Oregon Ducks rundown: Sure, the Ducks are No. 1. But ..

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Oregon Ducks rundown: Sure, the Ducks are No. 1. But those BCS computers could spell trouble

-- Nobody has to tell the Oregon Ducks that they need to keep winning to hang onto their lofty position in college football.

The Ducks (6-0, 3-0) are a consensus No. 1 in the three major polls -- Associated Press, coaches and Harris -- heading into a 6 p.m. game Thursday against visiting UCLA (3-3, 1-2).

The top ranking is the first-ever for the UO program, which had been been ranked second four times.

But in successive weeks, the No. 1 team has lost. South Carolina got Alabama two weeks ago, and Wisconsin knocked off Ohio State last week.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly says he doesn't worry about what he can't control, which is a good thing because the Ducks were tabbed eighth by the six computers used in the BCS' mathematical formula.

This explains why Oregon is second behind Oklahoma in the first BCS standings, which were released last night. The BCS formula employs the coaches and Harris polls, and the computers.

Oregon fans will remember the way the computers kept the Ducks out of the championship game in 2001 in favor of a Nebraska team that hadn't even won its own division of the Big 12.

Could something like that happen again?

Stay tuned.



Ducks are first in the polls, second in the BCS, but are keeping their heads down.

Kelly says the polls and standings in mid-October aren't relevant.

BCS expert Jerry Palm says Boise State will fade, but Auburn could be coming up strong from behind.

The computers used in the BCS formula have Oregon eighth.

Jake Curtis for the San Francisco Chronicle: Oregon is the fifth Pac-10 team in history to be ranked No. 1, and the first other than USC since 1992. But the computer ranking could become a problem in December.

James Day of the Statesman Journal: No. 1 ranking should be shared with those who helped build the program.

Bud Withers of the Seattle Times wonders how Oregon will handle the pressure and scrutiny of being No. 1.

Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times: BCS computers serve up a curveball.

Jim Litke of the AP: Beneath the hype, the BCS is a rigged system.

Ducks stay focused on business in Sunday's practice.

It's official: Oregon is No. 1 in college football.

In Eugene, fans are in full celebration mode.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News had Oklahoma first, Oregon fourth on his AP ballot this week.

Here is how all AP voters voted Oregon this week.

ESPN.com guru Ted Miller has Oregon first, Oregon State seventh in this week's Pac-10 power ratings.

 

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Bruins downplay effect of Oregon's No. 1 ranking
Rick Neuheisel says the team can't get caught up in who or what the Ducks are.




UCLA has the added chore this week of facing the top-ranked team in the nation. Oregon, which plays host to the Bruins on Thursday in Eugene, ascended to the top spot Sunday.

"We can't worry about playing the No. 1," safety Rahim Moore said. "We've just got to go out and play football."

On the other hand ?

"This game is going to test our manhood," Moore said. "It's a big-time man's game this week."

The Bruins would seem to have enough problems to worry about without the rankings or a national television audience.

Oregon leads the nation in offense (567 yards per game) and scoring (54.3 points per game), and is third in rushing (314.8 yards per game). UCLA ranks in the top five in only one category: net punting.

"You can't get caught up in who they are or what they are," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It's about playing the game and seeing how it matches up."

Still, defensive tackle David Carter said, "Not many people can say they got to play against the No. 1 team in the nation. It's a great opportunity to go out there and show what we've got."

This is the first time UCLA has played the No. 1-ranked team since losing to USC, 66-19, in 2005. The Bruins have a 4-10 record against top-ranked teams and have lost the last six.

UCLA had extra preparation time in all four victories over a No. 1 team. The Bruins beat Ohio State (1962) and Nebraska (1972) in season openers. They beat Michigan State (1966) and Ohio State (1976) in Rose Bowls. UCLA will have had 11 days to prepare this time.







Quarterback watch

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince said the swelling in his right knee went down after a couple of days of rest, but the pain remains.

"The quarterback in the 'pistol' offense doesn't just drop back and throw," Prince said. "If that was the case, I would be fine. The fact of the matter is we've got to run the ball. I have to prove to myself that I can run the ball and make cuts."

Through Sunday's practice, Prince said he hasn't been able to do that "to the full extent I want to."

Neuheisel acknowledged that Prince is "a little hobbled. We'll have to see how the week goes."

