By Jay Jones
Editor, Musket & Mallard Magazine*
Instead of texting each other during games, DSN co-owner Ryan Welch suggested that I stop bothering him and text myself…and put them to some good use in the form of “10 Quick Hits”.
Here are a couple of pre-game warmup hits:
(As I edit these, I have to confess to being a little bit distracted. “Tombstone” is on The History Channel. And it’s one of those movies that whenever it’s on, I pretty much stop whatever I’m doing and watch it. Kurt Russell. Val Kilmer (should have won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award). Oregon’s Sam Elliott. Bill Paxton. Michael Biehn. Powers Boothe. Charlton Heston. Billy frickin’ Zane! If only Michael Ironside could have found his way on to set! But I digress…)
• Cal-Maryland: The pukiest thing I saw on the field, other than Jahvid Best’s breakfast and Cal’s overall play, was the safety Cal got right before half-time that was not called by the officials. At least the Wahsington-BYU officiating crew wrongly made the right call, as opposed to wrongly not making the obvious call.
• Cal-Maryland: Squib kicks and on-side kicks (with over 7:00 remaining) never make sense.
• Traveling East is way more difficult that traveling West. It’s always easier to gain time than to lose time.
• WSU-Baylor: Ike claimed the Washington State football team as a victim. The Cougars made the trip and played the game on Friday.
• Saturday College Football counter-programming; Notting Hill on USA, Forces of Nature, Sleepless in Seattle, Failure to Launch, Friends, Sex & the City on TBS
Warmed-up? Let’s go then…
1. Purdue’s kids choo-choo vs. Oregon’s Harley-Davidson: Oregon’s Harley-Davidson.
2. Stacy Dales vs. Erin Andrews: Erin Andrews.
3. Dan Fouts (Oregon) vs. Bob Griese (Purdue): Dan Fouts.
4. I hope ESPN/ABC play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler worked out all of his “Ducks” puns:
• “Roper throws a rope.”
• “Flock of Ducks.”
• “On the pond.”
• “…productivity from a Byrd…”
• “…both wings on him…”
5. After that tongue lashing, you think Roper will be calling any more timeouts at the beginning of future fourth quarters?
6. (Text message) Better to face adversity now, as opposed to later?
7 - 9. Ran out of steam. But I feel my second wind coming on…
10. I’m not the highly trained medical professional in my family, but I have to ask this question: is there any correlation between the implementation of this version of the spread option offense and the injuries to Oregon quarterbacks over the last two seasons? I’ll explore this more in a future entry.
Post-game Late Hits:
• USC’s uniforms are just hideous. All gnarled and nasty. Get some new unis, USC.
• The USC Song Girls’ have the performance range of the Marching Band’s repertoire.
• Alternate History: If Dennis Dixon had not been injured last season and Oregon went on to win the rest of their games, including the National Championship, would Terrelle Pryor still have chosen Ohio St.?
• What’s more likely: Oregon facing Ohio St. in the Terrelle Pryor Bowl or Penn St. in the 1995+13 Bowl?
• Chris Harper vs. Terrelle Pryor: Push?
* There is no such thing Musket & Mallard Magazine. There should be. But there isn’t. Although, there is a Horse & Hound Magazine.
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Phil Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
on your proposed safety in the cal game:
It is my understanding that you must already be in the endzone when you are tackled, you can’t be tackled back into the endzone for a safety.
hope that clears things up =)
good article though. some nice thoughts.
I’ll take Erin Andrews over anybody in the country.
Kyle Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Jay, I was thinking about this exact same thing earlier in the week (before Roper went down against Purdue). It’s amazing that we’ve lost so many QBs to injury since our adoption of the spread. Sure you would think that in the spread that our QBs would be more open to hits that could render them out for the season, but most of our passing game is based on mis-direction and quick routes - get the ball to your playmakers and see what they can do - so I wouldn’t go blame the spread just yet. That being said, kudos to Chip Kelly and the offensive staff for being able to “plug” a new QB into the system on a relative whim, and still maintain a quality product on the field (let’s not talk about UCLA 07 - that was the only game I could make last year).
Regardless, here is a quick run-through of Oregon QB injuries since we switched to the Spread Offense in 2005:
2005
K. Clemens v UA: Broken ankle - out for season.
D. Dixon v UA: Concussion immediately after replacing Clemens.
2006
I don’t recall any to be honest.
2007
N. Costa v (NA practice): Torn ACL, out for season.
D. Dixon v ASU/UA: Torn ACL, out for season (mostly torn during ASU, finished it off v UA).
B. Leaf v UCLA: Extensive Ankle injury: out for season.
2008
N. Costa v (NA practice): Tore ACL for the 3rd time, out for season (hopefully the NCAA will give him a 6th year when the time to petition that comes along).
J. Roper v Washington: Concussion, DNP 2nd half.
J. Roper v Purdue: Torn MCL, out 2-4 weeks.
We also have to remember that Harper’s shoulder might still be bothering him, and what about Masoli’s wrist after hurting that previously in JC/HS.
Pretty soon Bellotti will have to have open QB tryouts just to find someone to hand the ball off to JJ or Mr. Blount if this injury bug won’t stop biting.
Let’s just hope that it doesn’t come down to that.
Todd Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Yes, coincidentally, it seems the QB position is a banged-up one, but would any one of us like to see the spread offense scrapped? No way. It’s the only way to keep good defenses honest! Like Chip Kelly said… get the next kid ready.
Jim Says:
September 15th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Absolute Classic!
“The USC Song Girls’ have the performance range of the Marching Band’s repertoire.”
The SC Song Girls really are horrible and man do I love the Oregon Cheerleaders and it’s not even close. 15 years ago, you couldn’t say that.