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STANFORD, Calif. -- What a difference a week makes for Oregon.

The Ducks looked invincible and unbeatable a week ago, taking apart USC like they were ... Stanford?

They spent the week answering questions about letdowns and hangovers. No way. Not going to happen. Not us.

But by sunset at Stanford Stadium, the No. 7-ranked Ducks were walking off the field after a 51-42 defeat and there was no doubt they felt the letdown.

"We didn't focus on the past, didn't look to the future. We got beat by a better team," said Oregon coach Chip Kelly. "If you say that we got caught looking behind or ahead, it takes away from Stanford. Stanford is a heck of a football team."
More Upset Saturday: Hawkeyes No Longer Perfect | Navy Sinks ND


Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli acknowledged where the postgame conversation was headed.

"People are going to talk about (letdowns) and I guess we kind of did because we didn't win today and that's the bottom line," Masoli said.

Oregon hadn't lost since the now infamous season-opener against Boise State, a run of seven straight wins in which the margin of victory was 22.7 points a game. In the last five games, nobody had gotten closer than two touchdowns.

And then came Stanford, the hard-nose team whose defense didn't look up to the task.

But it turned out the Cardinal, which secured bowl eligibility for the first time in eight years with the win, certainly were. They put up 51 points on the scoreboard, more than Oregon had given up all season. Tailback Toby Gerhart was, as coach Jim Harbaugh called him, "a warrior", rushing for 223 yards on 38 carries with three touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 254 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

And the Cardinal defense, which has surrendered the game in pressure situations before, held up just long enough for the victory after Oregon cut a 20-point fourth-quarter lead to six points in the final minutes.
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Oregon's defense couldn't stop Stanford and while it might not have cost the Ducks their Rose Bowl hopes, their inclusion in the national championship conversation would seem to be out the window. He said the team felt no pressure after the USC performance, no additional weight after becoming the darlings of college football, the fashionable powerhouse of the week.

"I have never heard any person on this team talk about the national championship," said senior tight end Ed Dickson.

Stanford led from start to finish, quickly going up 10-0 and holding on despite being out-gained by the Oregon offense, 570-505.

Masoli threw for a career-high 334 yards. Freshman tailback LaMichael James rushed for 125 yards and a 60-yard touchdown. But the Ducks were forced to play catch-up, Stanford held more than a 15-minute margin in time of possession, and time ran out before they could.

The Cardinal have twice finished seasons with five wins (2004 and 2008), failing to reach the postseason every season since Tyrone Willingham left for Notre Dame after the 2001 Seattle Bowl.

This win marked a huge breakthrough in the rebuilding efforts under Harbaugh. Before the game, Harbaugh said that a win in this game would mean more to the program than the 2007 upset over USC, that came in a 4-8 season, his first on The Farm.

Following Saturday's game, Harbaugh again acknowledged the significance.

"This is the best opportunity that Stanford football has had in the past 10 years to express who this team is, and they expressed it and I couldn't be more proud of them," Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh said the goal has always been more than bowl-eligibility.

"Our goal has been to win the Pac-10 championship and we're still alive for that," Harbaugh said.

One Week Later, Oregon Not So Rosy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michelle SmithSat, 07 Nov 2009 22:05:00 EST Stanford Runs Over Oregon in Upsethttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/stanford-shocks-oregon-in-shootout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/stanford-shocks-oregon-in-shootout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/stanford-shocks-oregon-in-shootout/#commentsFiled under: ,

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- Toby Gerhart bowled over the Oregon defense to make the Cardinal bowl eligible for the first time in eight years.

Gerhart ran for a school-record 223 yards and three scores, Andrew Luck threw for two touchdowns and Stanford held on to beat No. 7 Oregon 51-42 Saturday for its all-important sixth win of the season.

The loss by Oregon (7-2, 5-1 Pac-10) just a week after beating Southern California 47-20 opened up the conference race and cost the Ducks any shot at a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Oregon rallied with two late touchdowns to cut a 20-point lead down to six, but Stanford (6-3, 5-2) recovered an onside kick with 2:38 to go and tacked on Nate Whitaker's third field goal with 11 seconds left. The students rushed the field as the game ended.

The Cardinal snapped a seven-game losing streak against Oregon with perhaps its most meaningful win in coach Jim Harbaugh's three seasons on The Farm. Stanford had lost in its past five games with a chance to become eligible for a bowl and now are in position to play a postseason game for the first time since Tyrone Willingham's final year in 2001.

Luck took advantage of vast open areas in the middle of the Oregon defense, completing four passes of at least 20 yards in the first half alone. Even when the Ducks had good coverage, Luck managed to connect with his receivers downfield.

He finished 12 for 20 for 251 yards, throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jim Dray in the second quarter and a 31-yarder to Chris Owusu after Oregon cut the Cardinal lead to 10 points early in the third quarter. Owusu had four catches for 111 yards and two long kickoff returns.

The Ducks got the lead back to 10 on a 3-yard keeper by Jeremiah Masoli, before Gerhart carried Oregon defenders into the end zone on a 17-yard run that made it 45-28 late in the third quarter.
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Gerhart had 38 carries, punishing Oregon defenders on each run. He broke the previous record of 220 set by Jon Volpe in 1988 and also broke his single-season rushing record set last year with 1,217.

On a day when the teams combined for 93 points and more than 1,000 yards, Stanford did deliver one big defensive play to end the third quarter.

With Oregon trailing by 17, coach Chip Kelley decided to go for it on fourth-and-3 from the Stanford 40. Michael Thomas, who played the role of Masoli in practice, blitzed from his cornerback position and the real version Masoli for no gain. The Cardinal tacked on a field goal to take a 48-28 lead.

Masoli was 21 for 37 for 334 yards and three touchdowns. He added 55 yards and a score on the ground. LaMichael James added 125 yards rushing, including a 60-yard score in the first quarter.

The Cardinal got off to a fast start when Owusu returned the opening kickoff 77 yards to set up a field goal. Stanford's offense didn't slow down. A 25-yard pass from Luck to Owusu set up Gerhart's first touchdown run and Gerhart scored again on the next possession to make it 17-7.

Luck added the TD pass to Dray and then threw a 39-yarder to Ryan Whalen that set up Owen Marecic's 2-yard run that gave the Cardinal a 31-14 lead. Marecic had a busy day, starting at fullback as usual and at middle linebacker in place of the injured Clinton Snyder.

Marecic was out of position on Oregon's first touchdown as James burst up the middle untouched for a 60-yard score. The Ducks got their other first-half score on a 29-yard pass from Masoli to Jeff Maehl one play after Gerhart lost a fumble.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Stanford Runs Over Oregon in Upset originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andrew luckAndrewLucktoby gerhartTobyGerhartFanHouse NewswireSat, 07 Nov 2009 19:27:00 EST Starting 11: Every Game Counts, Except Some Count More Than Othershttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/starting-11-every-game-counts-except-some-count-more-than-othe/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/starting-11-every-game-counts-except-some-count-more-than-othe/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/starting-11-every-game-counts-except-some-count-more-than-othe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One of the most frustrating cliches trotted out by college football's BCS defenders is this banal line: Every game counts. I hate this three-word cliche with the fury of a thousand blazing suns. I hate the smugness with which it's delivered, I hate the fact that no one points out the obvious -- name a sport where the games don't actually count-- but I hate the fact that it isn't even true the most.

In fact, this phrase is positively Orwellian because it leaves off the final part of the sentence. Every game counts ... except some games count more than others. How else to explain the fact that everyone can brush off Boise State's win over Oregon because it happened the first game of the season?

I understand we're dealing with a broken system, but right now Boise State is continuing to plummet as they win. I wrote about the glass ceiling that Boise had reached a couple of weeks ago, but has it really reached the point where we just ignore the first week of the season?

And if we do ignore the first week of the season, what's the point of having a broken system to determine who the champion is? Because pretty soon, if they keep winning, Oregon is going to pass undefeated Boise in the BCS rankings. Already Iowa, Cincinnati, one-loss USC, and TCU have all passed Boise since the first BCS standings were released three weeks ago. What's Boise done since that first week's release when they stood at No. 4 in the country?

Beaten two teams by a combined score of 99-16.

I'm not arguing that individual results should always govern the rankings between two teams. But I am arguing this, if the regular season means anything at all, you have to rank an undefeated team above any team that they've beaten.

Absolutely, positively, have to do that.

On to the Starting 11.

1. The fact that Tennessee was going to wear black jerseys on Halloween was one of the worst kept secrets in the history of the Internets.

Eric BerryFor months, fans, media, and everyone else who cares about what color jerseys a team wears (count myself outside of this group) have gone crazy with speculation. Tennessee's athletic director, head coach, and everyone else associated with the program shot down the possibility that the Vols would wear black for months.

Then they did.

Raising this question, is it really worth lying about the color of a jersey? Why not just say: "We don't comment on jersey colors," months ago and leave it at that?

I know that UT claims the decision wasn't made until the week of the game, and while that might be true in a legal sense, it had been under contemplation for months judging by all the smoke surrounding the issue. I truly don't care what jerseys my team wears, but was the "surprise" really worth it?

I don't think so.

