rumors of a black helmet.

Bowl Predictions

As always, Espn and others have their weekly bowl predictions...

Both Espn writers believe the Ducks will play in the Rose Bowl against either Wisconsin or Penn State. Both would be fun matchups, though I would rather see us play Penn State since we've played Wisconsin in the past century.

They also have USC playing the National Championship, Cal playing in the Holiday, ASU playing in the Sun, Either OSU or UCLA playing in the Emerald, and Arizona playing in the Las Vegas.

A Yahoo.com writer predicts the Ducks will play in the Holiday Bowl against Kansas. He also has USC playing for the National Championship and an 8-4 Cal team playing in the Rose.

Uniform Change...

According to McNamara, looks like there has been a change in the uniform combo today. The Ducks must be trying to wear all their uniform combos that they have lost in the last few years. Today they will be wearing the white helmets, white jerseys and green pants they wore in Oregon's goose egg (and first goose egg in many years) against UCLA last year.

Storm Troopers

Here's hoping the Ducks have another record day in "storm trooper" unis!

Must Be Tough...

It must be hard trying to recruit kids to a school in a warm climate, in a big city, in the middle of a football rich state and especially with a ho-hum list of attendees for their games.

Batman 3...

So, I'm sure most of you have seen "Dark Knight" and are eagerly awaiting the next movie in the series. Here are some rumors about the possible cast in the next movie. Who knows until a press report is actually released (or a decision is made), but it's fun to speculate.

Some Early (Early, Early...) Season Numbers

Forde's article made me look up a few numbers that I thought people would find interesting from the first 2 games...

• 1st Downs - 57 (compared to 36)

• Total Yards - 1186 (compared to 548)
• Average Yards per Game - 593 (compared to 274)

• Total Rush Yards - 666 (compared to 182)
• Average Rush Yards per Game - 333 (compared to 91)

• Total Pass Yards - 520 (compared to 365)
• Average Pass Yards per Game - 260 (compared to 183)

• Total Time of Possession - 52:08 (compared to 67:52)
• Average Time of Possession per Game - 26:04 (compared to 33:56)

• Total Points Scored - 110 (compared to 34)
• Average Points per Game - 55 (compared to 17)

• 7 different players have scored rushing
• 4 different players have scored receiving
• 3 different Qb's have passing touchdowns

• 11 different players account for at least 1 touchdown (passing, receiving and/or rushing)
• 5 of those players account for 1 touchdown (receiving or rushing)
• 3 of those players account for 2 touchdowns (passing or rushing)
• 3 of those players account for 3 touchdowns (passing, receiving and/or rushing)
• And of course... 2 field goals

Forde's 40

As he does every week during, Pat Forde's "Forde Yard Dash" previewed the Oregon / Purdue game this coming weekend. You have to love some of the stats he put in his article.

Ah... Pure Comedy...

I heard another one of these prank calls on 1080 this afternoon and what made it even better is whom it happened to... Pete Carroll.

I couldn't find the one they played on 1080 and it was the only call that was actually screened. The same guy called and asked whom Pete Carroll believed in the Pac-10 was actually packing 10. Classic. I heard it was an Ohio State fan just having some fun. I'm sure Carroll will have the last laugh on Saturday.

A Football Reporting Twist

If you've never been to "Off the Pond" (formally "Blogging with B") then you've probably never read Nick's FOTB (Fiance of the blog), formally GOTB (Girlfriend of the blog), blog posts. Last year Nick came up with the clever idea of interviewing his girlfriend, now fiance, on (primarily) football topics. If you have a minute, it's entertaining to say the least....

Here are his most recent posts...
Slick Rick calls that a debut? Let's try some FOTB.
We've learned so much tonight... how much Nick does not know.

Here is his archive of past FOTB posts for your enjoyment... A pink penalty flag just might work.

Grellow Helmets Return

According to Andy McNamara, the Ducks will be donning the yellow (grellow) helmets on Saturday's game against Utah State. While I'm not totally opposed to the helmets, they are by far my least favorite... Getting rid of the flames would be start.

The fact they have never won in them may be a large factor into why the Ducks are wearing them this weekend. Barring a complete disaster, the Ducks will be 1-2 after this weekend. 33% ain't bad.

Injury Plagues the Huskies

If loosing by 34 to Oregon wasn't bad enough, the Huskies had to put their mascot on the injured reserve.

Thurmond to Wear 29

Andy McNamara confirmed that Walter Thurmond III will be wearing Todd Doxey's 29 in this weekends game against Utah State.

Scoreboard Baby!

So even Ted Miller got into the discussion about Pac-10 and SEC.

More on Todd Doxey

Jason King from Yahoo Sports wrote a great article that dives more into the life and death of Todd Doxey. It's sad to see such a good kid leave this earth so early.

Pac 10 vs SEC

So I was planning on doing some research regarding the Pac-10 and SEC but a few people beat me to it here and here (and I'm sure other places).

One thing they didn't note was the home games. Where since 2000 the SEC had 8 home games while the Pac-10 had 7. If you include this year it would be SEC 8 home games and Pac-10 9 home games.

After last nights UCLA win over Tennessee, the Pac 10 is 10 for 6 since the turn of the century. But it is looking to be like 10 for 7 after Georgia visits ASU in a few weeks. Still, you take out the 2 conference powers (USC and LSU) the Pac 10 is currently ahead 6 - 2. Even if Georgia wins in a few weeks that would only make it 6 - 3. That is still a 66% winning record. Not bad at all.

Even Bob Rickert from the Oregonian believes that the gap isn't as wide as the media makes everyone believe.