Addicted To Quack

Four star running back Dontre Wilson commits to play for the Ducks

2012-05-26T00:42:08Z

After several days of speculation about where he would play and when he would announce, Dontre Wilson today committed to play for the Oregon Ducks. Wilson is a four star all-purpose running back out of DeSoto Texas who had offers from top programs around the country, including Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Ohio State. He possesses outstanding speed and good hands, and is a similar style back as LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk were out of high school. Wilson was thought to be a strong Oregon lean for quite some time, though he strongly considered Texas and Ohio State.

Like many running backs before him, Wilson already has a very strong relationship with running backs coach Gary Campbell, who Wilson has said is like a father figure to him. Campbell is the longest tenured coach at Oregon, having been with the Ducks since 1983. He has persuaded countless players to attend the University of Oregon and deserves a mountain of credit for recruiting and developing Oregon running backs throughout multiple head coaches and different offensive schemes.

Wilson is Oregon's second running back -- and third overall commitment -- in the 2013 recruiting class. Despite the presence of two high profile running backs in this year's class, don't be surprised if the Ducks try to add one more as depth remains very thin at the position with the transfers of Lache Seastrunk, Dontae Williams, and Tra Carson in the past couple of years.

Flashback Friday -- 10.27.01: The Day Onterrio Plowed Over the Palouse

2012-05-25T16:01:12Z

Everyone remembers the hype that began Oregon's 2001 football season. Coming off ten wins and a Holiday Bowl victory over Texas the season before, Oregon landed the covers on the college football preview editions of Sports Illustrated and ESPN: The Magazine. A multi-story billboard of "Joey Heisman" greeted visitors to Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oregon, a team that hadn't won a major bowl game in 83 years, was a darling pick to play for a national championship.

It was gone in a flash.

On October 20, fifth-ranked Oregon had a 14 point fourth quarter lead over unranked Stanford, a seemingly insurmountable deficit against a team that hadn't lost a home game in almost five years. But, a series of unfortunate and bizarre events happened that made it a game. Stanford blocked a punt, then another. They recovered an onside kick. Stanford scored what seemed to be the tying touchdown, but a blocked extra point gave Joey Harrington and the Ducks a chance to salt the game away with five minutes to go. But Harrington got hit, his throw was intercepted, and a few minutes later, Stanford was dancing in the end zone with the go ahead score. Captain Comeback had 1:10 left to rally the troops, but it wasn't meant to be. The Ducks' national championship hopes died on the Autzen Stadium turf that day.

Making matters worse, the very next game was the one that had actually worried Oregon fans. Most fans figured the Ducks would handle the unranked Cardinal at Autzen. A late October trip to Pullman to play Washington State was another matter. Although projected to finish last in the Pac-10 in the preseason, the Cougars stood at 7-0. They hadn't exactly played a juggernaut of a schedule, but had already beaten Stanford in Palo Alto and a team that came into the season very highly touted, Oregon State, on the Palouse. An offensive juggernaut, Wazzu topped the Pac-10 in points, yards, and passing yards. They also lead the league in rushing defense. And, as always, a late October trip to Martin Stadium promised unknown weather adventures-whether it be rain, wind, or snow-and the coldest temperatures anyone could expect to play in all year. A loss to Washington State would not only put Oregon two games behind the Cougars in the race for the Pac-10 crown, but with UCLA undefeated, and Stanford and Washington with only one loss, a defeat would push the Ducks closer to El Paso or Las Vegas than to Pasadena or Tempe.

Oregon fell all the way to #11 in the polls, and was unranked in the first BCS rankings headed into the game. Despite their undefeated record, Washington State stood at #14 in the rankings and #15 in the BCS standings. Oregon, even with a win, would need considerable help to move up in the BCS rankings as eight teams entered the day with undefeated records. Washington State, without the burden of a loss, could possibly push itself into the top five of the BCS rankings with the strength of a win over Oregon. But as morning turned into afternoon on the hills of Eastern Washington, four of the undefeated eight went down. Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Maryland all lost, raising the stakes immensely. A win made Washington State into legitimate national title contenders. For Oregon, a win kept their dreams on life support.