2. By the way, if Oregon hadn't played Boise State in the first game of the season, where are they ranked right now?

Probably fourth, right?

One of the really sad things about the current system is that Boise can't get teams to play them home-and-home for this exact reason, play a patsy at your place and you get a guaranteed win and don't deal with any long-term injury to your reputation. Play a tough team on the road and you sabotage your season if you lose.

Boise gets ripped because they haven't scheduled well enough. Well, isn't a tremendous part of that because they need to play enough home games to make some revenue for their school and because most teams are afraid to play them in Boise?

They're already playing six road games this season. That leaves them with just six home games. Most other major college teams in America are playing 7 homes games, often 8.

This is the system we've created, good teams from major conferences won't play other good teams because they don't need to and then when they won't play a smaller school we criticize the team they won't play for not having a tough enough schedule.

Awesome.

Doesn't anyone see that logical flaw?

3. Isn't it time we penalize college football players for malicious intent rather than malicious success?

Brandon Spikes tried to eye gouge Georgia's Washaun Ealey on Saturday. Urban Meyer, who doles out good ole boy justice with the best of them despite not actually being Southern, suspended Spikes for a half.

Against Vanderbilt.

Florida could probably start me at middle linebacker for a half and still beat Vanderbilt.

That's not even a joke, I really think they could.

But one of the most interesting things about this entire situation is that we're suspending Spikes because he was unsuccessful at what he attempted to do. In other words, Spikes's own incompetence as an eye-gouger actually saved him from a more severe penalty. Shouldn't we penalize a player based on intent rather than the actual result? Especially in sports since part of the reason for the punishment is to dissuade others who see the punishment.
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4. Case Keenum, who may win the Heisman by default, threw for 559 yards against Southern Miss on Saturday.

On 54 pass attempts. He wasn't sacked.

Not once.

What's more, Keenum has attempted 398 passes so far this season and has only been sacked 10 times. Counting the sacks Keenum has dropped back to pass 408 times, probably more since he's scrambled for yardage several times, but only 10 times have defenses managed to sack him.

That means almost 98 percent of the time when he drops back to pass, the ball is leaving his hand before a defender gets to him. Can you imagine how debilitating that is to a defensive line? To know that, on average, if you rush the quarterback on 50 consecutive plays you're going to get to him once?

How mentally tiring must that be?

I've read quite a bit of praise for Keenum so far this season, but I haven't read anything about Houston's offensive line and the job they've done allowing Keenum to attempt so many passes. Kudos to them.

5. Iowa's magical season continues and soon they'll be in the clubhouse at 12-0 with two weeks of football remaining.

I haven't seen anyone write about what a tremendous advantage it is for Big Ten schools that they don't play games the final two weeks of the regular season. Iowa is now 9-0. They have two home games against Northwestern and Minnesota sandwiched around a road game at Ohio State. Assuming they win all three, the Hawkeyes get to sit and watch undefeated Texas, Alabama, Cincinnati and Florida deal with the mounting pressures of the season.

For half a month, they do nothing and can only be helped by the games that take place around them.

I know the long layoff has been mentioned before in terms of a Big Ten team's performance in bowl games, and the lack of a championship game is often trotted out as evidence of a hugely uneven playing field, but I haven't seen anything written about the tremendous advantage that comes from sitting out the final two weeks of the season.

It's worth thinking about as the pressure mounts to see who will be playing in the title game.

6. Random observation from the Jacksonville Airport: They have an entrance for a seeing eye dog at the security screening area with a sign above indicating such. It's next to the wheelchair entrance.

Multiple questions: A.) Whom is this sign for? Presumably the blind person can't see it, right? I'm no expert on canines, but I don't think they can recognize the sign either. B.) How many blind people with seeing eye dogs are traveling such that they need their own line? For instance, have you ever seen a blind person with a seeing eye dog at the airport before? C.) Wouldn't anyone with a brain naturally assume that the blind person with a dog doesn't have to walk through the regular line? In other words, who is doubting that they go through the handicapped line? D.) Where do the seeing eye dogs go on flights? Do you check them at the gate like a stroller? Are you automatically in the A boarding group at Southwest? If the dog is on the plane, where does he sit?

Anyway, this is the most unnecessary sign I've sign since the White House prohibited weapons' list featured guns, knives and nunchucks. Because, you know, who hasn't planned a trip to the White House and brought along a set of nunchucks in case of a ninja attack.

7. Why did Wake Forest let their kicker attempt a 60-yard field goal to end the game against Miami?

Setting the scene: Wake is down 28-27, there are four seconds remaining, and the Demon Deacons are at the Hurricanes' 43.

Your kicker, Jimmy Newman, has a career long field goal of 42 yards. (Sam Swank, Wake Forest's longtime strong-legged kicker, graduated after last season.)

What do you do?

Not kick, right?

Seeing as how this is 18 yards further than the kicker's career long.

Well, Wake kicks.

Predictably the kick was is wide right and short by about 15 yards. It lands in the front of the end zone. Does this really make sense? It's kind of embarrassing, actually. Wouldn't you have better odds of a Hail Mary here?

Granted, Wake Forest was playing with its backup quarterback at the time, Ryan McManus, instead of usual starter Riley Skinner, who left the game after taking a knee to his un-helmeted head on a fourth-quarter run. McManus, a senior, had two strikes against him entering the game. 1) He had more tackles in his career (two, on punt coverage in 2007) entering the game than pass completions (one). 2) The highlights of his online bio including calling a "key timeout" against Baylor and that he "loves to play." What exactly gets cut so that these factoids might make the biography? He enjoys both inhaling, exhaling and wearing socks?

At any rate, even with McManus why wouldn't you at least take a chance your quarterback could throw it 43 yards or at least try some sort of hook-and-ladder or series of laterals?

Instead you humiliate your kicker.



8. At least you aren't a Marshall fan.

In case you missed it on Sunday night, which you definitely did, Marshall had a 20-14 lead with under 30 seconds to play.

Understandably, the team took a timeout to set their defense. Then, they didn't cover the wide receiver.

At all.

Out of a timeout.

Touchdown Central Florida, game over 21-20. Here's the video if you don't believe me.

Or don't watch. Since this is what keeps fans up at night. Can you imagine being a Marshall fan and thinking to yourself, "Surely, we're not leaving that guy ... F--- me, why do I root for this team?"

I guarantee you that was the exact thought pattern of 95 percent of Marshall fans watching this game.

9. Michigan, poor Michigan.

Remember all that optimism after Michigan started 4-0?

It's gone.

Illinois, a then-1-6 team, physically dominated the mighty Wolverines on Saturday. How so? With 377 rushing yards. Michigan has now lost four of five and the only win came against Delaware State. 6-6 is looking likely. Assuming, that is, Purdue doesn't roll into Ann Arbor and knock that possibility away.

At least basketball season is 'nigh.

10. Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon ran for 252 yards on 33 carries against Kentucky.

That's the second most yards rushing by a player in an SEC game in a decade.

I was at Sneaker's sports bar in Jacksonville while the game was going on. They put it on a small television over my left shoulder. I was watching Tennessee-South Carolina on one of the huge projection screens on the wall. But as the Kentucky-Mississippi State game progressed, my friend and Kentucky alumnus Tardio just got angrier and angrier. First he cursed. Then he started to slam his hands on the table after big runs.

Eventually he just put his hands over his eyes and sighed.

Is there anything worse than watching your team get run on consistently? It's so emasculating, you can actually feel the testosterone running out of your body with each gallop into the open field. This was made all the worse for Kentucky fans because Dan Mullen wore huge puffy gloves that made it appear he was coaching somewhere in the Arctic. I don't mind coats, but do you really need to coach in gloves? Lane Kiffin did the same thing on Saturday. It's the SEC in late October, at worst, it's around 45 degrees if there's a night game. I think your fingers will survive.

Anyway, getting run on is even worse when it's someone like Anthony Dixon who isn't shifty or particularly fast. He runs standing up, like a horse out for a trot in the Bluegrass. Watching his run is the insult equivalent of a middle-finger being slowly extended in your direction while someone does that goofy cranking motion to make the finger rise.

11. What if there was an eight team playoff based on the BCS standings?

Right now, we'd have an awesome set of teams. You'd have traditional powers like Alabama, Florida and Texas. But then you'd have upstart teams like Iowa, Cincinnati, Boise State, Oregon and TCU. Can you imagine how excited those five fanbases would be?

Can you imagine how excited we'd all be?

I'll tell you exactly what you'd feel like -- a quarterback lining up with less than 30 seconds to play in a game when you suddenly realized no one had covered your receiver.

Starting 11: Every Game Counts, Except Some Count More Than Others originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisTue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sakehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pete CarrollHalloween in Eugene began with Oregon coach Chip Kelly disguised as the Duck mascot and ended with USC masquerading as Cal. Pete Carroll's Trojans are not exactly immune from defeat in the Beaver State (0-4 since 2006) but they never lose to a fellow highly ranked Pac-10 foe and they most certainly never get waxed.

That's Jeff Tedford's domain.

Hands continue to wring in the Southland -- the Orange County Register declared that "USC's complete dominance of the league, a dominance unmatched in conference history, is over" -- but I believe that Pete Carroll, much like Michael Myers, will haunt the Pac-10 for many Halloweens to come.

