Even without offensive mastermind coach Chip Kelly, Oregon
has a return to the National Championship Game in sights. In the first season
of the post-Kelly era, the Oregon Ducks find themselves ranked as the #3 team
in the nation, only behind Ohio State and Alabama.
Before the now Mark Helfrich-led Ducks can play for the
first title in program history, they will have to go through fellow Pac-12
power Stanford, who is ranked just behind Oregon at #4. The Cardinal handed
Oregon their lone loss of the season last year, a 17-14 overtime thriller on
November 24.
Oregon gets a rematch with the Cardinal in a possible
showdown for the Pac-12 crown on November 7 this season, one of the three times
the Ducks will face a ranked opponent. The other two top 25 teams on Oregon’s
schedule also reside in the Pac-12, #25 UCLA on October 26 and #21 Oregon State
to end the season in the annual Civil War rivalry game.
With a weak out of conference schedule, the Ducks will have
to make their presence known in a big way by administering beatings on the
lesser teams.
That should not be hard with Oregon’s surging offense that
finished with the second most points per game in the country.
Despite losing lead rusher Kenion Barner who ran for 1,767
yards and 21 touchdowns, the Ducks are still returning nine starters on
offense. One of those nine is the team’s second leading rusher from last
season, sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota.
As a freshman, Mariota proved to be one of the nation’s top
dual threat quarterbacks by throwing for 32 touchdowns on over 2,600 yards as
well as rushing for 752 yards and five touchdowns.
A sophomore slump is not likely for Mariota. The native
Hawaiian will be armed with four of his top five receivers from last season:
Josh Huff, De’Anthony Thomas, Colt Lyerla, and Keanon Lowe. In his junior
campaign, Huff led the team in yards with 493 and touchdowns with seven
touchdowns, while Thomas finished right behind him with five touchdowns and 445
receiving yards.
With most of the pieces from last year’s fourth ranked
offense returning for another year in Eugene, the defense shows some experience
as well but not nearly as much talent. The 2013 Oregon defense returns seven
starters, however they will be without three All-Conference defenders: linebackers
Kiko Alonso and Michael Clay and defensive end Dion Jordan.
Seniors Taylor Hart, Wade Keliikipi, and Boseko Lokombo will
lead the Ducks primary in 2013 as the only returning starters after combining
for an unimpressive twelve sacks and about nine tackles per game.
While Oregon has some questions up front, their secondary
will be the defense’s biggest strength. In last year’s Fiesta Bowl winning
season, the injury plagued Oregon defensive backs managed to lead the nation in
interceptions with 24, and 2013 brings the majority of that same core group of
players as well as hopefully more health.
The starting Oregon secondary this year will be made up of
all upperclassmen, with senior safeties Brian Jackson and Avery Patterson and
junior cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Ekpre-Olomu will be
the highlight of Oregon’s defense after posting three interceptions and a shade
under five tackles per game en route to an All-American selection.
Defense will be one of Oregon’s few weaknesses this season,
but it will be passable with their experience and dynamic offense. The Ducks do
not have too much help on the way for the near future either. The only ESPN Top
300 defensive recruit heading to Oregon this season is the 19th
rated defensive end, Torrodney Prevot.
On offense, Oregon will have four top 300 recruits. Oregon
stayed local for their top two their recruits, #6 running back Thomas Tyner and
#9 guard Evan Voeller, being from the Beaver State. The other top 300 recruits on
offense are #42 wide receiver Tyree Robinson and #15 guard Cameron Hunt.
Before Tyner can replace De’Anthony Thomas as the premier
Ducks running back and Prevot adds a fresh presence to the pass rush, the 2013
Oregon Ducks have a few more things on their agenda. Heading into the season,
Oregon is listed just a tick ahead of Stanford as the favorites in a quest to
take the Pac-12 championship, finish undefeated, and perhaps become the first
non-SEC team win the BCS Championship Game since USC in 2004.
Oregon’s quest begins this Saturday at Autzen Stadium, as
they host Nicholls State.
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