The game was widely projected to be a shootout, featuring two of the top ten offenses in the nation. The Cougar quarterback, Jason Gesser, led the conference in total offense at 272 yards per game, as the Wazzu spread passing attack had put big points on the scoreboard—the season low was 34 in a win against the Beavers. Oregon hadn’t scored fewer than 38 points in five weeks.

Fans knew as soon as the broadcast came on air that the expected shootout wasn’t going to happen. A driving wind and steady northwest rain wouldn’t be conducive to that kind of game. Further, the pressure created by both defenses early ensured that the quarterbacks would never get the time to play pitch and catch. While Gesser was able to scramble out of trouble to scamper for a first down on the Cougars’ first series, he was hit on three straight plays after that culminating in a Darrell Wright sack that forced Washington State to punt. Oregon suffered the same fate on their attempted passes—Harrington had no time for the receivers to get downfield due to a persistent pass rush by the Cougar defensive line. The first quarter would end scoreless, due largely to the weather and the pressure that each defense was creating on the opposing quarterback. However, two narratives were emerging that would shape the middle of the game: Oregon was bringing heavy defensive pressure by not just rushing linemen, but blitzing from the linebackers and secondary. This was not only bothering Gesser, but Wazzu running backs were being met and driven back at the line of scrimmage. Conversely, Cougar linebackers were content to be reactionary. While the Oregon offensive line was ineffective in passblocking, they were opening up holes for the running game, and Maurice Morris had 75 yards on 11 carries in the quarter, almost all of them straight up the middle. Oregon hadn’t scored, but had twice come close—two Duck drives ended inside the Washington State 40-yard line, but heading into the driving wind, Mike Bellotti elected to punt both times, even with the strong legged Jared Siegel as the kicker. In many ways, the Ducks dominated the Cougars in the quarter—outgaining them by nearly a hundred yards, but had nothing to show for it.

In spite of Oregon’s consistent success on the ground, Washington State would be the first to find the scoreboard. Despite Gesser’s talents, it was customary for Matt Kegel to take snaps for one series per game—the first series of the second quarter. Washington State used the switch to pull a trick out of the bag. On his first play, Kegel tossed the ball to Collin Henderson on a reverse play. Henderson stopped, looked back, and threw the ball downfield back to Kegel. The Ducks had the play well covered, with two defensive backs fighting Kegel for the ball. The quarterback out-jumped them both and ran 62 yards to the 18 before being tackled. That play alone was twice as many yards as the Cougars had gained in the first quarter. They would get nothing more on that drive, but Drew Dunning nailed the field goal. Oregon had outplayed Wazzu the entire game, yet trailed, 3-0.\

Oregon would respond.

The only play that had been working in the passing game was a quick pass to Samie Parker in the flat. The play often doesn’t lead to many yards, but occasionally, the receiver breaks one. On the first play of the drive, Parker broke one for 17 yards, Oregon’s first big play in the passing game. Oregon had a first and ten at their own 37 when the hero of the day emerged.

For the first time, Onterrio Smith checked in at tailback.

As he did often that day, Smith made his presence felt immediately. On his first play, Smith went off the right tackle, cut back, then cut back again.

28 yards.

Smith would get nine more yards on his next two carries, before the Ducks ran a Harrington option on third and one. Joey fumbled, the ball rolled forward, and three Washington State players jumped on it at the ten yard line.\

But so did an Oregon player, and he got it. Not only did Oregon retain possession, they had gained ten yards on the fumble. The Ducks would again hand the ball off to Smith on the next play. Cougar linebacker Billy Newman stood at the five yard line, in perfect position to make the open field tackle. Instead, he ended up on his back. Smith plowed over Newman, and churned his way into the end zone. Oregon was on the board at last, as they staked a 7-3 lead.

Smith rushed for 48 yards on four carries on the drive, but would not been seen again for the half. Washington State would have two drives go nowhere, Gesser unable to get anything going amid heavy pressure that included another sack by Kevin Mitchell. Oregon’s remaining drive was stalled by a personal foul penalty, and darkness descended on the Palouse as we entered halftime.

Oregon would get the ball to start the second half, and started going nowhere fast. Maurice Morris looked to have a 36 yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but it was called back due to holding. Morris had no gain on the next two carries, leaving Oregon with 3^rd and 14 inside their own ten yard line.