Also, I'd like to suggest a more salient reason for Troy's desultory play of late, one that has nothing to do with the freshman QB, the eight defensive starters lost, or the two new coordinators: jet lag (and that's not a Mark Sanchez reference).

This Saturday, the Trojans will fly to Phoenix to face Arizona State in neighboring Tempe, which will mark their sixth flight of the season. No school among the top dozen in the BCS rankings (USC is No. 12) will play six of its first nine games away from home. And only Boise State, primarily because the Broncos visited Hawaii on October 24, has accrued more frequent-flier mileage.

The Trojans are lax because of LAX. They've covered more miles than Les Miles. They've made two across-three-time-zones treks already (Ohio State and Notre Dame), which equals the total of the other 11 top-12 schools combined (Cincinnati at Oregon State and Boise State at Ohio State).

Below is a table ranking the top 12 in terms of mileage covered, with their actual BCS rankings in parentheses. Distances were rounded off to the nearest hundred miles:

1) Boise State (7)......................................13,400 miles

2) USC (12).............................................11,700

3) Cincinnati (5).........................................9,200

4) TCU (6)................................................8,200

5) LSU (5)................................................5,600

6) Texas (2)..............................................4,900

7) Florida (1).............................................3,800

8 (Tie) Iowa..............................................2,800

Georgia Tech....................................2,800

10) Oregon...............................................2,700

11) Alabama............................................1,800

12) Penn State.........................................1,300

Granted, it's not as if the Trojans were traveling by sleeper car back to South Bend. On the other hand, I'm beginning to wonder if safety Taylor Mays begins pep talks with, "This is your captain speaking."

Maybe Carroll's greatest nemesis may not be the swiftly surging Ducks. Maybe it's his athletic director.

THE ZACH ATTACK
He has only been the starter for 2½ games, but Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros has been outstanding in leading the No. 5 Bearcats to victories against South Florida, Louisville and Syracuse. Since taking over for injured starter Tony Pike, Collaros has completed 75 percent of his passes (47-of-63) for 749 yards and nine touchdown passes versus just one interception. That's the same TD-to-INT ratio that Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame, second in the nation in passing efficiency, has.

Asked when Pike, who himself is currently seventh in the nation in passing efficiency, would play again on Monday, Bearcat coach Brian Kelly offered, "It's hard to say."

STEIN SHINES
Louisville, led by 5-8 walk-on quarterback Will Stein, beat Arkansas State, 21-13. Stein had last seen game action at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium as a local high school senior when he led Trinity to a defeat of St. Xavier in front of 37, 550 fans. Saturday's attendance at the same venue was 21,497.


TRUE BROMANCE
I cannot decide whether Riley Cooper is the Jordan Shipley of the SEC or whether Shipley is the Cooper of the Big 12. Cooper is the Gator wideout with the Head & Shoulders mane who is not only Tim Tebow's primary target, he's also his roommate.

Shipley is the childhood best friend and roommate of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. He is also the Longhorn quarterback's favorite target. All four are straight out of "Friday Night Lights" (it's Jason Street and Tim Riggins come to life). Should Florida and Texas meet in Pasadena for the BCS championship, it'll be a question of whether Brent Musberger utters the term "bromance" during the broadcast or if he'll just refer to them as "pardners."

HMMMMMMM
Ohio State beat New Mexico State 45-0. The spread in Vegas was 44. If only everyone worked as diligently as oddsmakers.

TEMPLE IN NEED OF WORSHIPPERS?
Congrats to Temple for beating Navy. In earning their sixth straight victory, the Owls also became bowl-eligible for the first time since 1979. And so it would seem that their next home game would be an ideally opportune time for the fans in Philadelphia, and not just the Cos, to show their pride.

There's just one small problem. Temple's next home game, versus Miami of Ohio at Lincoln Financial Field, is Thursday night. That also happens to be the scheduled date for Game 7 of the World Series between the Phillies and the New York Yankees ... if necessary.

Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sake originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST Oh, the Humility for Trojanshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ducks-humiliate-usc/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ducks-humiliate-usc/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/ducks-humiliate-usc/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There's no other way to put it. Oregon's football program unequivocally demolished longtime Pac-10 overlord USC 47 to 20 on Saturday, effectively putting the brakes on two major, likely never to be repeated feats the Trojans had accomplished.

USC's record streak of seven Pac-10 championships is likely done, as is its even more impressive run of never losing by more than 11 points in the Pete Carroll era (and never by more than seven points once things really got rolling in 2002).

The Ducks finished with a 27-point winning margin and it easily could have been more. It was a two-sided wholesale destruction few outside of Autzen could have reasonably anticipated given the nature of USC's run these last few years. As a USC guy I knew it had to happen eventually, but I was thinking something like a 14-point loss, something reasonable.


But 27? That's put-your-head-in-a-blender inexplicable. That's just not how USC has ever handled things under Carroll, rarely surrendering 30 points thanks to unprecedented hauls of talent and a system Carroll (and mentor Monte Kiffin) developed to be the vanguard of NFL defenses. Oregon didn't give two hoots and went out there and sent USC's entire aura packing.

Needless to say, the Ducks are now Pac-10 favorites and USC is left likely scrambling to secure a Holiday Bowl or Sun Bowl berth, its first non-BCS appearance since an embarrassing Las Vegas Bowl defeat to Utah after the turnaround 2001 season.

If you're looking for some long-term prognosis here, good luck. At first impression, it sure looks like Oregon's coaching and system is plain better than USC's at this point. Football is a game that constantly evolves but certain fundamentals hold true over time. USC's generally clung to those fundamentals in running straightforward pro-style offenses and defenses. But perhaps that's just a little old school for the moment; even as the trendy spread offenses appear to have waned, here comes Oregon.

Coach Chip Kelly's spread and shred approach has worked wonders since the opening week embarrassment at Boise State, notching a 39-point victory against California, a 46-point victory over Washington State, a 14-point victory at UCLA, a 24-point victory at Washington and now Saturday's 27-point thrashing of USC.

Oregon has violently and aggressively lashed out since the Boise State defeat, emerging as the best non-USC Pac-10 team since the Cal Bears of 2004 who were wrongly left out of the BCS thanks to shameless politics out of Texas coach Mack Brown.

They must now soldier forward with a level head and not embarrass themselves in a tough final stretch again Stanford, Arizona State, Arizona and Civil War rival Oregon State. This is too rare a treasure to squander.

Oh, the Humility for Trojans originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian GrummellSun, 01 Nov 2009 00:32:00 EST No Defense for Trojans as Ducks Romphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-defense-for-trojans-as-ducks-romp/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-defense-for-trojans-as-ducks-romp/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-defense-for-trojans-as-ducks-romp/#commentsFiled under: , ,

OregonEUGENE, Ore.(AP) -- Jeremiah Masoli threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran for 164 more yards with another score and the No. 10 Oregon Ducks ran past No. 4 USC 47-20 for the Trojans' worst loss since 1997.

Redshirt freshman LaMichael James ran for 184 yards and a score as the Ducks (7-1, 5-0 Pacific-10) racked up 391 yards on the ground against the Trojans, who came into the game with the fifth-best rush defense in the nation, allowing an average of just 79.9 yards a game.

Southern California (6-2, 3-2) had not lost a game by more than a touchdown since a 27-16 loss to Notre Dame in 2001, Pete Carroll's first season as Trojans coach. It was USC's worst lost since a 35-7 defeat to Arizona State on Oct. 11, 1997 and the most points allowed by the Trojans in Carroll's tenure.

Oregon remained alone in first and undefeated in the Pac-10, threatening USC's hold on the league championship for the past seven years.

Oregon fans were decked out in special black ``Fright Night'' T-shirts with a duck-and-crossbones motif to commemorate the Halloween night game - billed as the Pac-10's biggest game of the season. Afterward the fans swarmed the field, while a ring of blue-jacketed security guards circled the goal posts.

It turned out to be a Fright Night for USC's defense, which allowed 613 yards.

The Ducks have won seven straight games since an embarrassing 19-8 loss at Boise State in the opener, a game that got uglier when running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Broncos defensive end as he was leaving the field.

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Blount was suspended for the season and Oregon moved on without him. James was his replacement.

USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who earlier this week predicted he would feed off Autzen's deafening noise, completed 21 of 38 passes for 187 yards and two scores. He was intercepted once.

Masoli completed 19 of 31 for Oregon, which had never before scored as many points against the Trojans.

USC went up 3-0 on the its first series of the game on Jordan Congdon's 28-yard field goal. Oregon answered with Morgan Flint's 32-yarder, but the Ducks had squandered their opportunity after Kenjon Barner's 77-yard kickoff return.

Masoli scored on a 3-yard run to put the Ducks up 10-3 late in the first quarter. USC tied it with Barkley's 3-yard pass to Ronald Johnson early in the second.

Oregon went ahead again on Andre Crenshaw's 1-yard scoring run. And USC tied it again at 17 on Barkley's 4-yard pass to Damian Williams.

Masoli found Jamere Holland with a 17-yard touchdown pass to put the Ducks back up 24-17 at the half.

From that point, USC couldn't keep up.