Oregon received better news. Quarterback Darron Thomas, who left the Washington State game because of a shoulder injury, went through practice Saturday and was pronounced 100%, according to media reports.




Quick hits

F-back Anthony Barr (calf injury) and defensive end Keenan Graham (hip flexor injury) rejoined practice. ? Running back Jordon James (hip injury) suited up, but he did not participate. ? Wide receiver Nelson Rosario (high-ankle sprain) said he will try running on a treadmill Monday and is hoping to rejoin practice Tuesday. ? Wide receiver Shaquelle Evans will have shoulder surgery Tuesday.

 

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UCLA's Kevin Prince sits out practice to rest knee



The Bruins quarterback underwent an MRI exam to determine the source of the pain and swelling that has persisted since he was injured against Texas on Sept. 25.


UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince was looking less likely to be able to play against Oregon, as he sat out practice to "rest" his injured right knee Monday, Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Prince underwent an MRI exam on the knee earlier, as the UCLA medical staff was trying to determine the source of the pain and swelling that has persisted since he was injured against Texas on Sept. 25.

"Practice yesterday wasn't the best thing, so we figured resting it would be the best thing rather than aggravating it any further today," Prince said.

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It leaves backup Richard Brehaut on the tarmac for the start against the Ducks on Thursday night, though Neuheisel continued with the stance that Prince could play.

"We rested Kevin today," Neuheisel said. "We hope he will be back to moving around [Tuesday]."

Neuheisel added that the MRI exam was "precautionary" and that they were awaiting results.

Prince's knee problem has been an ongoing issue since he was injured. He sat out against Washington State on Oct. 2, then struggled through a 35-7 loss to California on Oct. 9. Prince has been limited in practice the last week before being held out on Monday.

"We have been trying a lot of different things, but it hasn't been improving as fast as we would have liked," Prince said. "They want to look at it, make sure to get a good picture of what's going on in there and make sure nothing has changed."

Prince said that the previous MRI was "murky." He said that the pain continues and that the swelling had gone down, though it had not gone away entirely.

Brehaut, after being close to starting on other occasions when Prince was injured, finally made the first start of his college career, managing a 42-28 victory over Washington State.

"To finally get that nod, and let the coaches know what I can do in that game, was good," Brehaut said. "It's night and day compared to coming in a game in the fourth quarter, when the game plan has changed."

 

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Football earns a mediocre GPA

--Daily Bruin




It?s mid-season report card time! Aren?t you excited?

The easy route would be to go through the different aspects of the team ? the passing game, the defense, etc. ? and grade each accordingly. And usually, I?m not an easy-route type of guy.

Usually?

But considering I?ve had my face planted in the works of Michel Foucault for about, let?s say, nine consecutive days, I?m going to go ahead and let this be the exception.

Easy route!

The Passing Game: I

That?s correct, the passing game gets an ?Incomplete.?

Now, if I were being cut and dry about the situation, a grade in the ballpark of an ?F? would certainly be justifiable. But my reasoning for giving the Bruins? passing game an ?Incomplete? is because it seems to be just that ? incomplete.

From what I?ve seen of the passing attack in the pistol offense, the Bruins clearly haven?t gotten it down pat quite yet. There still seems to be a lack of cohesion between redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince and his receivers, which signifies to me that the air brigade is far behind the rushing attack.

If we were to go by stats alone, well, that would just make for a bad column because the stats are horrible.

Through the air, the Bruins have only tallied 573 yards and have completed less than 50 percent of their passes. They are averaging less than five yards per completion and have three passing touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

But since the numbers are that bad, I?m forced to cut Prince, sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut and the UCLA receivers some slack. They have far from mastered how to effectively pass in their newly implemented offense, and because it?s the first season with the pistol, maybe we should let them off the hook.

Maybe.

*The Rushing Attack: B-/C *

It pains me to grade our backfield so low, but the rush was effective in weeks three, four and five, but nowhere to be found in weeks one, two and six.

How could I give that type of inconsistency anything higher than a B-?

One thing is for certain: The pistol has benefited the rushing attack tremendously this season. Redshirt sophomore Johnathan Franklin has already eclipsed his output from last season in six games this season. He has five touchdowns and is averaging more than six yards a carry, as opposed to a little over four last season.

