Subscribe Feed (RSS)A while back I wrote about cause and effect and what it has to do with Oregon’s quarterback situation. But still, I’d always thought the Ducks did a decent job of getting their signal callers ready to play.
Until Saturday afternoon. Wow — did the coaching staff really think Oregon was so much better than Boise State that it could slide through the game by just lining up and shoving the ball down the Broncos’ throats? Forget about injuries to the quarterback, what in the world was Oregon’s game plan? If you really want to play smash-mouth football, get out of that spread offense, put a couple of tight ends on the field and hand it to a fullback 30 times. Otherwise, use the spread to get your receivers isolated in space and throw the ball up the field! Don’t bring a baseball bat to a tennis match.
That was an expensive mistake for the Ducks, who couldn’t afford a nonconference home loss. But neither starter Jeremiah Masoli nor backup Chris Harper seemed capable of making anything but the most elemental of throws and while they were in the game, the capable Oregon receiving corps was totally wasted. Sure the fourth-quarter comeback behind Darron Thomas (finally, a quarterback who can throw!) was nice but for most of the day, that was a very ugly Duck effort.
And speaking of ugly efforts, my goodness — wasn’t Portland State-Washington State one of the worst games ever played? I realize the Vikings need every penny but $225,000 wasn’t enough to justify that whipping against the worst team in one of the worst major conferences in the country. Honestly, I think there are Big Sky teams that could give the Cougars a go — but not PSU. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Mouse Davis quarterbacks look so inept.
By the way, this just in — the Pac-10 stinks. And after a full season of playing in the Pac-10, USC will be hard-pressed to keep its edge for the BCS playoff to come.
Tags: Big Sky Conference, Boise State Broncos, Chris Harper, Dwight Jaynes, Jeremiah Masoli, Mouse Davis, Oregon Ducks, Pac-10 Conference, Portland State Vikings, USC Trojans, Washington State Cougars
In Masoli’s defense, he did get drilled late and helmet-to-helmet during the first series.
The Pac-10 has never been worse.
So will Bellotti ever stop saying “we beat ourselves” and finally admit “I got outcoached today?”
The writing has been on the wall for years with this guy. You have top 10 talent but only crack the top 25 every couple years and flop as often as you break the top 15. If this were the SEC or even the ACC, Bellotti’s job would have been up for grabs 4 years ago.
And to think, Oregon boosters want to take Ernie Kent’s job away but Bellotti becomes the highest paid employee in the state.
Bellotti has always been rigid to his
Game Plan , and does not adjust to in-game reality. D , you are right that they
could have RUN over these guys with superior size and talent , but did not have the right men or sets to do it right.
I question the talent. Take away the Nike hype and who have they really had? Oregon State recruits are 2 and 3 stars until Nike U starts recruiting them and that automatically means an additional star. Bellotti and crew have been a joke all along. He has never manned up and took blame for anything.
We need Belotti at UO, from a Beaver.