After Oregon extended the lead with Flint's 35-yard field goal, USC narrowed it with Congdon's 39-yarder.

James scored on a 5-yard run and fellow redshirt freshman Kenjon Barner ran for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 41-20 at the close of the third quarter.

Flint had a pair of field goals from 22 and 23 yards out to pad Oregon's lead in the fourth quarter.

Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, who was at the game, said he planned to stay in Eugene to meet with Blount and school officials over possible reinstatement.

Scott says he'll meet with Blount, Oregon counsel, university president Richard Lariviere, athletic director Mike Bellotti and coach Chip Kelly and members of his staff.

He says the university has not made formal moves to reinstate Blount and his role ``completely depends on the university and whether they want the penalty revisited.''

The Trojans have lost four straight in the state of Oregon.

No Defense for Trojans as Ducks Romp originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSun, 01 Nov 2009 00:08:00 EST Oregon-USC Live Blog: How Can You Tell If the Ducks Are in Costume?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/oregon-usc-live-blog-how-can-you-tell-if-the-ducks-are-in-costu/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/oregon-usc-live-blog-how-can-you-tell-if-the-ducks-are-in-costu/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/oregon-usc-live-blog-how-can-you-tell-if-the-ducks-are-in-costu/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oregon DucksEUGENE, Ore. -- Greetings from Autzen Stadium, where just moments ago I was "looking live at Brent Musberger" as we rode up the elevator together. Brent is 70 years young and he hasn't lost an ounce of energy. It's funny. Earlier today ESPN Classic aired a replay of the 1983 NCAA basketball final (Houston-N.C. State), for which Musberger did the play-by-play (on CBS).

That was 26 years ago. And Brent is still getting the primetime gigs. I am an unabashed, unapologetic Musberger fan.

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The weather in Eugene? Cloudy but comfortable. Autzen's press box provides one of the country's prettier views, especially with the backdrop of the fall colors. Notice, by the way, that USC's and Oregon's colors all are in sync with the various hues of leaves this time of year. That is, unless the Ducks wear black this evening.

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Oregon-USC Live Blog: How Can You Tell If the Ducks Are in Costume? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersSat, 31 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST Chip Kelly's Oregon Comeback Nearly Storybook Perfecthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chip-kellys-oregon-comeback-nearly-storybook-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chip-kellys-oregon-comeback-nearly-storybook-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/chip-kellys-oregon-comeback-nearly-storybook-perfect/#commentsFiled under: ,

Chip KellyEUGENE, Ore. -- Those football coaches who at least make an attempt at opening a book whose primary letters are not X and O often reach for biographies. Famous military leaders are popular.

Earlier this season Chip Kelly was reading, even committing to memory, a children's book. On the coffee table in his office here, the first-year Oregon coach kept a copy of "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

Certainly Kelly can relate. In his sideline debut Kelly, 45, had a terrible, horrible, no good, cable-news-channel-attention-getting, very, very bad day.

And he has not had one since. But we are getting ahead of the story.

Thursday night, Sept. 3, Boise, Idaho. There, Kelly endured the most disastrous first day on the job anyone has experienced before a prime-time, national television audience since Lucy and Ethel tried to wrap chocolates on a conveyor belt. That Kelly had never been a head football coach at any level and that Boise State had won 50 of its previous 51 home games only augmented the curiosity factor. Would the man whom current athletic director Mike Bellotti handpicked to be his successor be a success or not?

At halftime the Ducks still had not scored a point. They had yet to even gain a first down -- and Kelly's area of expertise was supposedly offense. In the moments after the 19-8 Duck loss, on a night in which players from both teams had met at midfield before the coin toss to partake in a handshake to demonstrate sportsmanship, Duck tailback LeGarrette Blount sucker-punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout .

After only 60 minutes, Kelly had failed to demonstrate that he could put a competitive team on the field or that he had command of his team. The Blount incident, which has been replayed more frequently this season than even Tim Tebow's concussion, was particularly ugly.

The following week, Oregon alumnus Anthony Seminary, '96, e-mailed Kelly (which anyone can do; Kelly's e-mail address is right there on Oregon's athletic site on his bio page) to express his displeasure. "I was so angry with the game [even before the post-game melee]," Seminary, who lives in Portland, wrote, "I am sending you an invoice for my trip to Boise. The product on the field Thursday night is not something I was at all proud of, and I feel as though I'm entitled to my money back for the trip."

Seminary included an invoice for $439. Kelly's reply was succinct. "What's your address?" By week's end Seminary was holding a check for $439 from one Charles Kelly.

The transformation has been incredible. In eight weeks, Kelly has gone from a guy who seemed to be in utterly over his head on opening night to a coach who has done nothing but win games and admirers.

Winning games helps, certainly. Since the Boise State debacle the Ducks, minus their leading rusher of a year ago in Blount, and with their starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, often out due to injury, have won six straight games. They've ended the nation's longest win streak (Utah's, which was 16 games at the time) and then positively embarrassed then-No. 6 Cal, 42-3. If Oregon, now No. 10, beats No. 4 USC on Saturday here, Kelly's heroes will have the inside track to the Rose Bowl. They'd still even be in the running for the BCS championship game.

How Kelly has handled Blount -- first suspending him for the rest of the season, in effect ending his collegiate career, and then three weeks later holding out an olive branch of potential reinstatement -- is more impressive. On Oct. 1, it was reported that Blount, whom Kelly had swiftly and decisively suspended for the entire season just a few days after the Hout incident, might possibly be reinstated for Oregon's final four games if, according to Kelly, he met certain agreed-upon conditions.

Kelly, blathered the sports-talk heads, was compromising himself by failing to honor the sentence he had originally imposed. Showing favoritism to a stud player who could help the Ducks in the thick of the Pac-10 race.

That afternoon Kelly appeared on "Pardon the Interruption." He calmly explained to the hosts, Kornheiser and Wilbon, that he had always intended to reinstate Blount. However, if he had set a possible reinstatement date then he would never know if that was the sole reason for a suddenly contrite Blount, who'd had behavioral issues before. Kelly's plan was to not dangle a carrot and see if Blount reformed for the right reasons.



You can choose not to believe that -- especially if you attend school in Corvallis. I am going to take Kelly at his word. What has come across as self-evident since that night in Boise is that he is not influenced by outside opinion. The New Hampshire native has a manner of doing things his own way, even though his boss (Bellotti) happens to be the most successful coach in school history.

Less than a year into the job, Kelly appears enthused, committed and balanced. He will personally step into a lecture hall once a week or so to take attendance with his players. He runs a detention hour on Friday evenings in the offseason (and Monday nights in season) that is basically an extended sweat session for players who miss meetings or are late to practice. It may be punitive, but at the end of the session Kelly will assemble everyone for a "team photo." He'll discuss an episode of "Entourage" with as much passion as he will what uniform colors the Ducks should go with in a particular week (after all, what coach has more choices?).

It is shaping up to be a terrific, happy, not bad, very good season for coaches named Kelly: Brian in Cincinnati and Chip in Eugene. The question is, Who among us ever thought we'd be saying that about both after that Thursday night in Boise?

Chip Kelly's Oregon Comeback Nearly Storybook Perfect originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chip kellyJohn WaltersFri, 30 Oct 2009 15:53:00 EST In Perry, Blount Still a Hometown Herohttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/even-now-blount-is-still-hometown-hero/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/even-now-blount-is-still-hometown-hero/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/even-now-blount-is-still-hometown-hero/#commentsFiled under:

LaGarrette BlountPERRY, Fla. -- As LeGarrette Blount follows the corrective measures that may signal his return to the Oregon football team next month, residents in this small, coastal city off Highway 27 still don't understand what triggered The Punch. Mark Southerland, a local businessman, School Board member and Taylor County High School resident historian, waited two days after Blount's meltdown on national television before he telephoned.

Blount recognized the 850 area code and number and immediately answered. Southerland didn't want to know why. Never asked, in fact. Instead, Southerland, who played football with Blount's father Gary at Taylor County in the mid-1970s and considers himself a family friend, offered advice and support. A remorseful Blount, 2,357 miles from his Florida safety net in Eugene, Ore., quietly listened.

"I told him three things," Southerland, 49, said in an interview with FanHouse.

"No. 1, you learn from every mistake that you make and you need to learn from this. No. 2, they are allowing you to get your education, so get it. And, No. 3, you need to stay in the best shape of your life because the pros won't get to see you run on Saturdays, so they are going to attend practice to see you. They don't want troublemakers in the pros.

"LaGarrette's not that way at all."

Of course, Blount was that way for an unforgettable moment during the evening of Sept. 3. Nobody in their right mind has debated otherwise. Even Blount, after the fact, quickly admitted he "lost his head."

Oregon at Boise State, in a game that kicked off the 2009 college football season. Celebrating the 19-8 victory on the Broncos' trademark blue turf, defensive end Byron Hout yelled in Blount's face and tapped him on the shoulder pad. Before Boise State coach Chris Petersen could pull Hout away, Blount landed a right to Hout's jaw, knocking him to his knees, his eyes rolling up in his head. A clearly agitated Blount also had to be restrained by teammates and police from fans heckling him on the way to the locker room.