Enter Onterrio Smith, again. He got 20. Oregon was able to pick up a couple more first downs on a 12 yard Smith run, and some quick passes to Parker and Jason Willis. At the 42, Harrington handed the ball to Onterrio right up the middle. He smashed through one weak arm-tackle on his way to the end zone. Smith’s only two appearances to that point were on Oregon’s two scoring drives. He combined for 124 yards on nine carries on those drives.

Washington State responded with a three and out and, with Smith out of the game, the Ducks picked up only one first down on their next possession. The Cougars gave Oregon a scare, as Michael Bush had a long pass in his hands before Keith Lewis was able to knock it away at the last second. But it was the only time Gesser got any protection, and WSU was again forced to punt.

In the closing minutes of the third quarter, It looked like Oregon was going to put the game away. Getting the ball at their own 37, Keenan Howry quickly broke off a 27 yard reception, and Morris finally broke daylight without being touched. Oregon should have been ahead 21-7 at that point going into the fourth, but just as he was turning on that last gear, Morris came up lame, allowing the Cougars to tackle him on the ten yard line. Smith would come in a rush Oregon down to the one yard line, setting up third and goal as the third quarter clock expired. With the way Washington State had struggled all game, a touchdown would surely ice the game away.

As fourth quarter started, Smith easily got to the endzone untouched. However, celebration was muted as the never-welcome presence of Jay Stricherz entered the television screen. False start. Smith would go nowhere on the next play, and the ensuing Siegel field goal gave the Ducks only a 17-3 lead. Safe, but still two touchdowns, the exact lead that Oregon had blown a week earlier.

Washington State wasted no time. Cougar RB Dave Minnich found the holes that he hadn’t been getting all game. Washington State marched 72 yards in eight plays, their only sustained drive, with Minnich gaining 63 of those on the ground. Martin Stadium went wild, and the Cougars had seized momentum.

The lead was 17-10 Oregon. It looked like the Ducks were going to put the game away, as Smith rumbled 41 yards to midfield. The next play was Keenan Howry in the flat. Howry catches the ball, turns upfield, and pop. The ball comes out. Washington State recovers. Cougar football at the 40. The Ducks had strung together plays all day. Onterrio Smith was taking whatever he wanted. Washington State had one drive and one trick play, and all the while their defense was being gashed at will by the Oregon run game. Yet, because Duck drives were always stalling in Cougar territory, Washington State found themselves a midfield with a chance to tie it.

Instead, they went three and out. Oregon had won a reprieve from the inopportune turnover, and Superman wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Two plays. 80 yards. Touchdown, Onterrio freaking Smith. The second play was a 73 yarder that went for the touchdown. On that play, Smith broke Ahmad Rashad’s school record for rushing yards in a game. At this point, he was over 260.

However, nothing came easy that season. The Wisconsin and USC games had gone down to the final minute. UCLA and Oregon State would end up doing so as well. The football gods would have this one be no different.

Oregon had a two touchdown lead with 6:32 to go. Cougar ball at their own 30. An assignment was blown. Michael Bush was streaking down the middle of the field eight yards ahead of the nearest defender. The only thing keeping this from being a touchdown was that Gesser threw a wobbly duck that Bush had to hold way up for. It allowed Oregon to catch up and make the tackle, but the pass still went for 62 yards. Three plays later, WSU was in the end zone, and it was again a seven point game, with 4:25 to go.

The hope was that with Onterrio’s success, he could pound the rock and milk the game away. He was able to grind out two first downs and force Washington State to use two timeouts, but the drive again stalled at midfield. The Cougars would get one last chance to tie it up with 1:34 to play.

Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what is the point of the prevent defense? Yes, I understand the point of not wanting to let anything get behind you with a blown coverage or something. But when a team needs to go 88 yards in a minute and a half, they should not sniff anywhere near the end zone. Instead, Cougar wideout are allowed anything they want. 23 yards over the middle to Nikoa McElrath. McElrath again for nine. Bush for seven. Bush for 14. McElrath again for 22. Five plays. Five completions. First and goal Washington State from the 8. After a spike to stop the clock, the Cougars were going to get three chances at the end zone with :11 on the clock.

