Inferiority Complex?

Sitting in the press box Saturday in Charlottesville, I kept seeing Duck fans complain about the ESPN commenttors for the Virginia game.

First, I will disclose, because I am usually either tailgating or at the games on Saturdays, I am not entirely familiar with all the different ESPN broadcasters. As such, I had no clue who Duck fans were talking about when they referred to "Cunningham."

Tonight, seeing the game on ESPN, I decided to watch prepared to be incensed at the clear anti-Oregon drivel I had been assured former Husky player Ed Cunningham had bombarded America with during his commentary. After all, Duck fans had told me he was basically saying that the Ducks weren't that good and that they got lucky Virginia was making so many mistakes.

Well folks, I watched the game and listened to the commentary. Much to my surprise, all I seemed to hear from the team of commentators was effusive praise for the Ducks speed and athleticism along with legitimate commentary on the areas where the Ducks did not perform as well and the areas where Virginia had some advantages.

So, I am not entirely sure what everyone else heard because, in all honesty, this was a fair commentary about a team who still has some areas of improvement that are needed, yet praising those areas where Oregon is clearly one of the top teams in the nation.

Oregon fans got so used to feeling like the team played better from an "underdog" role that sometimes I think that they just do not like hearing too much praise and they LOOK; I mean actively LOOK for something to use as motivation. As if the only way they can feel comfortable is if they feel someone is slighting the team in some fashion.

It's time, I think, for Oregon fans to let it go. Oregon is no longer the "little engine that could." There is no surprise. When a team enters the echelon of elite and is constantly being mentioned in the national championship picture, they will be scrutinized even closer. Oregon has some early season flaws; as do many contending teams. An analyst pointing them out is not negative bias against the Ducks. It is reality.

There is no longer a reason to feel uncomfortable with the role of front-runners.

Oregon fans, its time to learn how to run from the front.

Chip Kelly, Square Pegs, Round Holes and the Funnest game on earth

It has been an interesting 24 hours for Duck fans.

Understandably, there wasa whole lot of affection for how the Philadelphia Eagles performed in Chip Kelly's debut.

Remember his last debut? Clearly he learned something from that game and was better prepared for the rigors of a road contest in a hostile environment.

But we also saw something rarely seen at Oregon during Kelly's tenure; an early brake pedal.  IT seems as if Kelly went into "protect the lead" mode a little early. That decision created a little complacency with the team and it showed with a sluggish second half perfomance.

And, this might be the biggest issue for Kelly in the NFL.

At Oregon, there were 100+ players and a three deep at quarterback that were recruited specifically to play the system at Oregon. It worked. The NFL, however, has a max of 53 guys on the roster. That lack of depth is sure to cause some differences in the manner that Kelly runs an offense.

At PHiladelphia, Kelly does not have 10 offensive linemen that he can rotate in and out to keep the offense fresh; he doesn't have three Pro Bowl caliber running backs to rotate into the backfield to keep each fresh.

Lesean McCoy was tired and Bryce Brown was too far of a drop off to help out McCoy.

Michael Vick aggravated his groin and Nick Foles was not a good answer to help out. Right away the difference between the NFL and college became clear.

That is not to say that Kelly won't be successful. There is something different in the way Kelly has approached the NFL versus the way other college coaches like Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban approached the challenge.

Kelly got a buy in from the players and it is clear that they really enjoy playing for Kelly. For now. What happens when they lose a couple of games and struggle offensively to score? Will they stay in full "buy in" mode? What happens when one of the stars is in a contract year and Kelly gets more even distribution? Will the star still buy in when he sees fewer touches and millions of dollars flying out the window?

These are questions we won't know the answer to for a couple of years at best. The reality is that the NFL IS different than college football. There has never been a question about Kelly's offensive genius mind. But sometimes brilliant minds cannot navigate the intricacies of professional athletics.

If anyone can cross-over from college football coaching to NFL coaching, it is Chip Kelly.

Nonetheless, he has plenty of work ahead and the road he travels to complete the journey will not likely be the same as people expect. His biggest value is not a "spread option" attack. Trying to fit square pegs into round holes doesn't work. What do you do when you have square pegs and a round hole? Cut the hole to the shape you need!

That is Kelly's value. He changes the structure and environment. If Kelly is to be successful, it won't be because he forces the square peg of spread option to the round hole of NFL football.

Pace and execution will be his calling card.

In the mean time, Philadelphia needs a major talent upgrade in a lot of places. Until he can get that upgrade, the Eagles will be the most entertaining team treading water.

Greatest show on turf? Not really. That Rams offense was incredible. But he will provide the "funnest show on turf" until that upgrade happens. And, isn't that what football is supposed to be about? Fun. After all, as Kelly was quick to point out; football is a game. It should be fun.

DSA Tailgate: Tennessee Edition

Okay... THIS is the one we should all have circled on our calendars. This will be the chance to show SEC folks that we know how to tailgate!

First, I want to let you know we plan on having Bacon Wrapped BBQ Shrimp... DEEP FRIED as our special appetizer! This is something you do not want to miss!

Second, we tested our Clear Wireless set up at the last game and got excellent results. our television set this year is an upgrade to  a... 32 inch television for game days this year!

For those still unsure how to get there... we are at the WEST Serbu Youth Campus entrance...
as you enter, to your left is a grass field... we are at the WEST end of that field, very close to the goal posts... you can call me if you need guided in...