It was not the first time Blount had been in trouble at Oregon. Former Ducks' coach Mike Bellotti benched Blount for three quarters against Cal last season and suspended him indefinitely in February for "failure to follow team obligations." But the running back seemed more comfortable with his new coach, Chip Kelly, earning praise for his improved attitude under Kelly and making the outburst all the more unexpected.

Well past midnight on the East Coast, Southerland had already gone to bed. He was in for a rude awakening.

Mark SoutherlandIronically, it was only a week or so earlier when Blount, on a whirlwind visit home, stopped in Southerland's furniture store on the north edge of town. Southerland, also a memorabilia dealer, has compiled video of every Taylor County High football game since 1961. (He also has every yearbook since 1948).

Southerland gave Blount a DVD of his father's Bulldog career (1974-77), which ended in defeat against Bartow High in the state finals. If LaGarrette Blount's not the best football player to hail from Taylor County, the third largest in the nation by acreage, but with just under 20,000 residents -- 6,500 in the Perry city limits -- then Gary Blount just might be.

Gary was a 6-foot-3, 250-pound middle linebacker. He also kicked off. He had glasses, a wide smile and wore a hat everywhere he went, even on the football sidelines when not in the game. Legend has it that Blount split an opponent's helmet on a block and routinely sailed kickoffs out of the stadium. Both are true, Southerland said. "When he hit people, they stopped," he said.

The difference between old man and son was speed. LaGarrette Blount, a 6-foot-2, 246-pounder, is a unique blend of power and quickness.

That's why Blount, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2008 with promising pro potential, smiled and, in his deep voice, told Southerland he couldn't wait for the season to start. But that's all he can do now. Wait -- and make the mature, sound decisions that may help him get back on the field for the last four games of the regular season.

His senior season at the moment?

One game. One defeat. Eight carries for minus-5 yards. And one sucker punch.

The video went viral the next day, seemingly streaming non-stop across the Internet and televisions from coast to coast. It also served as a parody for late-night talk shows. Kelly, in his first season as Oregon's head coach, told a sobbing Blount that, after reviewing tape of the altercation, he was suspended for the season.

"Totally stunned," Southerland said when he watched the replay that next morning for the first time.

"I saw the news and fell out of my seat. No way do you expect that from him. No way. I don't know what the guy said to him, but whatever it was. ... that was totally out of character. He's yes-sir, no-sir. Humble. If he's fooled me, he's done a good job."

Taylor High School principal Michael Thompson, 51, a former prep football player at Rickards, an hour's ride north to Tallahassee, also watched the replay in disbelief. Blount had sat across from Thompson in the Principal's office many times during Blount's prep days.

"It wasn't the young man I know. I have never seen that explosive side. ... He has already lost a lot but, given a second opportunity, he won't make this mistake again."
- Michael Thompson, Blount's high school principal A four-year starter and three-time 1,000-yard rusher, Blount was popular with teachers and classmates. He was on the homecoming court. He wasn't perfect -- what high schoolers are? -- but he wasn't a bad apple by any means. He later volunteered to serve meals at the local Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce meetings and also returned to talk to students.

Thompson and Blount chatted about academics, athletics and goals.

"He was a C-average student but he could have been a lot better if he worked at it," said Thompson, who oversees 685 high school students. There are 3,200 students in the Taylor County public school system, from Pre-K to 12th grade.

"I told him with your size and speed, you can do whatever you want to because scholarships are going to come your way. But don't forget about your education," Thompson continued. "His goal was to play professional football. That was achievable but I told him he needed to stay focused in college to give himself that opportunity.

"When I saw [the news], it wasn't the young man I know. I have never seen that explosive side. If I had the opportunity to talk to him right now, I'd tell him again there's always obstacles in life. You have to be accountable with how you respond. You must think, then react -- not react, then think. He has already lost a lot but, given a second opportunity, he won't make this mistake again.

"Even if you fall down, get your butt up, dust yourself off and keep going. You owe that to yourself."

Kelly said he hoped Blount's ultimate legacy "won't be a YouTube clip of what happened to him on September 3rd in Boise, Idaho." On Friday, Oct. 2, Kelly discussed a plan that would give Blount an opportunity to be reinstated to the program later this season, provided he continues to follow a plan set in place after the first game.

Blount has been participating in Oregon practice as a member of the scout team and has been attending classes under scholarship. No. 13 Oregon, off this week, has ripped off five consecutive victories since the Boise State debacle.

Southerland is grateful for Kelly's change of heart.

"Coach didn't give up on him and I told LeGarrette not to give up on himself," Southerland said.

Blount hasn't stopped apologizing for his indiscretion, even writing to the student newspaper, The Emerald, and asking the Oregon community for its forgiveness. He has undergone anger management counseling. He telephoned Hout and Petersen to apologize and consulted with Kermit Washington, a former NBA star known primarily for punching Rudy Tomjanovich, as well as Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Dr. Harry Edwards on how he can learn from his mistake and move on. He's also on course to graduate with honors, according to Southerland.

Taylor County High School"When he returns he always comes by to see us, to offer support and encouragement to the kids, and I just think that's part of his personality. I can't imagine what happened that day," said Debra Mash, an administrative assistant at Taylor County High. Janet Johnstono, in her 11th year in the school's computer lab, added, "LeGarrette was always respectful when he was here, and honestly, I don't think he realizes the potential that he has."

Gary Blount and wife Barbara declined to be interviewed for this story. Mark Southerland's son Drew, 20, a sophomore starting offensive lineman during Blount's senior season in 2005, keeps in touch with Blount and former teammates and classmates on Facebook.

"He was a beast on the football field but a friend off," said Drew, whose younger brother Tony currently plays for the Bulldogs, rejuvenated under first-year coach Shane Boggs. The program has undergone two coaching changes since Blount attended Taylor County.

"He was always above everyone, physically and athletically," continued Drew, who resides in Tampa but had returned home for a few days. "I've never seen him do anything like what I saw that night [against Boise]. Never. He had his chances, too, because his trigger could have been pulled with what some of stuff these teams did to him [during games], going after his knees. The cheap shots. He could have blown up, but he never did."

Following his prep career, Blount didn't meet academic requirements and attended East Mississippi Community College, where he rushed for 2,292 yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons and was named the country's top JUCO running back by Rivals.com. With coaches from both schools in attendance, Blount could have signed with Florida State, but instead opted for a fresh start in the Northwest at Oregon.

The Punch has certainly changed the ending. Nobody knows or wants to venture to guess what Hout shouted at Blount. Still, all may not be lost.

"When I talked to LeGarrette -- I've talked to him twice now -- he told me that he didn't want to come home," Southerland said.

"He knew if he did, he may never leave. He has proven himself to me and has changed my mind. I even told his mother that, honestly, I didn't think he'd ever make it academically when he left Taylor County. I thought he'd flunk out and be home. I am proud of him, and many others are, too. [The Punch] happened. I know he regrets it.

"I just want to let him know that we are thinking about him and a lot of people in town are keeping him in mind and in our prayers."
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In Perry, Blount Still a Hometown Hero originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>LaGarrette BlountLagarretteBlountJim HenryThu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST LeGarrette Blount May Play for Oregon This Season After Allhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/legarrette-blount-may-play-for-oregon-this-season-after-all/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/legarrette-blount-may-play-for-oregon-this-season-after-all/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/legarrette-blount-may-play-for-oregon-this-season-after-all/#commentsFiled under:

Oregon coach Chip Kelly has had a change of heart, saying today that he might allow running back LeGarrette Blount to play this season even though he previously announced that Blount was suspended for the entire year for punching a Boise State player following the season opener.

Blount is one of Oregon's most talented players, so if he plays again this season it will certainly help Oregon win more games. But Kelly insisted at a press conference Friday that he wasn't motivated by anything other than a desire to do what experts told him was the best thing for Blount:
"After speaking with a number of nationally renowned professionals in the field, which included Dr. Harry Edwards and Tony Dungy, I came to the conclusion that leaving the door open for LeGarrette's potential return as an active player was the best solution," Kelly said.

"He has a rigid set of conditions he must live up to and there are certainly no guarantees in place. This merely provides him the opportunity for my reconsideration in the future should he meet those demands."
Blount has continued to go to class and practice with the team, and Kelly says that if he continues to follow all team rules, he can play again starting on November 7 against Stanford. If he's back against Stanford, that would constitute a seven-game suspension -- still a stiff sentence, but one that gives Blount a chance to have a meaningful impact on the Oregon team this season. If he's a model citizen for the next month, that's a chance he deserves.

LeGarrette Blount May Play for Oregon This Season After All originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithFri, 02 Oct 2009 15:51:00 EST LeGarrette Blount Formally Apologizeshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/legarrette-blount-formally-apologizes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/legarrette-blount-formally-apologizes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/legarrette-blount-formally-apologizes/#commentsFiled under: ,



LeGarrette Blount, the Oregon running back who became the talk of college football when he punched a Boise State player on the field after the Ducks' season-opening loss, apologized today for that punch in an open letter published by Oregon's student newspaper. Blount accepted full responsibility, and he said nothing said by Boise State's Byron Hout justified Blount punching him.

