Morning Quack Fix: Michael Clay, Mike Riley, and overrated Utes?

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 7:41 AM PDT in Morning Quack Fix Comment 40 comments

73 days before the quack is plentiful and we never want again. Here's what's out there after the weekend.

DuckTerritory has another interview with an incoming Oregon lineback, this time with Michael Clay, who is already on campus preparing for his first year of Division 1 football. Oregon also looks to be visited at some point by Cal de-commitment and #5 DT in the country Cassius Marsh.
Buster Sports is continuing their countdown of top Pac-10 coaches of the last 50 years, and has Mike Riley at #10. I'm sure this is bound to stir up some controversy. While I am very impressed with what Riley has done, I think that he has to do a few things before being a top 10 coach. He has never reached an upper level bowl game, with his best years resulting in the Sun Bowl. And in the biggest game of his coaching career, his team was blown at at home by 27. Not to take away from what Riley has done, but I think this ranking is simply a case of being enamored with the present and overlooking the accomlishments of past coaches.
JazzyUte over at BlockU asks if Utah is overrated. I tend to agree with Matt Hinton's assessment that Utah will have a very hard time replacing all that it lost from last season's great team. JazzyUte, not surprisingly, takes a more optimistic approach, but hopefully Utah does a great job in the MWC this year after getting smoked in Autzen.
USC hired a new basketball coach over the weekend, getting Arizona reject Kevin O'Neill. The boys over at Conquest Chronicles don't seem too pleased about the hire. O'Neill was not one of USC's top choices, and this definitely seems to be a case of settling, though, USC is not a basketball power, and this may be the best they could hope for.
Phil Steele is continuing his preview with Cal coming in at #9. Here's a link to his magazine preview of Cal.

That's all for now. If you find anything, leave it in the comments! GO DUCKS!

0 recs | Comment 40 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Looks like Brian Butler will fit right in

KState dealing under the table.

Sleeping under an avalanche with Cartman, wake me Sept 3.

by trumpetduck on Jun 22, 2009 9:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

BlockU is quickly becoming my favorite comedy site

He says he’s going to play “devil’s advocate”, then proceeds to explain how not only are all the preseason rankings probably right, but the Utes are even underrated. That’s some good devil advocatin’.

by grimc on Jun 22, 2009 10:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt Hinton responds to Ted Miller and VD…

The basic question is…will Quizz be able to hold up?

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 12:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope so.

Games w/o Quizz were ugly, as I’m sure you guys noticed. Leaning on any one player is bad. When the lynch pin for the whole offense goes down (Dixon anyone?) you’re pretty much screwed.

It’s my hope that Riley and Co. will work to establish a solid number two back. McCants NEEDS to step up. He’s been a huge disappointment so far and has only shown brief flashes of potential. I thought Francis would be our guy but he has family matters to take care of which undoubtedly trumps football 100% of the time. Anyway, to be successful and to keep any RB healthy we need another option, someone who can spell Quizz intermittently while adding another element to the offense (ideally anyway).

It does make me wonder whether or not the durability issue would be a big deal if he were two inches taller and twenty pounds heavier. The kid wasn’t injured in HS, doesn’t have any chronic knee, back, elbow or other joint problems… played nearly a full season as a true freshman… was injured once and missed the last (albeit most important) part of the season… I don’t mean to homer the hell out of this, but I am not as worried about his durability as a back as far as his build, running style, etc. I will admit, the kid needs to handle the ball less. That’s plain to see.

"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''

- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09

by ArbyOSU on Jun 22, 2009 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everything I’ve read suggests Quizz is built like a rock. Number of carries and getting progressively broken down as a result seems to be a larger concern.

I'm really tired of it not being football season.

by JConant on Jun 22, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he'll be fine.

If Masoli can hold up, Quizz can.

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No way…..Quizz is very much an up the middle back, and gets hit a crapload more than Masoli does. Masoli seems to be smart about the hits he takes. Quizz, along with most running backs, don’t have that opportunity.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was trying to be reassuring ;)

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see Negative Nancy made it to the party! Only kidding… I see what you’re saying, although the hits Quizz takes aren’t from dudes who can just tee off on him (see: Boise State last year!) as he moves in the pocket. He takes his hits, no doubt, but I still think Masoli—or any QB for that matter—takes some of the most dangerous hits. Receivers, be it RBs or TEs, also take some nasty hits in the open field.