What: DSA Tailgate -Tennessee
When: Sep. 14, 2013
Time: 8:30 AM local time
Where: Serbu Youth Center Parking Lot Space 223
Donations: Donations may be made at the game with cash or through
PayPal: To pay with paypal you can use my email address:
Email Address: SReed39@canby.com
Cell Phone: 503-807-9543
Twitter: UO_Football_DSA
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ScottReedDSA

COMMENTS: Remember that we will have the following amenities:

*-TV with cable to watch games during tailgate
*-Food: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Brats
*-Beverages: Beer, Sodas, Blended Drinks

If there are ANY questions, call me at the Cell number listed... looking forward to another great season of tailgating!

Scott Stadium, Montincello and the Ducks

This was a long trip. I chose to make it a short trip and flew in Thursday.

There were no rooms available in Richmond (NASCAR race this weekend) and none in Charlottesville for obvious reasons. We had a room for Friday and Saturday night, but after getting to Richmond at midnight and then driving to Charlottesville, I found myself staying at the airport!

Friday was my "vacation" day and we spent the day at Applebee's right next to the hotel. We had a great day, drank many, many cervezas and generally had fun.

As someone who is a "book hound" I felt it imperative that I make my way to Monticello. I got up early Saturday and was not disappointed with what I saw. It was incredible to be in the house where such brilliance originated.

From there we made our way to the press box where we had the most incredible comfort food spread we have experienced. Meat loaf, wrapped in bacon with bacon mashed potatoes! I could have eaten all day and not wanted to stop.

Unfortunately, my trip was marred by one big mistake; I forgot my power cord for the laptop... which died during the first half.

Oregon played about like I expected. Virginia has a big, physical and strong defensive line and it showed at times. There were some valuable lessons to be learned, but it was a good experience for this team to travel across country, struggle at times and yet come away with a convincing 49 point victory.

After the game, we got back to the room and drank some beer while watching Notre Dame and Texas lose.

I do have to say that Virginia was one of the most accommodating places we have travelled for football. The fans were gracious, the facilities, while not "brand new" were very nice for the most part and the staff really took care of all our needs.

Braxton Berrios thoughts

Today at Duck Sports Authority, I took a look at Braxton Berrios in a video analysis of his junior film.

There is a lot of positive in Berrios' film. Aside from academics that have garnered offers from the likes of Duke, Yale and Harvard, Berrios possesses the kind of skill set that will make some college team very happy.

One thing that stuck out, though, beyond the technical skills of his position and an athleticism that placed him 5th at the SPARQ national championships, is his versatility.


Something I did not cover in the video analysis is that Berrios frequently carries the ball out of the backfield as well as carrying the ball on fly sweeps. While he may not have the straight away speed of De'Anthony Thomas or Thomas Tyner, he has the kind of ability to be a multi-tool player in the Oregon offense.

Before Duck fans get too excited, though, it may be a while before we find out much from Berrios. He has stated that he wants to take more visits and will not be making his decision any time soon.

Manic Monday Episode 1: Helfrich calms the storm

I think this will be my new Monday "thing" as I continue to write personal thoughts here on top of my writing duties. Every Monday; even a holiday Monday seem to have their moments of mania.

The other reason it is apropos has to do with something that occurred to me while talking with Yahoo Sports Radio Saturday night after the game.

All off season the only thing anyone could talk about, with good reason, is what they thought would be the difference between Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich.

Many speculated that the passing game might get more emphasis simply based on Helfrich's background as a quarterback coach who worked with some prolific passers in the past.

I thought any additional emphasis on the pass would be more related to the fact that Oregon is as deep at wide receiver as it has ever been and that even had Kelly been the coach this year, we might have seen the evolution to more passing.

After one game, well, there is no way to know for sure whether this team will pass more than in the past; there simply is not any evidence that can support any conclusion one way or the other. Yes. Oregon ran the ball against Nicholls State. They ran the ball a lot. But that does not necessarily imply they will continue to do so, only that against Nicholls, that was the game plan.

But I did see something different from Helfrich and that will be what might make the difference in where the program goes under his guidance.

Simply put, manic approach to every moment versus confident calmness.

Chip Kelly, in just about everything he did was always manic. He was like the kid with ADD; could never stop moving, talking; motioning; always seemed like his head was about to explode. That translated to the team at times as you could see them always seeming almost antsy.

Saturday, Helfrich showed a confident calmness that made everything seem slower.

With Kelly, Oregon jumped out to 50+ point leads and had the 4th team in by the third quarter.

Helfrich saw the team jump out to a 24 point first quarter. Then, more like what SEC teams do with a big early lead against an overmatched opponent, Oregon slowed down just a tad to work on some communications and fundamentals with the first units. Suddenly, a team that scored twice in the first four minutes of the game had slowed down some and looked "mortal" for the briefest of moments.

There was value, though, in this approach. In the past, with a 50 plus point lead, second and third team quarterbacks were relegated to handing the ball off and watching the backup running backs get continually stuffed.

Saturday those same quarterbacks had the full playbook in their arsenal; run; pass; zone reads; everything. This was a refreshing change as it gave Jeff Lockie and Jake Rodrigues meaningful snaps rather than meaningless repetitions.

Whiel this approach may have made some wonder when it was still "just" 38-3, it seemed to have a lot more validity by the end of the game when Lockie had led two touchdown drives and Rodrigues another before ceding to walk-on Dustin Haines to run out the clock.

Chip Kelly's mania worked a lot of magic in four years. Maybe, just maybe, Helfrich's more calm approach will get Oregon over yet another hump. Those reps by Lockie and Rodrigues were important.

Would they have had the same opportunity in manic mode? Probably not.