Blount wrote in the Daily Emerald:
There is no justification for my behavior - not the "heat of the moment," not the "agony of defeat," and definitely not anything said or done by an opponent.

Being a student-athlete at the University of Oregon should be about being a good student working to positively represent the University and its football program under coach Chip Kelly, and handling both victories and defeats with sportsmanship, class, and character. That night, I used poor judgment and lost self-control. My actions reflected poorly upon my teammates, our football program, and our University. And for this, I offer my sincerest apologies and heartfelt regrets.
Blount deserves credit for his apology, and especially for his refusal to blame Hout, who started the whole incident by grabbing Blount's shoulder and taunting him. He's suspended for the rest of the football season, but Blount sounds like a young man who still wants to make the most of his senior year at Oregon.

LeGarrette Blount Formally Apologizes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutByronHoutLeGarrette BlountLegarretteBlountMichael David SmithThu, 01 Oct 2009 15:49:00 EST Battle for Respect Turns Into Cal-amityhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/cal-not-all-its-quacked-up-to-be/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/cal-not-all-its-quacked-up-to-be/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/cal-not-all-its-quacked-up-to-be/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Take a big thick red marker and draw a line through California on the list of top Pac-10 football teams looking to gain some national respect this season.

Isn't that what you do to fraudulent programs that fail to show up in statement games?

Well, that's what happened to Cal, who entered the weekend undefeated and ranked sixth in the AP poll but got hammered by unranked Oregon, 42-3, in a game that wasn't even that close at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

While Cal blew a chance to step up in the national landscape, the Ducks took full advantage of their opportunity.

After basically being written off at the start of the season following a disappointing loss at Boise State, which was overshadowed by LeGarrette Blount's post-game punch and season-long suspension, Oregon has now won three games in a row, which include back-to-back wins over ranked teams (Utah and Cal).

"The rankings don't matter to us," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said after the Ducks accounted for 524 total yards and held Cal to 206. "We knew we were going to win this game, we just made it happen. It's all about preparation."

To say that the Ducks gave Cal coach Jeff Tedford's mysterious team a beat down would be a major understatement. It was the Bears' most lopsided defeat ever under Tedford and the program's worst since USC beat Cal, 55-14, in 2001.
"The rankings don't matter to us ... We knew we were going to win this game, we just made it happen. It's all about preparation."
-Chip Kelley
"It all came down to us executing," Cal offensive lineman Mike Tepper said. "We'll take a look at film and learn from it. I've never been shut out before. This is definitely a huge learning experience.

"[Oregon's] guys were lighter and faster. But in the end, we shot ourselves in the foot left and right ... we just got beat. We got beat bad."

The Bears, who dropped to 3-1, looked good early when they forced an Oregon fumble on the opening kickoff and capitalized on the turnover to take a 3-0 lead.

But then everything seemed to fall apart for Cal on both sides of the ball and the player who hurt the Bears the most was Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

Starting with his struggles at Boise State to open the season, Masoli's stock had dropped considerably heading into Saturday's game: the Ducks had the Pac-10's worst passing offense, averaging 128 yards per game, and Masoli had completed less than 50 percent of his passes without a touchdown this season.

Masoli and the Ducks' offense rediscovered their game against the Bears, who looked confused and unprepared for most of the contest.

Masoli completed 21 of 25 passes for 253 yards with three touchdowns going to tight end Ed Dickson, who finished with 11 catches for a career-high 148 yards. Oregon also ran the ball well with LaMichael James rushing for 118 of the team's 238 yards gained on the ground.

"On offense the sky's the limit for us," Masoli said after the game. "We're the only ones who can hurt us. These last couple of weeks we've been in a funk, but today we moved past that."

Getting the ball to Dickson early and often played a key role in Oregon's passing attack. Listed at 6-5 and 243 pounds with 4.5 speed in the 40, Dickson is a matchup headache for any defense. But until Saturday, Dickson had been missing in action this season.

That was not the case against Cal.
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"I think he is the best tight end in the Pac-10," Kelly said about Dickson, who had only four catches in three games prior to Saturday. "He is a game-changer at that position."

Cal's game-changer, Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best, was never a factor against the Ducks. After rushing for a career-high five touchdowns in Cal's win at Minnesota last week, Best was limited to 55 yards against Oregon, which limited him from any breakaway runs.

And with Best held in check, the Bears turned into an average team with a suspect quarterback in Kevin Riley, who completed only 12 of 31 passes for 123 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Fortunately for the Bears, they will not have to wait long to redeem themselves because they host USC next week in Berkeley.

"I still have confidence in our guys," Tedford said about his team. "We'll go back to work this week with a good attitude and a lot of focus. I love this team, and I love our kids. It's one loss. It's a tough loss so we'll make sure we work extremely hard next week."

Battle for Respect Turns Into Cal-amity originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Lonnie WhiteSat, 26 Sep 2009 23:16:00 EST Duck! Oregon Dismantles No. 6 Calhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/duck-oregon-dismantles-no-6-cal/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/duck-oregon-dismantles-no-6-cal/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/duck-oregon-dismantles-no-6-cal/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cal might've been looking ahead to next week's showdown with suddenly vulnerable USC, but they certainly sucked all the excitement out of it after getting whipped by the throwback jersey-wearing Oregon Ducks, 42-3.

They probably did just as much harm to Jahvid Best's Heisman campagin. The Ducks shut down the star running back, holding him to 55 yards and also battered Bears' quarterback Kevin Riley into a feeble 123-yard outing.

Saturday's victory is part of a stunning turnaround for Oregon, following its opening night embarrassment against Boise, a game marred by offensive ineptitude and LeGarrette Blount's sucker punch heard 'round the world. Since then, Oregon has beaten Purdue, Utah and now California. Amusingly, the Ducks dominated Cal in a manner similar to how Boise State handled them.

The takeaway here is that Cal's shaky passing game was thoroughly exposed, with Riley looking like another link in the chain of suspect Cal quarterbacks since the departure of Aaron Rodgers after 2004. The Duck defenders harassed him all afternoon and he made little headway in connecting to a mostly anonymous group of receivers.

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But it all started with shutting down Best. His afternoon wasn't a complete flop but 55 yards on 15 carries just won't cut it when he's such a critical part of the Bear offense. Most will likely write his Heisman hopes off, but he still has a shot. Much depends on the other candidates, however and both Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have done little to suggest they won't be in New York.

The Ducks have clearly moved past the Blount situation, riding freshman back LaMichael James to a 118-yard afternoon, his second 100-plus yard outing in as many games. Even more impressive, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli went off, hitting 21 of 25 passes with three touchdowns in an extremely efficient effort. Oregon's passing game was supposedly exposed by Boise State, but perhaps it was merely dormant as Masoli struck early, before the run game was firmly established. His main target was versatile tight end Ed Dickson who had a career outing, catching 11 balls for 148 yards and all three of Masoli's touchdowns.

He shredded the Bears defense, reminiscent of recent USC tight end Fred Davis, who had several 100-plus-yard games of his own his senior year on the way to the Mackey Award.

The trio of name victories should be sufficient to launch Oregon into the polls this week, as the Ducks look forward to games against Washington State, UCLA, Washington and USC in October.

Duck! Oregon Dismantles No. 6 Cal originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Aaron RodgersColt McCoyEd DicksonFred DavisHeismanJahvid BestJeremiah MasoliKevin RileyLaMichael JamesLeGarrette BlountMackey AwardTim TebowBrian GrummellSat, 26 Sep 2009 20:43:00 EST Oregon Coach Pays Fan for Ducks' Flophttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/chip-kelly-pays-fan-for-ducks-flop/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/chip-kelly-pays-fan-for-ducks-flop/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/chip-kelly-pays-fan-for-ducks-flop/#commentsFiled under: ,

Chip KellyWe've all been there, angry over the money we spent to follow a team that plays like absolute crap. Most of us hold our quiet rage inside, some of us head for the message boards, other, more practical fans, send a business invoice seeking a refund from their head football coach for the cost of their trip. Wait, what? Meet Oregon fan and graduate Tony Seminary, who sent Oregon head coach Chip Kelly an e-mail with an attached business invoice itemizing his expenses for his trip to go see Oregon play Boise State, a game they lost 19-8. Seminary's invoice totaled $439.

His e-mail to Chip Kelly, courtesy of Spencer Hall at EDSBS, read as follows:

I was so angry with the game (even before the post-game melee) I am sending you an invoice for my trip to Boise. The product on the field Thursday night is not something I was at all proud of, and I feel as though I'm entitled to my money back for the trip. Please see my invoice attached in this email. I will happily send along receipts if need be.

That's when the story gets interesting. Chip Kelly responded with a personal check made out to Seminary in the amount of the invoice, $439.

A dumbfounded Seminary has not cashed the check -- he plans on framing it and hanging it on his wall -- but Kelly has won his lasting respect. So much so that he's requesting other fans not send their own invoices. "He could lose every game 50-0 and he'd still be my coach, our coach, through thick and thin."
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Since refunding Seminary's expenses from his personal checking account, Kelly's Ducks have won two consecutive games, victories over Purdue and Utah, respectively. So maybe karma really does play a role in college football.

In entirely unrelated news, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis just opened up a brand new checking account.

Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.