But if we give him the ball 300 times, we’ll be lucky to finish the year with him.

"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''

- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09

by ArbyOSU on Jun 22, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s an interesting theory. I’m a bit skeptical though. I think those types of hits you’re talking about have a higher risk of catastrphic (spinal, etc.) injury, but not much more overall. So even if you take a couple really hard hits, your chances of being injured would be less than an running back taking it up the middle 20+ times a game (especially when you factor in how tired an RB gets carrying that many times, which increases injury rates).

But overall, who the hell knows. Injuries seem to be incredibly random.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, Quizz slips off a lot his tackles. He doesn't take the brunt of the blow.

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Jun 22, 2009 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What about Gio Bernard as a #2 guy?

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m sacrificing goats to the College Football Gods in hopes that they’ll steer young Bernard this-a-way… but it’s hard to pull kids out of Florida when they’re getting a lot of attention from Florida schools that they’ve grown up loving. He looks legit though. It’s a long shot but it could happen.

"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''

- from Quick's Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door, 4/16/09

by ArbyOSU on Jun 22, 2009 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He would be the biggest recruit we've gotten since Sean Canfield

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Jun 22, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I also think Boise State is a bit overrated

They are bringing almost no one back. Sure it will be tough to win in Boise but we’re the far more experienced team..

Proud member of Duck nation!

by skywaker9 on Jun 22, 2009 1:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

So... we have recruits named Cassius and Clay...

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 2:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Moseley is updating regarding which recruits are already enrolled in summer school…

So far, the only major players non on campus are Diante Jackson and Cliff Harris.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 3:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

So much for the rumors we wouldn’t be having new uni’s next year….

Tomorrow at 1pm!

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 4:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Awesomeness

And the media gets another reason to hate on us. Always a good thing, gives Oregon a reason to enjoy proving them wrong, AGAIN!

Proud member of Duck nation!

by skywaker9 on Jun 22, 2009 6:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

YES!!

Sad but this just made my day!!!!

I bet there like the ones in the arizona game, cuz remember the ducks wore the the diamond plating ones in the civil war 05….

by Duck4Lif3 on Jun 23, 2009 1:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And in the biggest game of his coaching career, his team was blown at at home by 27.

Missing 50% of his offense, no less. But yeah, that’s Mike Riley’s fault.

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Jun 22, 2009 5:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The offense wasn’t the unit getting torched.

by grimc on Jun 22, 2009 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No kidding. Considering that Riley has made a name for himself by building solid defenses, the performance in the Civil War was just sad.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

His best defense is ball control on offense. I’m not saying that the Beavs would have won, but you cannot sit there and honestly tell me you don’t think it would have been a different game had we not had Quizz.

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Jun 22, 2009 6:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you guys put 48 on us with Quizz.

But does Quizz play D-End?

Addicted To Quack [dot] com; Dear Joevan, Develop motor skills. Love, ATQ.

by qrsouther on Jun 22, 2009 6:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oregon was going to win that game

That team was just totally dialed in. It would have been closer but the Ducks were just locked in..

Proud member of Duck nation!

by skywaker9 on Jun 22, 2009 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree. I wasn't saying Oregon wouldn't have won

I’m just gonna write up something on BtD and we can discuss this over there

I support Takimoto in his effort to support Roger Kieschnick in his quest to becoming the best Kieschnick ever to play professional baseball.

by The VD Special on Jun 22, 2009 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

YOU

Can discuss it over there

I'm sorry Arby

by echris on Jun 22, 2009 9:34 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Come on…good defenses don’t give up over 10 yards per play, which OSU did. That was over DOUBLE what they gave up the rest of the season. That has nothing to do with ball control (OSU held the ball longer than Oregon in the game).

