[unclechuck]

Hey, LMJ, I\'m happy to talk football with you!

What were the questions fans had about your team going into the year? And how have they been answered thus far?

Here, I think the biggest worries pre-season were how would the offense look without Toby and our defensive secondary.

Speaking for myself, I think the run game has looked very good but not necessarily capable of ripping off big chunks of yardage on a consistent basis.

The passing game has that quick strike capability, to be sure. We\'ve been spoiled to think that every throw is going to be a laser from Luck, but he\'s definitely human enough to throw a few errant balls each game. His touch, mobility and smarts are what makes him greath, however. So far, I think our O-line has done a very good job protecting him as well.

As for our defense, I think it\'s outperformed almost every fan\'s expectations, with vastly improved play by our back four/five. Our front seven can definitely bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks, and our run defense is stout if not stifling.

Needle - thanks for the fresh air. I follow the Ducks as well as the Cardinal so I think I can get you started here.

1. Biggest question from 2009 was of course QB. Choice between RS soph Thomas and 5th yr Sr. Costa went down to the wire with Thomas\' upside perhaps breaking a tie current abilities. So far he has shown better than expected composure and more consistent passing than Masoli who tended to run hot/cold. Overall, about where Andrew was after 4 starts last year, although their skill sets & roles are quite different.

2. the defense rotates 8-9 in in the d line (including 6\'4", 315 lb true freshman Heimuli), 6 or so @ LB and probably 6-8 DBs. They try to use speed, zone blitzing, and frequent substitutions to advantage. It\'s a work in progress, as is the Stanford D with its fluid & evolving 3-4 base. Their DBs while numerous, are not yet elite. If Luck is as hot downfield as he was last year the game may look similar. If he\'s off just a bit and throws some picks, it\'s a different game.

3. their depth on offense is improved in all elements of the offense (OL in particular), but harmonizing with a new QB is taking time. Like Stanford last year they should be playing their best ball in November. LMJ & Barner (1st time ever) both ran track last spring and worked with the sprints coach. LMJ dropped his 100M from 10.71 to 10.51. So far that has seemed to show in practice & games.

4. Kelly is a helluva coach and has effected a buy-in to the program similar to what Harbaugh has accomplished. Ducks will be relentless in Autzen, but not infallible.

[unclechuck]

Hey, LMJ, I\'m happy to talk football with you!

What were the questions fans had about your team going into the year? And how have they been answered thus far?

Here, I think the biggest worries pre-season were how would the offense look without Toby and our defensive secondary.

Speaking for myself, I think the run game has looked very good but not necessarily capable of ripping off big chunks of yardage on a consistent basis.

The passing game has that quick strike capability, to be sure. We\'ve been spoiled to think that every throw is going to be a laser from Luck, but he\'s definitely human enough to throw a few errant balls each game. His touch, mobility and smarts are what makes him greath, however. So far, I think our O-line has done a very good job protecting him as well.

As for our defense, I think it\'s outperformed almost every fan\'s expectations, with vastly improved play by our back four/five. Our front seven can definitely bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks, and our run defense is stout if not stifling.

Needle - thanks for the fresh air. I follow the Ducks as well as the Cardinal so I think I can get you started here.

1. Biggest question from 2009 was of course QB. Choice between RS soph Thomas and 5th yr Sr. Costa went down to the wire with Thomas\' upside perhaps breaking a tie current abilities. So far he has shown better than expected composure and more consistent passing than Masoli who tended to run hot/cold. Overall, about where Andrew was after 4 starts last year, although their skill sets & roles are quite different.

2. the defense rotates 8-9 in in the d line (including 6\'4", 315 lb true freshman Heimuli), 6 or so @ LB and probably 6-8 DBs. They try to use speed, zone blitzing, and frequent substitutions to advantage. It\'s a work in progress, as is the Stanford D with its fluid & evolving 3-4 base. Their DBs while numerous, are not yet elite. If Luck is as hot downfield as he was last year the game may look similar. If he\'s off just a bit and throws some picks, it\'s a different game.

3. their depth on offense is improved in all elements of the offense (OL in particular), but harmonizing with a new QB is taking time. Like Stanford last year they should be playing their best ball in November. LMJ & Barner (1st time ever) both ran track last spring and worked with the sprints coach. LMJ dropped his 100M from 10.71 to 10.51. So far that has seemed to show in practice & games.

4. Kelly is a helluva coach and has effected a buy-in to the program similar to what Harbaugh has accomplished. Ducks will be relentless in Autzen, but not infallible.

[readarmy1976]

Wow, what in depth analysis. These two are really talking football. I\'m surprised Coach Harbaugh hasn\'t called them to help him with the game plan.

Hey, LMJ, I\'m happy to talk football with you!

What were the questions fans had about your team going into the year? And how have they been answered thus far?

Here, I think the biggest worries pre-season were how would the offense look without Toby and our defensive secondary.

Speaking for myself, I think the run game has looked very good but not necessarily capable of ripping off big chunks of yardage on a consistent basis.

The passing game has that quick strike capability, to be sure. We\'ve been spoiled to think that every throw is going to be a laser from Luck, but he\'s definitely human enough to throw a few errant balls each game. His touch, mobility and smarts are what makes him greath, however. So far, I think our O-line has done a very good job protecting him as well.

As for our defense, I think it\'s outperformed almost every fan\'s expectations, with vastly improved play by our back four/five. Our front seven can definitely bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks, and our run defense is stout if not stifling.

Needle - thanks for the fresh air. I follow the Ducks as well as the Cardinal so I think I can get you started here.

1. Biggest question from 2009 was of course QB. Choice between RS soph Thomas and 5th yr Sr. Costa went down to the wire with Thomas\' upside perhaps breaking a tie current abilities. So far he has shown better than expected composure and more consistent passing than Masoli who tended to run hot/cold. Overall, about where Andrew was after 4 starts last year, although their skill sets & roles are quite different.

2. the defense rotates 8-9 in in the d line (including 6\'4", 315 lb true freshman Heimuli), 6 or so @ LB and probably 6-8 DBs. They try to use speed, zone blitzing, and frequent substitutions to advantage. It\'s a work in progress, as is the Stanford D with its fluid & evolving 3-4 base. Their DBs while numerous, are not yet elite. If Luck is as hot downfield as he was last year the game may look similar. If he\'s off just a bit and throws some picks, it\'s a different game.

3. their depth on offense is improved in all elements of the offense (OL in particular), but harmonizing with a new QB is taking time. Like Stanford last year they should be playing their best ball in November. LMJ & Barner (1st time ever) both ran track last spring and worked with the sprints coach. LMJ dropped his 100M from 10.71 to 10.51. So far that has seemed to show in practice & games.

4. Kelly is a helluva coach and has effected a buy-in to the program similar to what Harbaugh has accomplished. Ducks will be relentless in Autzen, but not infallible.

[readarmy1976]

Wow, what in depth analysis. These two are really talking football. I\'m surprised Coach Harbaugh hasn\'t called them to help him with the game plan.

Hey, LMJ, I\'m happy to talk football with you!

What were the questions fans had about your team going into the year? And how have they been answered thus far?

Here, I think the biggest worries pre-season were how would the offense look without Toby and our defensive secondary.

Speaking for myself, I think the run game has looked very good but not necessarily capable of ripping off big chunks of yardage on a consistent basis.

The passing game has that quick strike capability, to be sure. We\'ve been spoiled to think that every throw is going to be a laser from Luck, but he\'s definitely human enough to throw a few errant balls each game. His touch, mobility and smarts are what makes him greath, however. So far, I think our O-line has done a very good job protecting him as well.

As for our defense, I think it\'s outperformed almost every fan\'s expectations, with vastly improved play by our back four/five. Our front seven can definitely bring the heat on opposing quarterbacks, and our run defense is stout if not stifling.

Needle - thanks for the fresh air. I follow the Ducks as well as the Cardinal so I think I can get you started here.

1. Biggest question from 2009 was of course QB. Choice between RS soph Thomas and 5th yr Sr. Costa went down to the wire with Thomas\' upside perhaps breaking a tie current abilities. So far he has shown better than expected composure and more consistent passing than Masoli who tended to run hot/cold. Overall, about where Andrew was after 4 starts last year, although their skill sets & roles are quite different.

2. the defense rotates 8-9 in in the d line (including 6\'4", 315 lb true freshman Heimuli), 6 or so @ LB and probably 6-8 DBs. They try to use speed, zone blitzing, and frequent substitutions to advantage. It\'s a work in progress, as is the Stanford D with its fluid & evolving 3-4 base. Their DBs while numerous, are not yet elite. If Luck is as hot downfield as he was last year the game may look similar. If he\'s off just a bit and throws some picks, it\'s a different game.