Prince has also been effective on his feet, not to mention Franklin?s backfield Robin, junior tailback Derrick Coleman, who had a breakout performance against Washington State, rushing for 185 yards and three touchdowns.

But against Cal, he had one yard on two carries. I?m not sure why Coleman only got two carries, but either way, that?s a knock on the rushing attack. And after his 217-yard rushing barrage against WSU, Franklin only amassed 64 yards against Cal.

So at this point, we can?t anoint the Bruins? backfield as great when it has disappointing performances in Pac-10 rivalry games, such as last week.

*The Defense: B *

The Bruins are giving up 370 yards per game and are allowing nearly 26 points per game.

Those stats don?t really signify a defense deserving of a B , I know.

But after the 35-0 rout at the hands of Stanford in week two, coach Rick Neuheisel was adamant that his defense played well, and that it was just on the field too long. And he was definitely onto something.

In the game against Stanford, the Cardinal held the ball for nearly 37 minutes as opposed to 23 for the Bruins. In the loss to Kansas State, KSU was in possession for 36 minutes, the Bruins for 24. And against Cal, it was a 34-minute to 26-minute advantage for the Bears.

But in UCLA?s wins against Houston, Texas and WSU, the Bruins held the ball for five minutes more than the Cougars, 11 minutes longer than the Longhorns, and nearly 10 minutes longer than Washington State.

Point taken, Rick.

A major part of how this defense performs is how the offense performs. And when the offense has performed above average, or even just average, UCLA?s defensive unit has had success.
However, the biggest test for the Bruins is still on the horizon, as they will travel to take on No. 1 Oregon on Thursday night.

This could either spell disaster for UCLA, as the Ducks are leading the country in points scored this season, or it could be the type of game in which the UCLA defense makes a name for itself.

With that said, we?ll wait a week before grading Neuheisel and the coaching staff. I?d hate to overshoot Slick Rick?s grade or diminish his grade, depending on the outcome of the Oregon game.
Let?s think of Thursday?s game as Neuheisel?s midterm. Stay tuned?

 

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UCLA's offense will need to get rolling early against Oregon


- In a schizophrenic season with more ups and downs than a yo-yo store, only one thing has been certain for the UCLA football team: The Bruins need to get off on the right foot.

In a Week 1 loss to Kansas State, UCLA opened with a three-play drive, gaining zero yards, taking all of 29 seconds. The Wildcats opened with a 10-play, 54-yard drive, capped by a Daniel Thomas touchdown, and won, 31-22.

Against Stanford, more of the same: Three plays, 6 yards, 1 minute, 30 seconds for the Bruins, followed by a seven-play, 61-yard Cardinal drive, culminated by an Andrew Luck-to-Ryan Whalen touchdown, and Stanford won, 35-0.

Then, after a three-game winning streak in which the Bruins took early leads in each game, Cal marched 70 yards on its first drive, ending in a Shane Vereen 1-yard touchdown, forced a three-and-out of just 2 yards - sounding familiar? - and caused a fumble on UCLA's next possession, which the Bears followed with another quick touchdown to go up, 14-0, ultimately winning, 35-7.

As the Bruins prepared for tonight's showdown at Autzen Stadium with top-ranked Oregon, they hoped to avoid a similar fate.

"We're trying to hold the emotion to a low, so that we can kind of explode (today)," junior safety Tony Dye said. "But it's coming out already. We are well aware we have to come out on fire."

The problem with UCLA getting off on the right foot? That would mean the quarterback would have to, and such a
proposition has been laughable this season.

The Bruins' switch to the pistol offense has wreaked havoc on Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut, at least in the throwing game, and particularly in the footwork department. Prince admitted after the Cal loss - in which he completed 13 of 31 passes for 99 yards - that his footwork was lacking, a chief concern of offensive coordinator Norm Chow heading into the season.

"It's huge; that's why I've always been reluctant to go into the gun, because the footwork gets really lazy," Chow said. "Footwork is real lazy in the gun. I fought it for the longest time, until I realized you can't fight it anymore, because that's all high school teams do. It's huge. It's a big difference. Footwork is very lazy in the gun, but we opted for it, so we have to deal with it now."

With Prince sidelined for two days this week with a sore knee and considered doubtful for the game - though head coach Rick Neuheisel maintained that the starting quarterback would be a game-time decision - Brehaut was put to the test as the Bruins prepared for the Ducks, benefiting from a bye week to work on his fundamentals.

