Oregon Football: 10 Things We Learned About the Ducks Vs. USC

Last year, on Halloween, the Ducks handed the Pete Caroll-led, sanction-free USC Trojans a beat-down in Eugene.

This Halloween, the Trojans looked to exact revenge under new head coach Lane "No Shame" Kiffin. The result, however, was exactly the same. The Ducks dominated the Trojans in the second half, giving the Trojans their first loss by more than three points this season.

Here are 10 things we learned about the Ducks during their smackdown of the Trojans.

1. The Ducks Are Clearly the Best Team in the Pac-10

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks breaks into the open as linebacker Chase Thomas #44, linebacker Shane Skov #11 and linebacker Owen Merecic #48 of the Stanford Cardinal try to catch him during the third quarter

Many (myself included) thought that to defeat USC would be a serious task for the Ducks. It wasn’t. On the road, in the Coliseum, the Ducks manhandled the Trojans. Until this game, USC had only lost two games this season on last second field goals.

Furthermore, Matt Barkley looked like he was coming into his own—having been among the hottest quarterbacks in the nation the past few weeks. But the Ducks still managed to beat them.

2. The Ducks Have the Best Conditioning Program in the Nation

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Cliff Harris #13 of the Oregon Ducks runs past Chris Pousson #62 of the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

USC hung close with the Ducks…until they tired out. The Ducks played hard all game, greatly outperforming the Trojans in the second half. This has been a consistent theme for the Ducks this season, who trailed Stanford in the first half before rumbling to a 20-point win in the second half.

3. The Ducks Deserve the No. 1 Ranking in the Nation

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 07: The BCS National Championship trophy which was won by the Alabama Crimson Tide after winning the Citi BCS National Championship game over the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010 in Pasadena, California. The Crim

Being able to beat with a competitive program like USC shows that the Ducks can play with the best of them.  There hasn’t been a team that has even sniffed victory against the Ducks this year—they need a challenge.

4. The Ducks Defense Only Needs to Stop Teams a Few Times

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 21: Head Coach Chip Kelly of the Oregon Ducks talks to players duringa atimeout agaist the UCLA Bruins on October 21, 2010 at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

With the frenetic pace of the offense, the Ducks defense doesn’t have to be the best in the nation. More than that, it doesn’t even have to be the best defense in the stadium.

Given the scoring ability of the offense, the defense just has to make some stops during the game.

5. Darron Thomas Is a Good Quarterback

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Darron Thomas #1 of the Oregon Ducks passes in front of Michael Morgan #17 of the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Ge

Darron Thomas has been among the league’s most efficient passers and has led a run-first offense to being a more balanced offense. He’s thrown for 21 touchdowns on a team that is run-centric. Furthermore, he’s been able to run the option to perfection.

6. The Ducks Are Better Without Masoli

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Ole Miss Rebels against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Was Jeremiah Masoli that great? Who cares. His replacement is younger, faster and a better passer than Masoli could have ever hoped to be.

7. LaMichael James Is a Deserving Heisman Candidate

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates his touchdown with Ramsen Golpashin #70 for a 43-32 lead over the USC Trojans during the fourth quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles,

Coming into the season, few were talking about LaMichael James’s Heisman campaign. Now, should Auburn and Cam Newton falter, James will be the clear frontrunner.

8. The Ducks Have Come out Better from Their Offseason Troubles

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Lavasier Tuinei #80 of the Oregon Ducks runs in for a touchdown after his catch for a 29-17 lead over the USC Trojans during the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Unlike the Trojans, the Ducks have gelled as a team because of their offseason troubles. This season looked like it might be a lost season for the Ducks, who had a series of arrests on the team.

But instead, they came together and now sit at the No. 1 spot in the nation.

9. Unlike Other No. 1 Teams, The Ducks Won't Take Anything For Granted

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: John Boyett #20 of the Oregon Ducks reacts to his interception with Eddie Pleasant on their way to a 53-32 win over the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by

The Ducks simply won’t take weeks off. Even in easy games against Washington St. and Arizona St., the Ducks came ready to play.

They won’t hit a sleeper team like they did last year with Stanford.

10.Chip Kelly Knows How to Coach

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Head coach Chip Kelly of the Oregon Ducks paces the sidelines in the first quarter of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won the game 52-31. (Photo by Steve Dykes/G

In big-game pressure situations, Chip Kelly can keep his cool.

Kelly has repeatedly found his team trailing this season, only to come out after halftime and simply outplay the other team. For those who don’t think Kelly can handle his team on the national state, watch out.