Oregon Football: Why Ducks Are Second-Half Hell on Teams in the Chip Kelly Era

Since taking over at Oregon, Chip Kelly has done an amazing job of turning the program from a conference contender into a national contender. 

With Kelly as the head coach, Oregon has only lost one conference game and has yet to lose at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are 17-0 under Kelly at home, but that is not the only trend that has been forming.

After a comeback win over Cal and pulling away against Arizona State this year, people are starting to understand that no matter the score at halftime in Autzen Stadium, Kelly has found a way to adjust to the opposing team at the half and use Oregon's fast-paced offense to put them away.

Here is a look at the home games that Kelly has coached in and how things have unfolded in the second half. 

September 12, 2009 vs Purdue

First Half Score: 17-17

Second Half Differential: +2

Final Score: 38-36

Game Notes: After an embarrassing opening week loss to Boise State, Oregon returned home and looked sluggish the whole way through but pulled out a win after Purdue missed a two-point conversation late in the fourth quarter. 

September 19, 2009 vs Utah

First Half Score: 21-7

Second Half Differential: -7

Final Score: 31-24

Game Notes: The very next week, Oregon welcomed Utah to Autzen Stadium and again did not look sharp. After putting a couple of scores in between them and the Utes, Oregon held on for a win but still had not looked like the team that finished the 2008 season. 

September 26, 2009 vs Cal

First Half Score: 25-3

Second Half Differential: +17

Final Score: 42-3

Game Notes: After the first three games of the year, the Ducks displayed a lethargic offense but broke out with a huge game against Cal and put the Golden Bears away with a great second half. This would be the start of a amazing conference run for the Ducks.

October 3, 2009 vs Washington State

First Half Score: 42-0

Second Half Differential: +4

Final Score: 52-6

Game Notes: In this game, Washington State provided the Ducks an opportunity to empty the bench and get everyone in the game. The Ducks put up 42 in the first half and never looked back. 

October 31, 2009 vs USC

First Half Score: 24-17

Second Half Differential: +20

Final Score: 47-20

Game Notes: The was the first game in which Chip Kelly and Oregon showed their second-half dominance. With a one score lead at the half, Oregon shutout USC in the second half and ended up winning by 27 points. 

November 14, 2009 vs Arizona State

First Half Score: 31-7

Second Half Differential: -1

Final Score: 44-21

Game Notes: A quick start to this game helped propel Oregon to a big win. The Ducks offense put 31 points up in the first half and after almost breaking even in the second half, the Ducks still won by 23 points. 

December 3, 2009 vs Oregon State

First Half Score: 21-23

Second Half Differential: +6

Final Score: 37-33

Game Notes: With a spot in the Rose Bowl up for grabs, the Beavers came to Autzen Stadium and held a two-point lead at the half. Behind a reinstated LaGarrette Blount, the Ducks rebounded with a strong second half and won the Pac-10 title. 

September 4, 2010 vs New Mexico

First Half Score: 59-0

Second Half Differential: +13

Final Score: 72-0

Game Notes: This game against New Mexico kicked off a magical season for the Ducks. After putting up a ton of points in the first half, the Ducks kept it going in the second half and got the season started off on an emphatic note. 

September 18, 2010 vs Portland State

First Half Score: 45-0

Second Half Differential: +24

Final Score: 69-0

Game Notes: After winning on the road against Tennessee, the Ducks returned home and despite the rain, the Ducks dominated both halves and won decisively. 

October 2, 2010 vs Stanford

First Half Score: 24-31

Second Half Differential: +28

Final Score: 52-31

Game Notes: If you are looking for a game that personifies how good Chip Kelly and Oregon have been in the second half, look no further then last year's Stanford game. 

With a seven-point deficit at the half, the Ducks came out in the second half and shut out Andrew Luck and put up 28 unanswered points. 

October 21, 2010 vs UCLA

First Half Score: 32-3

Second Half Differential: +18

Final Score: 60-13

Game Notes: With a Thursday night audience watching the Ducks take on UCLA, Oregon did not disappoint as they jumped out to a big lead and did not let up in the second half. 

November 6, 2010 vs Washington

First Half Score: 18-6

Second Half Differential: +25

Final Score: 53-16

Game Notes: With the No. 1 tag on them, the Ducks found themselves in a fight with Washington after one half of football. After some adjustments were made both offensively and defensively, the Ducks outscored Washington by 25 in the second half and won big. 

November 26, 2010 vs Arizona

First Half Score: 14-19

Second Half Differential: +24

Final Score: 48-29

Game Notes: With an opportunity to clinch their second straight conference title, Oregon saw their high-powered offense slowed in the first half and went to the locker room with a five-point deficit. 

After the two teams returned for the second half, Oregon exploded, scoring 34 points and pulling away for a 48-29 win.

September 10, 2011 vs Nevada

First Half Score: 41-7

Second Half Differential: +15

Final Score: 69-20

Game Notes: After an opening week loss to LSU, Oregon returned home and did not disappoint the crowd. The Ducks built a big lead early and then put Nevada away in the second half while allowing everyone to get some playing time. 

September 17, 2011 vs Missouri State

First Half Score: 35-7

Second Half Differential: +21

Final Score: 56-7

Game Notes: Again, Oregon was not challenged as Missouri State came to town and while only holding a 35-7 lead at the half, the Ducks came out and shut the game down by outscoring Missouri State 21-0 and winning by a wide margin. 

October 6, 2011 vs Cal

First Half Score: 14-15

Second Half Differential: +29

Final Score: 43-15

Game Notes: Another game where Chip Kelly went into halftime trailing and made some magical adjustments was this year's game against Cal. While trailing by one point, the Oregon defense did not allow a single point in the second half and allowed the offense to take over and help them pull away. 

October 15, 2011 vs Arizona State

First Half Score: 21-17

Second Half Differential: +10

Final Score: 41-27

Game Notes: Many built this game up as a potential preview of the Pac-12 title game. Despite only having a four-point lead at the half and losing Darron Thomas on their first drive of the second half, the Ducks still outscored Arizona State and won by two touchdowns. 

Conclusion

First Half Scoring Totals: 484-179

Second Half Scoring Totals: +248 (14.6 points per game)

Conclusion: During the Chip Kelly era, the Ducks are averaging a two-touchdown advantage in the second half. Even more impressive is the fact that since last year, Oregon has outscored opponents by over 20 points in the second half and in five of those games, they have outscored their opponent by 24 or more points.

What it comes down to is at home, Kelly is able to make some great adjustments at the half, but don't overlook defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who also makes the needed adjustments to shutdown opposing offenses in the second half.

Overall, Kelly has instituted so many new pieces to the Oregon gameplan that it is hard to keep up with him and the Ducks. When they are at home and get their uptempo spread offense rolling, teams have found themselves gassed by the second half, which is when Kelly slams on the gas and puts his offense into another gear.