College Football: Ducks Hit Midseason Mark; What Have We Learned?
Seemed like just the other day people were counting down the days for the college football season to begin and just like that, Oregon has already reached the midway mark on their season.
The Ducks currently sit 6-0 and No. 2 in the nation and just finished up a very physical and injury riddled game with Washington State. Luckily for the Ducks, they have a bye week come at the perfect time to heal up some key players and prepare for a Thursday night game at home against UCLA.
With six games behind the Ducks and six to go, time to take a look at what the Ducks have shown us.
Cliff Harris is Dangerous
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After the first game of the year against New Mexico, their was a slight buzz about Cliff Harris and his two punt returns for touchdowns. At the time, many believed he could be a solid player but for now he is still coming into his own.
Six weeks later, Harris continues to impress and teams are taking notice. Harris has three punt returns for touchdowns and actually had a fourth that was called back. He also took back an interception for a touchdown against Tennessee in the second week of the season.
Look for Harris to continue to be a threat to score both on special teams and defense.
The Defense is Shutting Teams Down in the Second Half
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The Oregon defense started out the year by only giving up 13 points in the first three games. Overall, they are giving up 16.3 points per game and more importantly, when the defense gets to the half and makes adjustments, they have only given up 13 points in the second half all year.
Oregon's defense is full of playmakers and truly make their mark in taking advantage of mistakes and creating turnovers. Through six games, the Oregon defense has gotten a turnover in ever game.
LaMichael James is Off and Running
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Last year, LaMichael James broke the Pac-10 record for rushing yards and had an unbelievable season. While most Duck fans would love to see him repeat those stats, James is already on pace to leave those stats in the dust.
Through six game last year, James piled up 581 yards. Fast forward to this year, James has put up 893 yards during the same six game period. Also, James has yet to rush for less then 100 yards this year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Kenjon Barner Has Been Snake Bitten
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With LaMichael James on the sideline serving a one game suspension in week one, Kenjon Barner came in to the starting role and had an incredible first half against New Mexico.
Since early in the year, Barner has been slowed by some injuries with the latest occuring this past Saturday. Returning a kick in the first quarter, Barner suffered a helmet to helmet hit that knocked him out and left him motionless for about 10 minutes. Fortunately, Barner was able to stand up and reports are he is doing fine but stayed in the hospital for over night observations.
First and foremost is the health and recovery of Barner. Should Barner be able to return after the bye week, the Ducks will need him to make contributions in the second half to stay on their current path.
Jeff Maehl Continues To Be the Ducks' Best Receiver
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Last year, Jeff Maehl came on strong and ended up being the best receiver for the Ducks. This year, Maehl is picking up right where he left off. In the first half of the year, Maehl has 31 receptions, 423 yards and five touchdowns.
Maehl will continue to see the ball coming his way and may see looser coverage as Josh Huff continues to emerge as a legitimate threat in the Oregon offense.
David Paulson Has Filled the Shoes Left By Ed Dickson
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One of the questions coming into the year was if the Ducks could fill the big shoes of Ed Dickson, who was drafted by the Ravens in the NFL Draft. Early in the year, that question has been answered and it has been David Paulson who has picked up the slack.
Through the first half of the season, Paulson has over 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns and has made some critical plays for the Ducks throughout the first half of the year.
Special Teams Have Had Their Ups and Downs
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After three weeks, the Oregon special teams were a well oiled machine that was humming along. Special teams scores, no scores against, and Rob Beard had yet to miss an extra point or field goal. While the kicking game and special teams defense has continued to perform, the kick return game has struggled.
In the last three games, the Ducks have fumbled a kick return which has directly lead to opponents scoring two touchdowns.
If the Ducks hope to stay unbeaten, they must stop giving up the ball on special teams.
Darron Thomas Has Been the Right Choice
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The biggest question for the Oregon Ducks was how do you replace Jeremiah Masoli. The week of the New Mexico game, Chip Kelly offered an answer with Darron Thomas. After being named the starter, Thomas has not looked back.
Not only has Thomas impressed with his 16 total touchdowns but many have been impressed with the poise he has shown, especially on the road.
If Thomas can continue to improve weekly and become more comfortable with the option read play, the Ducks offense could get even better.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
