I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year. Lots of quack to bring in the New Year, so let's get right to it.
- Rob Moseley reflects back on Marcus Mariota's season and wonders where his first year might stack up all-time at Oregon after Thursday. Mariota currently has Oregon's second-best QB passer rating is three TDs behind Darron's Thomas passing touchdown record. Nationally, Mariota is on pace to set the NCAA freshman completion percentage record.
- The Ducks look to have both Boseko Lokombo and Wade Keliikipi ready for the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday. Keliikipi missed Oregon's final three games with an ankle injury while Lokombo started all 12 games but appeared limited in the open portion of Sunday's practice.
- Adam Jude's 10 defining moments of the Oregon football season checks in with #8: Kenjon Barner's 321 yards rushing against USC.
- Jude also has a story about kicker Alejandro Maldonado and his mentor Alexis Serna. The team and coaches, as one would expect, continue to express their confidence in both Maldonado and Rob Beard. Tom Osborne thinks both kickers may be trying too hard after recovering from injuries last season.
- Ted Miller has a four video interviews (that I can't seem to get to imbed correctly). Here's one with Michael Clay, Mark Helfrich, Nick Aliotti, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.
- The men's basketball team finished off their non-conference schedule with a 56-43 victory over Nevada. Tony Woods and Carlos Emory led the team with 13 points each. On the downside, the team was again plagued by turnovers (20, a season high), led by seven from E.J. Singler. And worse, Arsalan Kazemi did not return to the game (or bench) after being elbowed in the head by Emory while playing defense in the first half. No word yet on if he'll be back for the start of conference play.
- The women's team, meanwhile, suffered a 95-51 beating at the hands of the top-ranked UConn Huskies. Freshman forward Jillian Alleyne led the Ducks with 18 points. The game did mark the return of three players to the Oregon rotation, two of whom made their season debuts: Liz Brenner (volleyball) and Janitah Iamaleavah (medical clearance).
Go Ducks!