The first play was a brilliant call by Cougar coach Mike Price. 6’6" receiver Michael Bush found himself matched up on the 5’8" Rashad Bauman. A nearly identical matchup resulted in a fourth quarter touchdown in the previous game against Stanford, where Cardinal QB Chris Lewis threw a jump ball to 6’8" Teyo Johnson over Bauman. Lewis threw a perfect pass that Johnson was able to catch at the peak of his jump like it was a basketball rebound. There was nothing Bauman could do, as his outstretched hand was a foot away from the football. This was the same situation (so similar in fact that both Johnson and Bush were on their schools’ basketball teams as well), except Bush, instead of keeping the ball up, tried to bring the ball in. Bauman was able to get his hand in and pry it away. Incomplete.

The next play was a mistake from Gesser that should have ended the game. He threw a laser into the endzone—right into the hands of Oregon linebacker David Morretti. Morretti dropped it. Wazzu would have one last chance with three seconds left.

They went back to that jump ball play, figuring that with a crowed endzone, but a 6’6" hoopster, it was their best shot. Gesser found Bush, who this time was lined up against a taller player, linebacker Wesly Mallard. Gesser underthrew the ball. Mallard swatted it away. The Ducks had survived.

When the dust settled, Oregon had rushed for 445 yards, breaking the previous school record. Onterrio Smith, in what still stands as the most dominating single performance I have seen from a Duck, had 285 yards despite playing only one series in the first half. Morris had 138 of his own. The defense did their job, holding Gesser to 17/37 passing. Yet, in spite of Oregon’s statistical domination, the Ducks suffered from lack of a consistent passing game (Harrington passed for only 119 yards) and were ultimately unable to finish drives that could have put the game out of reach.

Washington State would prove that their hot start was no fluke. They would win their next two, but an Apple Cup loss to the hated Huskies left them tied with Washington for second place in the conference. UW would go to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl, while the Cougars had the indignity of going to El Paso. They would go on to beat Purdue, securing the first of what would be three consecutive ten win seasons.

Of course, the Ducks would to on to win out the season, and the wild upsets continued, allowing Oregon to finish the regular season #2 in both human polls. Unfortunately, the computers disagreed, ranking the Ducks not only behind a Nebraska team that had just been crushed by Colorado and didn’t make their conference championship game, but also behind that Colorado team that had two losses on the season. Nebraska, the third place team in the Big XII, would play Miami for the national championship. Oregon would go on to obliterate Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, capping what was to that point the best season in school history.

Quack Fix: Student Athlete Art, Baseball and Softball Riding High and Darth Vader Plays the Accordion

2012-05-25T14:15:29Z

I just wanted to give a big shout-out to a lot of folks in Corvallis that found out in the last couple of days that their jobs would be ending. I know we are supposed to be all "Corvallis sucks!" and all that but something I have always appreciated about the Oregon/Oregon State rivalry is that it very rarely goes into real life. A lot of good friends, from all sports affiliations, are riding in the same boat right now and my thoughts are with you guys. I will be doing what I can to help in any way possible. Anyway, let's get on with the quack.

First, in non-Duck related news, the Pittsburgh Panthers were told today that fullback Derrick Burns suffered a stroke on Tuesday. He had blood clots in the back and left side of his head, the left side being the one that caused the stroke and leaving that side of his body weak. He football career looks to be over. As I have gotten older, college age kids just appear younger and younger and stories like this really hit home. 15 years difference, I just think about having to deal with those real life issues for that period of time until my current age. Life is difficult enough, having such a young man going through that just hurts my heart.
Coming to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art near you, LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, among other student athletes, will have their art on display for public enjoyment. No word on whether any athlete has replicated the exact map to Agate Alley. The article also discusses some Lacrosse awards and honors.
What a big weekend in Spring Sports. Softball takes on the no 6 ranked Texas Longhorns in a 3-game series in the NCAA Super Regionals. The Ducks come into the contest winners of 9 of their last 13 games and look to continue their winning ways on the ESPN national broadcast at 6pm PT. The RG also has an interesting story about Samantha Pappas and her efforts in leading the resurgence at Howe Field.
Baseball has been grabbing all the headlines lately with an opportunity to not only win the Pac-12 Championship, but to host regional or super regional at PK Park. This weekend marks a critical series as the Civil War opens up in Corvallis. A sweep of the Beavers will guarantee a championship crown and a best 2-of-3 would guarantee at least a share of the title with Arizona. The tables have reversed from last year where Oregon State was going on the road looking for a big season-ending victory going into the postseason. By the way, anyone want to chip in to help the athletic department take care of George Horton's contract situation?

