When Chip Kelly was announced as Oregon’s next head coach in March, this could not have been the start he dreamed of.
Not only did the Ducks drop their season-opener against Boise State, but after Kelly’s star running back LeGarrette Blount leveled BSU defensive end Byron Hout, Oregon was also forced to suspend him for the remainder of the season, effectively ending the senior’s career in Eugene.
After falling to Boise (and out of the Top 25) the Ducks hosted Purdue at home in Autzen and while they were able to escape with the win, the Ducks were outgained on offense in their own house.
Now entering the third week of the season, Kelly and the Ducks have a chance to save their 2009 campaign and show the country that they belong in the upper echelon of college football by snapping the longest active winning streak in the nation. Oregon has won 28 of its last 30 matchups against non-Pac-10 opponents at home since 1995, and Kelly will look to jump-start his normally high-powered offense this weekend against the Utes.
In 2007, Kelly produced the highest scoring team (41.9 point per game) and the most yards of total offense (484.8 yards per game) in school history. Kelly knows the Utes are a talented team and they will come to play on Saturday.
“I really enjoy watching them on tape and how hard they play,” Kelly said. “Coach (Kyle) Whittingham does an unbelievable job with that group and they are sound offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. There’s really not a weakness on their team.
The Ducks are led by junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who loves to run the ball and could give Utah’s defense trouble, much like Utah State’s Diondre Borel.
Masoli is leading the Ducks in passing and rushing. He is also on the Davey O’Brien award watch list, which is given to the nation’s top QB. Masoli has yet to throw for a touchdown, but has racked up 98 yards on the ground in Oregon’s first two games and has found pay dirt twice. His 4.7 yards per carry are high for a quarterback.
“Their strength on the offense is the quarterback,” Whittingham said. “He is a capable runner and loves to run the football. He is built like a running back. He is also a capable thrower.”
The Ducks are paced on defense by senior cornerback Walter Thurmond III. Thurmond is a playmaker and ball hawk who has accumulated 12 interceptions in his career. In Oregon’s victory over Purdue, Thurmond returned an interception for a touchdown just before halftime that swung the momentum in favor of the Ducks. Kelly will need a stronger performance out of Thurmond and the defense if he hopes to stop the high-powered offense of Utah. The Utes are averaging 509 yards of total offense a game and show no signs of slowing down as Whittingham continues to open up the playbook for quarterback Terrance Cain.
Since 2003, Utah is 6-2 against the Pac-10, which includes beating the Ducks in their last meeting, a 17-13 home victory in 2003.
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