A healthy amount of quack this morning, including a couple of basketball nuggets. Enjoy.

• Not to be lost in last week's win against Arizona State were improvements in the kicking game, including a strong performance by Jackson Rice. And, after entering the game ranked last nationally in kickoff return average, the Ducks inserted Kyle Long and Taylor Hart into the return team.
• Aaron Fentress writes that the Ducks have been practicing for close-game situations, something they have not yet found themselves in this season. Fentress also notes that Colorado will be the first pro-style offense that Oregon will face this season.
• Jordan Brenner at ESPN The Magazine examines the current state of Pac-12 men's basketball.
• Dion Jordan has been named one of 12 semifinalist for the Butkus Award and Marcus Mariota is one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.
• Ted Miller has his usual weekly rewind and quick look ahead posts that cover the entire the entire conference slate. The top 3 remain the same in his latest power rankings, with ASU dropping a couple of spots to #6. Finally, Ted picks the biggest games remaining on the schedule for the Pac-12.
• In his weekly look around the conference, Bob Clark examines 6-1 USC. As Clark notes, in the six Trojan victories, their opponents thus far have a combined record of 16-29 while their five remaining opponents have a combined record of 28-7.
• In women's basketball news, the pre-season Pac-12 coaches poll has the Ducks at #11, picked to finish ahead of only Arizona. Stanford was first, receiving 11 first-place votes.

Go Ducks!