Oregon Coach Pays Fan for Ducks' Flop originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chip kellyTony SeminaryClay TravisTue, 22 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST Still No Word on What Byron Hout Said to Set LeGarrette Blount Offhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/09/still-no-word-on-what-byron-hout-said-to-set-legarrette-blount-o/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/09/still-no-word-on-what-byron-hout-said-to-set-legarrette-blount-o/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/09/still-no-word-on-what-byron-hout-said-to-set-legarrette-blount-o/#commentsFiled under: ,



LeGarrette Blount has been suspended for the remainder of Oregon's football season for punching Boise State's Byron Hout in an ugly post-game incident that has been played over and over again on ESPN and YouTube. But in all those re-playings of the incident, we still haven't learned what Hout said to Blount to provoke such an act. And there's speculation that Hout said something every bit as ugly as Blount's reaction.

The speculation started almost immediately after Thursday night's incident, with Bob Rickert of The Oregonian writing this:
The most circulated and not denied by those inside the Boise State program is that Hout asked Blount how his dead family member was doing. The one he buried just a few weeks ago. Asking how someone's recently dead family member is. Very classy Boise State. Well done. The second rumor not denied by Boise State's program is that Hout dropped the N bomb.
Those are awfully serious allegations about Hout, and they've been made elsewhere, including at the San Francisco Chronicle, where a blog post by Zennie Abraham was hedlined, "Was Oregon's LeGarrette Blount called the N-word by Boise State's Byron Hout?"

That reaction came last week, but even after a long weekend, it hasn't died down. The Big Lead and the Chicago Sun-Times both have pieces up this morning calling on Hout and Boise State to come forward and explain what, exactly, Hout said.

I want to give Hout the benefit of the doubt and believe he wouldn't say what he's been accused of saying, but I also agree with those who say it's time for Hout to explain himself. Boise State coach Chris Petersen runs a good program and has acted responsibly through all of this, quickly jumping in to restrain Hout at the time and acknowledging immediately after the game that his own player was partially responsible for the incident. Now it's time for Petersen to tell Hout to fully explain himself.

And after that, let's hope Blount and Hout can both put the incident behind them.

UPDATE: The Oregonian has now removed the post that started all this speculation.

Still No Word on What Byron Hout Said to Set LeGarrette Blount Off originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutByronHoutChris PetersenChrisPetersenLeGarrette BlountLegarretteBlountMichael David SmithWed, 09 Sep 2009 11:35:00 EST College Football Twitter Mailbag: LeGarrette Blount Punch Reactionhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/college-football-twitter-mailbag-legarrette-blount-punch-reacti/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/college-football-twitter-mailbag-legarrette-blount-punch-reacti/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/05/college-football-twitter-mailbag-legarrette-blount-punch-reacti/#commentsFiled under: ,

College football fans had plenty to say about Thursday night's Boise State-Oregon game, which turned ugly afterward when Oregon's LeGarrette Blount responded to a taunt from Boise State's Byron Hout by leveling him with a vicious punch.

Blount is now suspended for the rest of the season, and that led to a lot of interesting questions and comments for my college football Twitter mailbag, which is below.

pudge44: Hout taunted him, but it doesn't matter. Blount's career is probably over.
You tweeted this Friday morning, and Friday afternoon Oregon coach Chip Kelly proved you right. Blount's college football career has come to an end, and he now has to hope some NFL team will pay more attention to his talent than to his troubling behavior.

JasonArmistead: Hout provoked him and should remember if he is going to talk trash to leave his helmet on. Blunt should get KO of night.
You're right, Hout provoked Blount. And I had a high school coach who said players should leave their helmets on in those situations. Players are hot and sweaty after a game and want to get their helmets off, but it's never a bad idea to leave them on until they're off the field.

Most of the feedback I got was from people who think Oregon did the right thing by suspending Blount for the rest of the year:

DamonMartin: Blount got what he deserved. That was a scumbag cheap shot.
bassinlady: I agree with the coach's decision-that's not what it's all about
padrickbrewer: The season-long suspension is a perfect punishment. Doesn't mean that punch wasn't awesome though.
SHUICHIMO: If you're a player and cannot control your anger, you should not play, those things come with the territory
KeithRedd: Absolutely should be banned. A pattern of trouble is a pattern of trouble. He had his chances.
dustinjames: As a hardcore Ducks fan, I have to agree with the punishment. Mainly due to his actions after the punch.
It was totally reprehensible for Blount to punch Hout, but I have mixed feelings about whether or not he really deserved a season-long suspension. Blount is far from the first football player to throw a punch, and I don't recall many others who have been suspended for a full season for one punch.

On the other hand, I see a few differences between the Blount case and other instances of players punching opponents:
1. Blount's punch was on national TV and played on an endless loop on ESPN the next day.
2. Blount didn't just punch Hout; he also shoved a teammate and had to be restrained from going after a Boise State fan.
3. Blount had already been warned during the off-season that he was on thin ice and needed to meet all of his obligations as an Oregon player.

That combination of factors is what led to Blount's banishment. And I heard from some readers who didn't think a one-year suspension went far enough:

mmahotstuff: Totally agree with him getting banned. Frankly he should be arrested for assault.
ArkCowboy: Blount should be prosecuted and not just suspended
This is an interesting issue that several readers raised. In any other work place, if you punch someone from a rival company, you're facing criminal charges. Why is it that in sports, the legal system doesn't get involved?

Finally, let's not forget Hout's role in all this:

yankeesgod2622: Byron Hout had it coming.You don't grab someone and start talking s**t after you just beat them.
I wouldn't go quite so far as to say he had it coming, but he certainly provoked the incident by taunting Blount. I was a little surprised that Boise State didn't suspend Hout for a game to send its own strong message, but I do admire Boise State coach Chris Petersen for acknowledging that Hout was partially to blame.

WatchKalibRun: I think the real culprit is the blue field+blue uniforms. It completely ruins your depth perception!
As Norman Chad would say, Pay the man, Shirley.
Want to be part of our next college football Twitter mailbag? Post a question or comment on Twitter.com, and be sure to start it with @MichaelDavSmith.

College Football Twitter Mailbag: LeGarrette Blount Punch Reaction originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutByronHoutcollege football twittercollege football twitter mailbagCollegeFootballTwitterCollegeFootballTwitterMailbagLeGarrette BlountLegarretteBlounttwitter mailbagTwitterMailbagMichael David SmithSat, 05 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST What About Hout? Broncos Fumble Teachable Momenthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/what-about-hout-sportsmanship-goes-both-ways/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/what-about-hout-sportsmanship-goes-both-ways/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/what-about-hout-sportsmanship-goes-both-ways/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's funny how the level of sportsmanship can be viewed depending on which side of the field you stand.

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount was completely wrong for his actions following Boise State's 19-8 victory over the Ducks on Thursday.

No one can question that Blount's knockdown punch on the Broncos' Byron Hout and his follow-up act that caused him to be dragged off the field deserved punishment. And, Oregon's season-long suspension of Blount may be stern but not out of line.

But people should also question Boise State's decision to not suspend Hout and to only discipline him internally.

Doesn't sportsmanship go both ways?

The incident began when Hout deliberately walked up to Blount and taunted him after the game. It would have been one thing if Hout only taunted Blount, but the Boise State player made sure that he drove his point home with a cocky left-hand push at the same time.

Once Hout touched Blount, he crossed the line of sportsmanship and it proved to not be a wise move when the Oregon senior responded with a right-hand punch to Hout's jaw.

Anyone who has played a competitive team sport has probably been involved or witnessed some type of fight before, during or after a game. I know that I have.

It happened when I played quarterback for Asbury Park High School in New Jersey and again when I was a wide receiver playing for the University of Southern California.

My high school team's roster was filled with African-American players and we often played against all-white teams. Many of our games were filled with racial tension, but Asbury Park's head coach, George Conti Jr., made sure that we kept our poise and played with sportsmanship.

That was until my final game of my senior year. In a state championship final (a game Asbury lost), some of my teammates finally gave in to the pressure and fought back. After years of enduring unprovoked racial comments and three seasons of having touchdowns called back due to phantom penalties, a teammate punched down an opponent after being taunted but not touched.

As a team, we felt good that someone had lost his cool but what I remember most is the disappointing look coach Conti had on his face. Conti had always told his team not to fight back unless someone had physically done something to us. And that night, my teammate was wrong and we all knew it.

Fast-forward five years. I am now a fifth-year senior playing for USC against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins are winning by more than a touchdown and it's late in the second half when I catch a pass from quarterback Rodney Peete near the UCLA sideline.

As I was tackled and knocked into a crowd of UCLA players, I was kicked and punched a couple of times before I could get back on my feet. Every blow was a cheap shot. Peete, along with a couple of USC teammates, came to my aide and the next thing I knew, a small brawl had began on the UCLA sideline.

The fight did not last long and game officials gave matching misconduct penalties to both teams. But I will never forget the assault and how it caught me by surprise.

After the game, my USC coach, Ted Tollner, never said a word to me. Never asked what started the ruckus or even if I was OK. Tollner talked about sportsmanship all the time but when it came time to defend his belief, he was silent.

That brings me back to Blount and Hout.