The defense was thoroughly outmaneuvered in the game, and played with a lack of passion. A large part of that falls on the coaching staff.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 22, 2009 6:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

this all plays into my theory that certain styles of offenses and defenses work better against some rather than others. For example, OSU has defense that is very good at swarming to the ball and playing team based defense. When having to go up against teams that play swarming offenses, this is very effective (See USC). When you put that swarming defense up against more of a spread style of team, it doesn’t work as well because the spread takes advantage of teams who swarm by attempting to put players on an island (see Oregon, Penn State, and to some degree Utah).

I do understand VD’s point about missing 50% of their offense and when you are missing your biggest weapons, it takes a lot out of you. To the other side though, we can look at Civil War 2007 to see the reverse. People raked Bellotti over the coals for bad coaching in that game (especially the field goal at the end of the game, criticism he didn’t deserve because it was on Evenson and Roper not doing what MB had asked) but in the end, we were in the game. OSU scored 38 points which is a huge number! Offense wasn’t the issue. The defense just got exposed and either you have to say that the defense was vastly overrated or the coaching staff didn’t prepare the team and adjust properly

--Dominic, Addicted to Quack

Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die." - J. Brady McCullough, The Michigan Daily.

by dvieira on Jun 23, 2009 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is something to be said for matchups, but if you’re a good defense, you shouldn’t be giving up over 10 yards per play, no matter what. Note that OSU gave up 7 to PSU, 6.1 to USC, and 4.9 to Utah.

I mean, as much as you want to blame in on a swarming to the ball or whatever, what team doesn’t do that? And when you play a team that runs a large amount of options and misdirections, you cannot play with reckless abandon. You must be smart and watch the gaps, etc. That’s what coaches are for, to set up a gameplan that will win. If you’re going up against a team that tries to spread the field, you HAVE to make adjustments.

For example, on 3rd and 19, on JJ’s big TD run right before the half, OSU rushed 6 on the opposite side of the line. Oregon was running the read play, so it was an easy read for Masoli, give to JJ. He went 20 yards before he was even touched. If they had two safeties deep, JJ most likely doesn’t get the first down. WTF was OSU thinking?

I’m a believer that the offense holds the advantage, and that defenses must be a bit daring to make plays. But Oregon was in a 3rd and 19. When you overload one side, if they go to your side, great, you’ve stopped them. But it’s not like rock-paper-scissors, where neither team knows what’s going on before the snap. Oregon saw what OSU was doing, and by running the play they run more than any other, can take complete advantage of that. OSU went for all or nothing in that situation, and I seriously do not know why.

The coaching staff didn’t make adjustments necessary, not by a long shot.

--AddictedToQuack, SBNation's Oregon Ducks blog

by jtlight on Jun 23, 2009 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mean, as much as you want to blame in on a swarming to the ball or whatever, what team doesn’t do that?

I would argue that teams that do well defending the spread have a tendency to stay in their lanes more rather than swarming to where the ball is immediately. A hallmark of the OSU defense was to fill gaps and come with bodies immediately. This works great against teams like USC where they do “team offense” but against the spread, there are too many holes, too many matchup problems, to many one-on-one situations. OSU could overcommit against other teams but Oregon exploited and exposed that style of defense.

I think the argument still stands. I can see the argument that the players couldn’t adjust despite what the coaches were telling them but the two issues remain. Either the defense was not as good as advertised (how many NFL players did the D produce last year?) or the coaching staff couldn’t see the adjustments or couldn’t motivate their defense to implement the adjustments

--Dominic, Addicted to Quack

Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die." - J. Brady McCullough, The Michigan Daily.

by dvieira on Jun 23, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you aren’t going to blame Mike Riley for not having any resemblance of a running game when the first-team guy gets hurt, who are you going to blame?

Every OSU fan I know in person or online was 100 percent confident the Beavers were going to win that game regardless of injuries because of their “superior” defense and their depth on offense. The defense got shredded and the back-up running back stunk.

I think Riley is a fantastic coach. I think his assistants are underrated and under appreciated. Just the same, in the biggest game of his tenure at OSU, Riley got blown out at home. He’s the CEO. He’d be the first one to tell you, that was his responsibility regardless of the circumstances.

I'm really tired of it not being football season.

by JConant on Jun 23, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs