The Oregon Ducks have ascended all the way up
to the seventh spot in the latest national poll, and they will put that lofty
ranking on the line, when they take on the Stanford Cardinal this weekend in
Pac-10 action.
Oregon is clearly the class of the conference after crushing USC last weekend
by a 47-20 final in Eugene. The Ducks have now won seven consecutive decisions
since falling to Boise State in the opener, and it is not out of the realm of
possibility that Chip Kelly's team could end up in the national title game
depending on what happens with other teams around the country the rest of the
way. The last five wins have all come by 14 or more points, as Oregon has been
thoroughly impressive.
As for Stanford, which is 5-3 overall and 4-2 in league action, it is enjoying
its best eight-game start since the 2001 campaign. With four games remaining
on the schedule, the Cardinal needs just one more victory to become bowl
eligible for the first time since that '01 campaign. The team has been idle
since October 24th when it halted a two-game losing skid with a 33-14 romp
over Arizona State.
Stanford leads the all-time series with Oregon by a 43-28-1 margin, but the
Ducks have won the last seven meetings.
Oregon is racking up 35.6 ppg this season to go along with 398.8 total ypg.
The Ducks have scored 30 offensive touchdowns, 23 of which have come on the
ground. They are rushing for 233.2 ypg at a clip of 5.3 yards per carry, so
the fact that they are losing the time of possession battle by well over four
minutes per contest is surprising.
Jeremiah Masoli, the team's quarterback, has passed for 1,127 yards and six
touchdowns with only two interceptions in the seven games he has played. As a
runner, Masoli has posted 436 yards and eight scores to date. The top rusher
on the roster is LaMichael James, who has racked up 918 yards and seven
touchdowns while averaging a staggering seven yards per attempt.
It is possible that we will see the return of LeGarrette Blount this weekend.
Blount, as anyone with a television will recall, is the Oregon player who
punched a Boise State player in the face and was suspended for the season
after that opener. Kelly reconsidered the severity of the penalty and has
allowed Blount to earn his way back on the team.
Opponents are generating 17.1 ppg and 300.9 total ypg against Oregon, which
has played tremendous defense all season despite facing some solid offensive
football teams. The Ducks are yielding a mere 3.3 yards per rushing attempt
and 9.8 yards per pass completion. They have 20 takeaways to their credit and
have allowed just 14 touchdowns to opposing offenses.
In the romp over USC, Oregon posted 31 first downs and 613 total yards,
including 391 rushing yards at a clip of eight yards per attempt. Masoli was
sensational, passing for 222 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 164
yards and a score. James torched the Trojans for 183 yards and a score on 24
attempts, and four difference players had a rushing touchdown in the blowout.
"Each week he keeps getting better and better," said Kelly of James, a
freshman, who the coach believes hasn't reached his full potential yet.
Oregon limited USC to 327 total yards and two offensive touchdowns, a clear
victory for the defense.
"I think we can get alot better," says Kelly, who expects a great deal from
his team. "We can improve our tackling and cut down on penalties."
Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh believes that his freshman quarterback Andrew
Luck has played as well as any signal caller in the nation this season. The
rookie has completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,825 yards with nine
touchdowns and only three interceptions. As a runner, Luck has recorded 215
yards and one touchdown, and the fact that he knows how to avoid sacks and get
rid of the ball quickly is a rarity for a first-year player. Toby Gerhart
paces the team in rushing with 994 yards and 13 touchdowns, as he remains one
of the nation's most underrated players. At receiver, Ryan Whalen has made 39
catches for 647 yards and three scores.
The Cardinal have scored 31.9 ppg this season while racking up 435.2 total
ypg, and they are holding foes to 22.4 ppg and 366.2 total ypg. Stanford has
allowed 20 touchdowns to opposing offenses, with 10 on the ground and 10
through the air. While the team's total of 16 sacks is passable, the fact that
the Cardinal have only recorded eight takeaways in as many games is troubling.
In the romp over Arizona State last time out, Luck completed 17-of-28 passes
for 236 yards. Gerhart was one of three backs to rush for a touchdown for the
Cardinal, and he finished with 125 yards. Stanford held the ball for 37:32 and
tallied 473 total yards while limiting ASU to 290 yards.
"We had two rough weeks," said Gerhart, referring to the back-to-back losses.
"This week, we wanted to get back to the way we were. Get back to Stanford
football."
"It was a complete game," coach Harbaugh added. "Not perfect. We talked about
playing loose, playing focused, and doing the things you have to do to win
ball games."
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