3. their depth on offense is improved in all elements of the offense (OL in particular), but harmonizing with a new QB is taking time. Like Stanford last year they should be playing their best ball in November. LMJ & Barner (1st time ever) both ran track last spring and worked with the sprints coach. LMJ dropped his 100M from 10.71 to 10.51. So far that has seemed to show in practice & games.

4. Kelly is a helluva coach and has effected a buy-in to the program similar to what Harbaugh has accomplished. Ducks will be relentless in Autzen, but not infallible.

[bigbadduck]

Hey Garvin,

Unclechuck beat me to the answers in your first post, but I can reply to the latest question.

Oregon\'s line has given up one sack, and that was in the Tennessee game. Normally they give up the least amount of sacks in the league. Most of that comes from getting rid of the ball so quickly to the receivers in the flat for bubble screens, and fast hits. The game with ASU was definitely a step up in competition. ASU is better then many give them credit for. LaMichael James called them the best defense he\'s played against. That is a bold statement considering the defenses he\'s played against. (USC, UCLA, The OSU, Etc.)
The O-Line is pretty iron clad, but we have injuries there, with one starter staying home for the ASU game. TE was thin too, due to injury. They should be back next week, but it hurt Oregon quite a bit, especially in the run game. Running the stretch play and zone reads without a good blocking TE didn\'t work to well. Protection broke down a few times, but they never got to Thomas. He did take some pretty big hits though.

My biggest concern going into this weeks game is Thomas\' ability/inability to run the zone read option. They\'ve run the play 112 times, and Thomas has only kept it 19 times. I know having LMJ to hand it off to is a great opion, but when the defense is daring you to run it, take it! He should have kept it a dozen times in the ASU game, but only kept it 4 times in 36 zone read plays. If his reads don\'t improve, Stanford will win. As a Duck fan, I hope that he will improve. Oregon\'s coaching staff, especially Chip Kelly will see what needs to be done, and fix it. Hopefully in time for this weeks game. I\'ll be there at Game Day, and the game, and I know it\'s going to be one hell of a game!

Saturday can\'t come fast enough!

Cheers!

[bigbadduck]

Hey Garvin,

Unclechuck beat me to the answers in your first post, but I can reply to the latest question.

Oregon\'s line has given up one sack, and that was in the Tennessee game. Normally they give up the least amount of sacks in the league. Most of that comes from getting rid of the ball so quickly to the receivers in the flat for bubble screens, and fast hits. The game with ASU was definitely a step up in competition. ASU is better then many give them credit for. LaMichael James called them the best defense he\'s played against. That is a bold statement considering the defenses he\'s played against. (USC, UCLA, The OSU, Etc.)
The O-Line is pretty iron clad, but we have injuries there, with one starter staying home for the ASU game. TE was thin too, due to injury. They should be back next week, but it hurt Oregon quite a bit, especially in the run game. Running the stretch play and zone reads without a good blocking TE didn\'t work to well. Protection broke down a few times, but they never got to Thomas. He did take some pretty big hits though.

My biggest concern going into this weeks game is Thomas\' ability/inability to run the zone read option. They\'ve run the play 112 times, and Thomas has only kept it 19 times. I know having LMJ to hand it off to is a great opion, but when the defense is daring you to run it, take it! He should have kept it a dozen times in the ASU game, but only kept it 4 times in 36 zone read plays. If his reads don\'t improve, Stanford will win. As a Duck fan, I hope that he will improve. Oregon\'s coaching staff, especially Chip Kelly will see what needs to be done, and fix it. Hopefully in time for this weeks game. I\'ll be there at Game Day, and the game, and I know it\'s going to be one hell of a game!

Saturday can\'t come fast enough!

Cheers!

[bigbadduck]

From Farm93:
Last year the board became full of Oregon smack talkers.  If LMJ is for real, then he must know that his fellow Oregon fans have a very rich history of coming to various boards the week before the game with a goal of talking smack.

Hard to believe that LMJ would not understand that his fellow Oregon fans have blazed a pretty unfriendly trail.

Based on the amazing volume of e-mail in an effort to defend himself, my guess remains that LMJ was very prepared for a full week of smack as either LMJ or any other number of new UO names.

