Oregon
overcomes injuries to move to No. 1
By JOSH
DUBOW (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press – 18 hours ago
BERKELEY,
Calif. (AP) -- Oregon's defensive line was so depleted that backup tight end
Koa Ka'ai and two other freshmen were pressed into emergency duty.
Big-play
running back Kenjon Barner was bottled up all night so freshman quarterback
Marcus Mariota put the game on his arm.
Oregon
overcame numerous hurdles to beat California 59-17 on Saturday night to move
into the top spot in The Associated Press poll with just three weeks left in
the regular season.
''That's
always been our philosophy,'' coach Chip Kelly said of the ''next man up''
mantra. ''We really got tested with it today. Our guys did a nice job. I can't
say enough about what that young defensive line did.''
The Ducks
(10-0, 7-0 Pac-12) were without four of their top five linemen coming into the
game and then lost defensive tackle Taylor Hart in the first quarter to another
injury.
While Isi
Sofele and the Golden Bears (3-8, 2-6) were able to run the ball effectively
for 2 1/2 quarters, freshman Arik Armstead forced the interception that turned
the momentum in the third quarter and the banged-up defense kept Cal off the
scoreboard for the final 25 minutes of the game.
''Just
because they're low on the depth chart doesn't mean they're not going to
play,'' safety Brian Jackson said. ''They showed that today. They were able to
step in with the big boys. They came in and we didn't see any letdown. I saw
different numbers and different names in front of me but I didn't see any
difference in the play.''
 |
| Oregon wide receiver B.J. Kelley (23) catches an 18-yard pass for a touchdown after it was deflected by teammate Pharaoh Brown (85) next to California defensive back Josh Hill (23) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) |
The Ducks
survived the litany of injuries to the front four and a possibly season-ending
injury to safety Avery Patterson to win their 13th straight game and move into
the top spot in the poll following Alabama's 29-23 loss to Texas A&M
earlier in the day.
The only
other time the Ducks held the top ranking came in 2010, when they were No. 1
for seven weeks before being passed by Auburn late in the final regular season
poll in 2010.
Oregon, No.
2 Kansas State and third-ranked Notre Dame are the only undefeated FBS teams
left who are eligible for the postseason and are fighting for the two spots in
the BCS title game.
But that's
not what the Ducks are worried about right now.
''That's
what's so good about this team,'' said Josh Huff, who had three TD catches.
''We don't pay attention to the rankings and what's around us. We just play
Oregon football. We'll pick our heads up in December and we'll see where we're
at.''
Before that
happens they need to navigate a treacherous closing stretch of the schedule,
starting with a home game next week against No. 14 Stanford. A visit to No. 15
Oregon State and a possible spot in the Pac-12 title game follow, but the big
concern now is the Cardinal and their powerful running game behind Stepfan
Taylor.
The Bears
rushed for 236 yards - the most allowed all season by the Ducks - with most of
the damage coming in the first three quarters.
''It was
getting a little frustrating,'' Jackson said. ''Stanford is a running team. We
know what to expect next week.''
What made
those losses on defense easier to overcome was the strong performance by
Mariota. Most of the focus on the Ducks offense was on Barner last week after
he rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns against Southern California.
But he
never got going against a Cal defense focused on shutting down the run and even
left the game briefly with a right hand injury that he refused to talk about
after the game.
Barner was
held to 65 yards rushing on 20 carries - his lowest output against an FBS team
this year - and the Ducks managed a season-low 180 yards on the ground, their
lowest total in a conference game since 2010.
But with
Mariota throwing for a career-high 377 yards and a school record-tying six
touchdowns, the Ducks still managed to set a major college football record by
scoring at least 40 points for a 13th straight game.
''At the
end of the day we still had a good game,'' Barner said. ''I'm not the type of
person that has to be the guy. Josh Huff deserved everything that came his way
tonight. Marcus continues to impress, guys just continue to step up and do
their job. As far as me having a tough game, I'm not worried about it. We came
out with a win. That's the most important thing.''
No comments:
Post a Comment