And finally, what Friday wouldn't be complete without your Friday Video. This weeks video is a wonderful medley of your favorite cello music with an appearance by Darth Vader and an accordion.

Quack Fix: Ducks win ninth straight, loving to hate Chip Kelly

2012-05-24T14:32:11Z

It's the 100 day mark until kickoff. At least we have some spring sports to keep us occupied for the next week, and hopefully longer.

Another day, another win for the Oregon baseball team. The Ducks came from behind to beat Portland 2-1 last night at PK Park. The win was Oregon's 9th straight as they head into a final weekend series with Oregon State with a shot at the Pac-12 title. What's incredible about this team is how they answer. If the pitching keeps it close, the Ducks just have a knack for getting those runs, especially in pressure situations.
Ted Miller has a couple pieces this morning on the Ducks. First, he has a piece on how everyone loves to hate Chip Kelly. He also has a quick video looking at where the Ducks are at entering the final stretch of the offseason.
The Oregon men's track team wasn't favored to win the Pac-12 title this year, but they still added to their championship streak. Next season, they may make a push for a national title after being out of the national spotlight for a couple years.
According to Larry Scott, a "Plus-One" is back on the table. With the Big 12/SEC agreement from last week, and the Pac-12/B1G wanting to preserve the Rose Bowl, this seems like a pretty logical step. The main problem will be how to include the rest of the FBS.
Lastly, Josh Schlichter from FishDuck has a piece comparing Mike Leach and Chip Kelly, discussing how to build a football program.

Leave any other quack in the comments. GO DUCKS!

BREAKING: 4* Running Back Dontre Wilson to Decide Tonight?

2012-05-23T19:28:46Z

BREAKING: 4* Running Back Dontre Wilson to Decide Tonight?

Per Justin Hopkins of 247 Sports, 4* running back Dontre Wilson is set to decide tonight ~~between Oregon, Ohio State, and Texas~~ whether or not to visit Ohio State or go ahead with his scheduled announcement this Friday, May 25. Wilson is a speedster out of the backfield in the mold of LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk. He was thought to be a heavy Oregon lean until Ohio State entered the picture a few weeks ago. However, he ~~never visited~~ has yet to visit Ohio State and has been enamored with Oregon all along. Like Dior Mathis, DeAnthony Thomas, LaMichael James, and others in the football program, Wilson also plans to run track in college. It is unclear whether his decision will be made public tonight or whether he'll wait until his "official" announcement day this Friday. We'll keep you posted as we hear more.

In only four years, Oregon baseball stands on the brink of an improbable Pac-12 title

2012-05-23T18:17:43Z

Its been a season of dreams for Oregon baseball.

Coming off a disappointing season last year, our hopes were modest: that the Ducks could find a way to not blow leads late, and manage to sneak into a regional. We figured that the hitting had to improve, but that a pitching staff that had lost Tyler Anderson to the draft and Christian Jones to injury had to get somewhat worse. The hitting has been about what we expected--which is better, but still not good. Outside of Aaron Jones and Ryon Healy, there's not a lot in the lineup that strikes fear into opposing teams. Batting .266 with 27 homers as a team is the definition of meh, the key being that meh is a whole lot better than last season.

But that pitching.

Nobody could see that a soft tossing righty in Alex Keudell, a guy who struggles to break 86mph on his fastball, would become the best pitcher in the conference, with ten wins and a sparklng 1.80 ERA and a WHIP of about 1. That a freshman in Jake Reed would win eight games as one of the better Saturday starters in the conference. Or that Brando Tessar and Jeff Gold would essentially make a formidable four-man starting rotation on a team that lost numerous starters to elbow injuries before the season even started.

But the biggest surprise of all has been Jimmie Sherfy, who emerged from complete obscurity to become one of the most dominant closers in the sport. With a whopping 81 strikeouts in 52 innings, nobody touches the guy, and the blown leads that haunted Oregon last season have yet to make an appearance.