ASU is a better team than ND?  We might save some time and let NDNation types battle it out with our visitor.

Is ND really beneath ASU these days?

I do realize that many duck fans come on, and like to fire you up with a bunch of trash talk. I\'m not one of them. As for last year, I was traveling on business that week, and barely got to catch the game, yet have time to get on a forum and talk smack.

When I relied to your messages, I was merely trying to explain that i wasn\'t who you thought I was. I know when I come on another teams board, that the regulars will be suspect to anyone from another team. On my regular Ducks board, we get Beaver fans on there so much, talking trash, that I swear they\'re on the duck board more than their own!

I get it.

As far as ASU being better than ND... Yes, ND is below them. I don\'t care what ND nation says. Of course they\'ll disagree. but starting 1-3, losing 3 in a row, isn\'t helping their cause. ND is 17-24 since the 2007 season. ASU is 21-20 in that same period. Not much better, but better. Batting above .500 better.

:)

[bigbadduck]

From Farm93:
Last year the board became full of Oregon smack talkers.  If LMJ is for real, then he must know that his fellow Oregon fans have a very rich history of coming to various boards the week before the game with a goal of talking smack.

Hard to believe that LMJ would not understand that his fellow Oregon fans have blazed a pretty unfriendly trail.

Based on the amazing volume of e-mail in an effort to defend himself, my guess remains that LMJ was very prepared for a full week of smack as either LMJ or any other number of new UO names.

ASU is a better team than ND?  We might save some time and let NDNation types battle it out with our visitor.

Is ND really beneath ASU these days?

I do realize that many duck fans come on, and like to fire you up with a bunch of trash talk. I\'m not one of them. As for last year, I was traveling on business that week, and barely got to catch the game, yet have time to get on a forum and talk smack.

When I relied to your messages, I was merely trying to explain that i wasn\'t who you thought I was. I know when I come on another teams board, that the regulars will be suspect to anyone from another team. On my regular Ducks board, we get Beaver fans on there so much, talking trash, that I swear they\'re on the duck board more than their own!

I get it.

As far as ASU being better than ND... Yes, ND is below them. I don\'t care what ND nation says. Of course they\'ll disagree. but starting 1-3, losing 3 in a row, isn\'t helping their cause. ND is 17-24 since the 2007 season. ASU is 21-20 in that same period. Not much better, but better. Batting above .500 better.

:)

[yvonne]

From Farm93:
Last year the board became full of Oregon smack talkers.  If LMJ is for real, then he must know that his fellow Oregon fans have a very rich history of coming to various boards the week before the game with a goal of talking smack.

Hard to believe that LMJ would not understand that his fellow Oregon fans have blazed a pretty unfriendly trail.

Based on the amazing volume of e-mail in an effort to defend himself, my guess remains that LMJ was very prepared for a full week of smack as either LMJ or any other number of new UO names.

ASU is a better team than ND?  We might save some time and let NDNation types battle it out with our visitor.

Is ND really beneath ASU these days?

I do realize that many duck fans come on, and like to fire you up with a bunch of trash talk. I\'m not one of them.

Sorry, LMJ,

When I saw the volume of your early posts, I jumped to the conclusion that you were a Duck fan coming on to talk smack. I was wrong.

[yvonne]

From Farm93:
Last year the board became full of Oregon smack talkers.  If LMJ is for real, then he must know that his fellow Oregon fans have a very rich history of coming to various boards the week before the game with a goal of talking smack.

Hard to believe that LMJ would not understand that his fellow Oregon fans have blazed a pretty unfriendly trail.

Based on the amazing volume of e-mail in an effort to defend himself, my guess remains that LMJ was very prepared for a full week of smack as either LMJ or any other number of new UO names.

ASU is a better team than ND?  We might save some time and let NDNation types battle it out with our visitor.

Is ND really beneath ASU these days?

I do realize that many duck fans come on, and like to fire you up with a bunch of trash talk. I\'m not one of them.

Sorry, LMJ,

When I saw the volume of your early posts, I jumped to the conclusion that you were a Duck fan coming on to talk smack. I was wrong.

[bigbadduck]

Yvonne,

It\'s all good. We have to earn respect, it\'s never given. Thanks for the reply!

Cheers!

[bigbadduck]

Yvonne,

It\'s all good. We have to earn respect, it\'s never given. Thanks for the reply!

Cheers!