"Coach Chow and Coach Neuheisel have put a lot of emphasis, especially in the bye week, working on that exact footwork," Brehaut said. "That exact three-step and hitch, three and release. We put a really big emphasis on it, just because it's everything in the passing game."

Well, not everything. UCLA receivers have dropped several passes, particularly in crucial situations, and the pass protection was porous against the Bears, the Bruins allowing five sacks.

"We addressed it just by getting extra work on our pass sets," UCLA senior left guard Darius Savage said. "We're focused on being more technically sound, knowing the protection and which linebacker we're going to, what happens if they roll a safety. (We are) just trying to be more technically sound."

All of that might not matter, though, against the Ducks' attack. Oregon ranks first in the Pacific-10 Conference in seven statistical categories and leads the nation in scoring offense (54.33 points per game) and total offense (567 yards per game). The Ducks, who won the Pac-10 title in 2009 for the first time since 2001, top both The Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls, but are second in the BCS standings behind Oklahoma.

"I'm not a pollster, I don't get a vote, but all I know is they're an extremely good team, and regardless of what they were before the season, they're No. 1 now," Dye said. "They've performed the best; the country sees that they've performed the best on the field, so we're going to play them like that."

 

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Stopping UCLA run game critical for Oregon
The Ducks must halt powerful running backs to contain UCLA offense


The formula for stopping UCLA's offense is simple.

Hold the Bruins' running game in check, and more often than not, you'll keep them out of the end zone.

Under the direction of renowned offensive coordinator Norm Chow, UCLA implemented a version of the pistol offense this off-season. But unfortunately for the Bruins, the pistol hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders.

While UCLA's rushing game has been productive and is ranked No. 13 in the country at an average of 223 yards per game, the aerial attack has been another story.

The Bruins are ranked No. 118 in the nation in passing with a woeful 95.50 yards per game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince has regressed from an encouraging freshman year in which he threw for 2,050 yards and completed 56.2 percent of his passes. This season Prince has only completed 44.7 percent of his throws while throwing three touchdowns against five interceptions.

Prince has also dealt with an assortment of nagging injuries virtually all year.

His backup, Richard Brehaut, has completed only 19 of his 38 pass attempts with no touchdowns and one interception.

While Prince is currently listed first on the Bruins' depth chart, it's unclear whether he or Brehaut will start under center against the Ducks. Either way, it's apparent that UCLA's rushing game will present a more significant challenge. Case in point - the Bruins have 13 rushing touchdowns compared to three passing.

Jonathan Franklin is UCLA's feature back, leading the team in carries (with 112 attempts) at 6.1 yards per carry.

Franklin is complemented by Derrick Coleman (7.5 yards per carry on 44 attempts) and true freshman Malcolm Jones (4.0 yards per carry on 30 attempts).

But Oregon doesn't plan to alter its defensive strategy to stop the unbalanced UCLA offense.

"We don't change up what we do for other teams," Oregon defensive tackle Brandon Bair said. "We come out and just do what we do every day."

Oregon's defensive line wants to get off blocks and attack the ball.

"Pretty much the run game is the run game," Oregon defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro said. "You have guys blocking you and you try to defeat the blockers and get after the ball carrier." And it's not much different with a pistol offense than a pro-style set.

"It's kind of the same thing as we run," Bair said. "The only difference is the backs behind the quarterback instead of one side or the other."

The size of UCLA's offensive line and running backs could pose problems for the Ducks. The starting five on the Bruins' offensive line weighs an average of 317 pounds, significantly more than Oregon's defensive line.

And though the 5-foot-10-inch, 198-pound Franklin has the speed to bounce outside, the Bruins have two backs (Jones and Coleman) who weigh more than 220 pounds and are certainly capable of overpowering a defensive front.

With that thunder (Jones and Coleman) and lightning (Franklin) dynamic at play, Oregon's defenders have a responsibility to be aware of each Bruin runner and study his tendencies.

"That comes in almost at an individual level," Bair said. "You have to have studied the team enough to know which back is in and what plays you're going to get more often than not. You have to recognize that as a player when you're on the field and that's going to change up your mentality and the way that you play."

If Oregon can do that, they'll have a good shot at taming the Bruins. In their three wins this season, UCLA averages 322.3 yards on the ground. In its three losses, they average only 123.7.