When watching Blount walk off the field following the Ducks' dismal effort against Boise State, it was clear that he had his head down and was not looking for trouble.

Although Blount had helped spark tension leading up to the game when he told Sports Illustrated that "we owe that team a [butt] whoopin" as payback for the Broncos' victory over the Ducks in 2008, he was not doing any trash talking once the game ended.

If Hout had followed true sportsmanship, Blount would not have socked him. Plain and simple.But Hout had a different agenda. Once he made contact with Blount, Hout moved into the gray area of sportsmanship and Boise State coach Chris Petersen seemed to realize that by the way he grabbed his player before Blount's knockdown blow.

If Hout had followed true sportsmanship, Blount would not have socked him. Plain and simple.

That's why Petersen's decision to not suspend Hout (for at least a game) does not make any sense to me.

Not any more than the AFCA's decision to get both teams to take part in a sportsmanship handshake before kickoff. Football is a violent collision sport that requires a certain state of mind to play. Having players go through a half-hearted goodwill handshake minutes before going into battle was a recipe for a disaster and it turned into one on Thursday.

Hopefully, we all learned something from this.

Sportsmanship is for everyone. It's not just for the people who talk about it the most or for people who land the hardest punch.

Instead of having organizations like the AFCA install hollow pregame gestures, football needs more coaches like George Conti Jr. who make players responsible and less like Petersen and Tollner, who do a good job of sending mixed messages about the meaning of sportsmanship all of the time.

Lonnie White is a five-time national award-winning sportswriter who worked for the Los Angeles Times for 21 years and is the author of the book, "UCLA vs. USC: 75 Years of the Greatest Rivalry in Sports".
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What About Hout? Broncos Fumble Teachable Moment originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutLeGarrette BlountLonnie WhiteFri, 04 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST Blount Suspended for Season, Likely Ruining NFL Chanceshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-suspends-blount-for-season/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-suspends-blount-for-season/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-suspends-blount-for-season/#commentsFiled under: ,


The University of Oregon has suspended running back LeGarrette Blount for the 2009 season as a result of the post-game punch he delivered to Boise State's Byron Hout following the Broncos' 19-8 victory Thursday night in Idaho.

After reviewing Blount's actions, the Ducks suspended the senior running back for the remainder of the season, including any bowl games. Oregon officials made the decision Friday following talks with Pacific-10 commissioner Larry Scott, who attended the game.

Oregon first-year coach Chip Kelly said Blount will continue to play a role in the school's football program and remain on scholarship throughout the remainder of the year.
White: Boise State Fumbles Teachable Moment

Blount will also continue to have access to all of the university's support services provided to all student-athletes, will be allowed to take part in all team activities, including practice with the team, and will be held accountable to all team rules and regulations.

However, he will not be allowed to participate in any games, including a possible bowl game.

In a statement , school president Richard Lariviere called Blount's behavior "reprehensible".

"We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. Oregon's loyal fans expect and deserve better," Lariviere said.

Blount's punch came following a game that featured a good sportsmanship gesture before kickoff, thanks to the American Football Coaches Association's initiative that called for both teams shaking hands at midfield.

Once the game ended, Blount and Houk hooked up in a bad way when the teams walked onto the field.

Hout initiated the incident when he said something to Blount and taunted him with a push to the chest. Boise State coach Chris Petersen immediately grabbed Hout, but it only gave Blount an opening as he landed a right-hand punch to Hout's jaw, dropping him..

Earlier Friday, Petersen said Hout will be disciplined internally for his actions but will not miss any game time.

"We're not good with it," Petersen said about Hout's taunting of Blount. "It always takes two to tangle. Those are things we preach about every day around here. We just need to keep our mouths closed ... and let our play speak for itself.

"I'm sure [Blount] would give his right arm to take that whole thing back, how it looks. Byron's mistake wasn't as extreme as LeGarrette's, but he was still wrong."

What further hurt Blount's case were his actions after he connected with his punch on Hout. He had a brief scuffle with teammate Garrett Embry and then got into a shouting match with several Boise State fans standing near the field exit tunnel.

Blount then had to be forced off the field by coaches and security in order to keep him from going into the stands.

In Oregon's locker room after the game, Blount apologized.

"I just apologize to everyone that was watching this," Blount told reporters. "I just apologize to all of our fans, all of Boise's fans. I lost my head. ... A few guys wished me a good game, a few guys pushed me and I just kind of lost my temper."

Larry Scott, in his first year as Pac-10 commissioner, agreed with Oregon's decision.

"We commend the University of Oregon and its leadership for taking swift and decisive action in response to this incident," Scott said in a statement. "The Pac-10 strongly emphasizes sportsmanship and fair play in all its athletic competitions and expects high standards of sportsmanship from all participants, including student-athletes. In this case, those standards were not met and the university has taken appropriate disciplinary actions."

Blount rushed for 1,002 yards and established a school record with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2008. According to ESPN's Todd McShay, Blount's pro football stock took a major hit.

"In the matter of five minutes, Blount just went from second- or third-rounder to completely undraftable." McShay said. "Yes, he was egged on a bit by Hout, but big-name players deal with that kind of trash talk all the time without throwing punches in return.

"In an NFL climate in which Commissioner Roger Goodell has placed a huge emphasis on behavior and accountability, teams are simply not willing to invest money in players who behave like this, unless you're talking about a Michael Vick or some other player with similarly freakish talents. Blount does not have that kind of skill set and has effectively cost himself a serious shot at the NFL."

" ... He entered the season as our second-ranked senior running back behind Clemson's C.J. Spiller but has done absolutely nothing to help himself. He had a great opportunity to get to the next level, but has now totally blown it."

Blount Suspended for Season, Likely Ruining NFL Chances originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutLeGarrette BlountLonnie WhiteFri, 04 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST Oregon Suspends LeGarrette Blount for Punching Boise State's Byron Houthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-bans-legarrette-blount-for-punching-boise-states-byron-h/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-bans-legarrette-blount-for-punching-boise-states-byron-h/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/oregon-bans-legarrette-blount-for-punching-boise-states-byron-h/#commentsFiled under: ,



Oregon has announced that running back LeGarrette Blount will be suspended for the remainder of the 2009 season for punching Boise State player Byron Hout.

"That's not what we're all about," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said in a brief statement, as reported by local TV station KVAL.

Blount is a senior, so the disciplinary action effectively ends his college football career. He will remain on scholarship and will still be permitted to practice with the team and have access to all services available to football players, Kelly said. But Blount won't be allowed to play in any more games, including any bowl game Oregon plays in.

A talented but troubled running back who was also suspended by the team during spring practice, Blount is regarded as good enough on the field to be a high NFL Draft pick, but his inability to stay out of trouble could prevent him from being drafted at all in 2010.

Hout instigated the confrontation by grabbing Blount and yelling something at him as Blount walked off the field after Boise State's season-opening victory Thursday night, but while Boise State coach Chris Petersen acknowledged that Hout was out of line, he said Hout would not be suspended.

UPDATE: Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott released a statement saying, "We commend the University of Oregon and its leadership for taking swift and decisive action in response to this incident. The Pac-10 strongly emphasizes sportsmanship and fair play in all its athletic competitions and expects high standards of sportsmanship from all participants, including student-athletes. In this case, those standards were not met and the university has taken appropriate disciplinary actions."

Do you agree with the suspension? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.
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Oregon Suspends LeGarrette Blount for Punching Boise State's Byron Hout originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutChip KellyChris PetersenLeGarrette BlountMichael David SmithFri, 04 Sep 2009 16:51:00 EST LeGarrette Blount, Byron Hout Both to Blame, Boise State Coach Sayshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/legarrette-blount-byron-hout-both-to-blame-boise-state-coach-s/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/legarrette-blount-byron-hout-both-to-blame-boise-state-coach-s/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/04/legarrette-blount-byron-hout-both-to-blame-boise-state-coach-s/#commentsFiled under: ,

Boise State football coach Chris Petersen acknowledged Friday that his own player, Byron Hout, was partially to blame for the ugly incident in which Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount punched Hout in the jaw.

Hout appeared to grab Blount and yell something at him before Blount punched him. Petersen said he didn't hear what Hout said to Blount, but he was quick to acknowledge that his own player was a part of the problem.

"It always takes two to tango," Petersen said. "There's no question about that. That's the best lesson in this. There's no reason to say anything. Game over, move on, and let everything speak for itself. ... There's no need to say a word. Move on. Let your play speak for itself."

Petersen said he was disappointed to be talking this morning about a post-game scuffle, rather than what might have been the biggest home win in the history of the Boise State football program.

"It's just unfortunate," Petersen said. "It really is. The kids played hard, it was a hard-fought game, with a lot of emotions all through the year it had been building to the first game of the season, a bowl game-type atmosphere. It wasn't the cleanest game, but we played hard and it's too bad something like that had to come down."

This isn't Blount's first infraction, and Oregon is widely expected to suspend Blount, or possibly kick him off the team. Petersen did not say whether he will discipline Hout.

LeGarrette Blount, Byron Hout Both to Blame, Boise State Coach Says originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Byron HoutChris PetersenLeGarrette BlountMichael David SmithFri, 04 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST