Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill said during his weekly news conference on Monday that this Oregon team is the best he has seen on film. The Ducks started the season unranked, but moved into the No. 19 spot after upsetting Michigan last week. Oregon began the season with a 48-27 win over 2006 Conference USA Champ Houston in Autzen Stadium.
Duck Head Coach Mike Bellotti is 99-48 in his 12 plus seasons including a 5-0 record against Fresno State. He is 9-2 in the last six years versus non-BCS teams. The last loss against a non-BCS team was in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl, 38-8 to No. 19 BYU.
Oregon’s spread offense is averaging 548.5 yards per game including a staggering 335 rushing ypg. However, the Ducks are giving up 455 ypg defensively yet only allow 17 points per game. UO has converted 14 of 28 third down conversions and is +7 in turnovers. The Ducks use a 4-2-5 defense.
Fresno State had 356 yards (206 rush) of total offense against Oregon in last year’s contest. The ‘Dogs gave up 379 to the Ducks but only 139 came on the ground.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Oregon QB Dennis Dixon (6-4, 205) leads the Duck offense. He has completed 62.5% of his passes while throwing for 426 yards and five touchdowns. His quarterback rating is 193.2, which ranks fifth in the nation. He torched Michigan for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Brady Leaf (6-5, 225) shared starting quarterback duties with Dixon last season. However, Dixon has emerged as Heisman candidate after just two games into 2007. Leaf on the other hand has attempted just one pass this year. Dixon’s real strength is his ability to stretch a defense with his legs. He leads the team in rushing with 217 yards including 141 against Houston. Last year versus Fresno State, Dixon completed 23 of 36 passes for 240 yards and rushed for another 32 but had no touchdowns.
Jonathan Stewart (5-11, 230) rushed for 981 yards last season, and he is averaging 89 ypg this year after two games. He is sharing the load with Jeremiah Johnson (5-10, 205), who has rushed for 159 yards this season. Stewart is averaging 6.1 yards per carry; Johnson is averaging 6.6. Stewart is a physical back with great speed (sub 4.4) that was named second team All Pac-10 in 2006. He rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown versus Michigan. Johnson is listed as the backup, but he has just five fewer carries than Stewart does. Moreover, he started against Fresno State last season. He carried 14 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs. Stewart also scored but it was his only carry against FS for three yards.
Oregon is loaded at receiver. Pac-10 Honorable Mention WR Jaison Williams (6-5, 240) led the Ducks in receiving last season and has six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns this year. Brian Paysinger (6-2, 208) leads the team this season with eight receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Garren Strong (6-3, 203) is the third starter; he has five receptions for 59 yards on the season. Backups Derrick Jones (6-1, 176) and Cameron Colvin (6-3, 210) have combined for five catches for 87 yards and one touchdown (Jones). Tight End Ed Dickson (6-5, 240) is very athletic who moved from DE mid-season last year. He has two receptions for 17 yards on the season. Williams had 106 yards on six catches last year against FS.
The Ducks have three offensive linemen who started more 11 or more games last season. Second team All Pac-10 LT Max Unger (6-5, 287) moved to center this year in place of Enoka Lucas who graduated. RT Geoff Schwartz (6-7, 337) and LG Josh Tschirgi (6-4, 310) are experienced starters. Highly touted JUCO Fenuki Tupou (6-6, 322) takes over at LT after redshirting last season. Mark Lewis (6-4, 308) starts at right guard after playing tackle the last two seasons.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
The Ducks have four defensive linemen with starting experience, but only two of them are atop the depth chart in 2007. DT David Faaeteete (6-2, 310) and DE Nick Reed (6-2, 255) lead the unit. Each has seven tackles on the season and four tackles for loss. Reed also has one sack. Jeremy Gibbs (6-3, 290) has moved to the outside after starting five games last season at DT. He has six tackles on the season including one sack. Michael Speed (6-4, 258) had only one tackle last season at DE, he has two this season starting at DT. JUCO Will Tukuafu (6-4, 279) starts at the other DE spot. He as six tackles on the season including 1.5 for a loss. True freshman – and former Bulldog recruit – Kenny Rowe (6-3, 225) leads the team with two sacks. Oregon recorded one sack for nine yards last year against FS.
The 4-2-5 Oregon defense uses MLB John Bacon (6-3, 227) and WLB A.J. Tuitele (5-11, 226), but SS Jerome Boyd (6-2, 220) actually is listed and plays SLB. Kwame Agyeman (5-11, 205) backs up both MLB and SS after starting 13 games last year at SS. The four have combined for 42 tackles on the season. MLB Casey Mathews (6-2, 220) and WLB Kevin Garrett (5-11, 215) will see time and have combined for four tackles. Agyeman had eight tackles against the Bulldogs last season.
The strength of the Duck defense is the defensive backs. ROV Patrick Chung (6-0, 210) is an awards candidate. He is third on the team with 14 tackles and has one interception. FS Matthew Harper (6-0, 181) leads UO with 24 tackles and has one interception. CB Walter Thurmond (6-0, 185) is second on the team with 18 tackles. Jairus Byrd (6-0, 208) starts at the other corner spot, he has just seven tackles on the season but two interceptions. Thurmond and Byrd played great as freshman last year and both earned All Pac-10 honors. Chung had 10 tackles versus FS last year.
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