Oregon Ducks Headed to the Holiday Bowl

This season has been a wild ride with all the quarterback changes and injuries, but the Ducks have come out strong. Masoli has certainly been the X-factor in the last two games, throwing for over 550 yards and four TDs. That was what really opened up the last two games for the Ducks. If he can keep up this prolific play, the Ducks will tear apart Oklahoma St.

The real surprise this season has been the JC transfer LaGarrette Blount. On just 130 carries Blount has rushed for 928 yards. I've been sick and tired of all the talk about how Jacquizz Rodgers is the best tailback in the Pac-10. When you look at it, Blount has half the carries and only 300 yards fewer than Quizz. He has more touchdowns and averages about three more YPC (yards per carry) than Rodgers.

In my opinion Jeremiah Johnson is also a better back then Rodgers. On just 156 carries Johnson has 1,082 yards, 12 TDs, and 6.9 YPC. To top it all off we have Jeremiah Masoli as a quarterback, who is by far the best running quarterback in the pac-10 and one of the better ones in the country. Masoli has rushed for 612 yards on 111 carries, averages 5.5 YPC, and has added seven rushing TD.

The bottom line is the Ducks have the best rushing backfield in the country.

The Ducks are mainly known as a rushing offense, but when you look at it they're not such a bad passing team either. When you combine the stats of Jeremiah Masoli, Justin Roper, Darrin Thomas, and Chris Harper, they have thrown for over 2,400 yards and 19 TDs and average a 125.7 passer rating.

The stats are not quite as good as Zac Robinson's of Oklahoma St., but are comparable. Robinson has thrown for 2,700 yards and 24 TDs and has a passer rating of 178.01. 

The X-factor in the Holiday bowl for the Ducks will be the Defense, most specifically the DBs (T.J. Ward, Patrick Chung, Walter Thurmond, and Jairus Byrd). If they can contain Dez Bryant and the OK. ST. receiving corps, the Ducks offense will have less pressure on them.

The Ducks have accounted for 5,700 total yards, while Oklahoma State has 5,800 total yards. It will be a shootout in San Diego.

47-40 Ducks