All this puts Oregon in a pretty incredible position. Going into the final weekend of the season, the Ducks have a one game lead on Arizona for the conference championship. They have the #2 RPI in the country after winning road series at Stanford, Arizona, and UCLA. They've had clean sweeps of Cal, Arizona State, USC, and Vanderbilt. Its been a brutal schedule, and Oregon baseball has come out with flying colors. They are almost guaranteed to host not just a regional, but a super-regional at this point. They have to be considered legitimate national championship contenders. That's all nice, but you don't get to put a pennant in your park for hosting a super-regional.

Oregon heads to Corvallis this weekend, while Arizona takes on Arizona State at home. The magic number to clinch is two. Any combination of two Oregon wins and Arizona losses means that Oregon is the Pac-12 Champions. If the Ducks win two out of three, they're the champs regardless. If the Ducks only win one, Arizona must sweep ASU to take the crown.

Oregon State will be motivated. Last season, the Beavers were ranked #6 in the country headed into the final weekend, and their hopes were buzzsawed by an Oregon squad with nothing to play for except pride as the Ducks swept them out of Eugene. You know Oregon State would love nothing more than to return the favor.

When Oregon started this little baseball experiment four seasons ago, there was uncertainty as to whether Oregon could truly compete at a high level. There is no doubt now.

In May of 2007, a world ago with ATQ in its infancy, I wrote a post that seemed a pipe dream, the idea that my favorite sport could be reinstated at the school I love. Five years later, we sit on the brink of a Pac-12 title and stand as a favorite to be playing in Omaha. There is one thing standing in the way, and its the team with the titles in the trophy case that would love nothing more than to squash what they have to see as an insurgency on their turf. I have no idea how this weekend is going to go, but I'm more excited for it than I have been for any sporting event in a long, long time.*

GO DUCKS!

*does the Rose Bowl count as a long, long time ago?

Quack Fix: Podcasting with FishDuck, giant purple onesies

2012-05-23T15:13:56Z

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."

--Napoleon

Onto the Quack:

Really fun episode of Tuesday Night Talks last night, as Matt and I were joined by Charles and Kurt of Fishduck.com. We don't talk a ton of Xs and Os on ATQ, and it was fun to just wonk out with these guys. Remember, Tuesday Night Talks is now on iTunes, so please rate and review us.
George Schroeder points out something that we've been saying for a couple of weeks: Oregon is having an aboslutely amazing spring. Mens and womens track are both conference champions, with the women favored to win a national title, softball is in the super-regionals, baseball is on track to win the Pac-12 title and host a super-regional, and golf is in the NCAA championships. Add that to a Rose Bowl win and an NCAA trip for volleyball, and you're talking about the most successful season in the history of Oregon athletics.
Baseball plays their home finale tonight against Portland at PK Park. If you're in the Eugene area, get out to the park and support your Diamond Ducks.
One of our man crushes is Ashton Eaton, and he;s part of the one of the most impressive hurdling fields ever at the Prefontaine Classic.
DeAnthony Thomas is on the preseason watch list for the Jet Award, given to the nation's best kick returner.
Finally, Oregon State fan can rest easy, as the sportsbra jerseys have finally been topped in the realm of bad gear. As Matt Daddy linked in yesterday's comments, some UW students have designed giant purple onesies for their student athletes to wear. Giant purple onesies. My nine month old daughter thinks that ridiculous.

That's all the quack I found for today. As more is uncovered, be sure to share.

Tuesday Night Talks LIVE TONIGHT! 9:00 PT: with Charles Fischer and Kurt Liedtke of Fishduck.com

2012-05-22T18:00:36Z

Its Tuesday, which of course means another episode of your favorite podcast on the internet. Tonight, Matt Daddy and I are joined by Charles Fischer and Kurt Liedtke (keeerrrttt1) of Fishduck.com, where we'll talk some Xs and Os, and project how the offense will evolve given the changes at the QB position. As always you can listen live or download the podcast after recording by visiting the ATQ page on Talkshoe.

For you iTunes users, Tuesday Night Talks is now on iTunes, so please rate and review us.