Oregon’s offense rolling early

By Marc Hudgens  |   Sunday, September 07, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Oregon Ducks
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For the second straight weekend, Oregon starting quarterback Nate Costa -- said to be the perfect fit for coordinator Chip Kelly’s spread offense -- was out because of an injury. As they did two weekends ago, Kelly and head coach Mike Bellotti played the same three backup QBs; this time, they all partook in a 66-24 rout of Utah State.

With Justin Roper, Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper, the Ducks' passing game totaled 280 yards and two touchdowns against one pick. What was different this time around is that Harper actually had some passing stats to brag about (4-of-6 for 40 yards, one touchdown); in the opener against Washington, he attacked the Husky defense mostly on the ground. Granted, he still ran versus Utah State, amassing 25 yards and a TD on just four carries.

Speaking of rushing, for the second straight week Bellotti didn’t go with one primary back to accrue a ridiculous 408 ground yards and seven touchdowns. The difference was that Ducks fans got to see a bunch of highly touted junior college transfer LeGarrette Blount (18 carries, 132 yards, two scores) after Jeremiah Johnson left early with an injury.

While its blowout over the Aggies was excepted, it's clear Oregon's play could lead to wild Pac-10 success this season. Evidenced by the fact that the Ducks have outscored their first two opponents 110-34, something’s working well in Eugene. The Ducks travel to Purdue for their next game; the Boilermakers are weak, so don't expect much of a drop-off from Oregon.

It presently appears that the Ducks haven’t lost a step in the wake of the Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart departures. With that said, fans shouldn't get too excited until their team matches up against Pac-10 superpower USC on Oct. 4. For now, though, Kelly’s offense looks like the real deal.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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