Oregon Sports Live

Fellow sports fans.  It’s been too long since we’ve podcasted.  We know you missed it.  The return of the Three Guys on a Couch Podcast is somewhat abbreviated (of course that’s a lie) but jam-packed with juicy insight.  Click here for Audio. We discussed the following:

- UO’s huge win against UCLA

- Nate Costa’s workmanlike and completely adequate effort

- UO’s plug and play defense can’t be doubted now (roughly 5 minutes in)

- LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner’s improvement

- Jacquizz showing Toby Gerhart who rules the Pac-10 Running Back contest (10ish minutes in)

- Sean Canfield spreading the wealth around, but still getting hit a lot

- How LaMichael James stacks up against Quizz right now

- The Beavs have USC’s attention, but is USC ready for the Beavs?

- Andre Miller vs. The Oregonian sports page (roughly 20 minutes in, this was a good chat)

- Miller’s persona and how it matters not

- General Blazers preseason banter

- Chris Dudley for Governor?   The Republicans are desperate in Oregon…but Duds is a great guy.

Again, you can find the audio here.

Thanks for tuning in and checking out the site.  Keep coming back for more!

I think Ed Dickson slept well last night.  Like a baby even.  The Ducks found a way to incorporate the big guy in a huge way.  Jeremiah Masoli is no longer a huge question mark, and all of a sudden the LeGarrette Blount punch seems like a distant memory.

It’s amazing what a good old-fashioned beat-down can do for team morale.

The Beavs…well, the defense needs to pick it up.  The season is still young, and OSU is known for its late surges…but do they still have it in them?

The Blazers are bringing in an old familiar face to compete for the last roster spot.  Do you reward that warm sentimental feeling in you soul at the expense of a big body that could help keep Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla healthy?  It’s an interesting question.

OSL’s Joe Jackson and Andrew Theen marinated in the details of another Sports Saturday on this podcast (click here for audio).

Of note:

- Nick Aliotti and the UO’s “Picasso” moment

- The Return of Masoli’s Mojo

- How the Ducks D is doing it without a go-to leader

- OSU leaning too much on Quizz

- The OSU defense needing to emerge soon, or this could get interesting

- Ime Udoka’s role in training camp

- Do you reward that sentimental feeling in your soul?

All this and much more.  (click here for audio)

Much more content is coming your way soon.  We’ll be at the training camp opener on Monday so keep coming back for more!

Also, check out our twitter feed.

Peace y’all.

photo courtesy Taifighta's flickr stream

Jacquizz Rodgers has the most important ankle in the state of Oregon.

Too bad Roman-era ankle guards are illegal in the NCAA.  That would protect the reigning Pac-1o offensive player of the year.

Why does the NCAA have to go and ruin everything?  Party-poopers.

It’s amazing how Quizz’s ankle is a story in and of itself.  Only Brandon Roy’s body is offered such careful scrutiny and care from the state’s media outlets.

It’s like his pain is our pain, you know?

Yet the attention is understandable, as is the worry.

Will he or won’t he?

Earlier in the week, conventional wisdom said the Beavs were being cautious.

Why have your best player practice if he’s banged up?

“Quizz will be fine,” optimistic Beaver fans said.

As of Friday evening, the truth is still somewhere out in the ether.

Wait a minute, Paul Buker just posted this encouraging wrap-up that says Quizz is good to go.

Just yesterday, Buker pointed out that Quizz shutting himself down at practice is a bad sign.  Mike Riley isn’t keen on fielding questions about Quizz’s health for another two weeks either.

Mike Riley isn’t one to live dangerously.  I can’t imagine Riley jeopardizing the health of his best player if he isn’t truly game-ready.

But according to Buker’s Twitter feed, Quizz gave it another go today in practice.  Buker quotes OSU Sports Information Director Steve Fenk as saying Quizz “is running around like crazy.”

*Sigh*

Attributing a twitter feed makes my inner Walter Cronkite weep.

The fact is, Quizz has the Oregonian’s Paul Buker pulling a John Kerry.  Flippity-Flop Paul.

Let’s toss out my earlier prediction of the Beavs “making a statement” and getting some measure of revenge against Cincinnati.

Now, that could definitely still happen.  However, the entire complexion of the game changes with a banged up Quizz (or without him for that matter).

The key to victory is the rebuilt OSU defense.  The defensive line hasn’t completely shaped up quite yet.  Only one sack through two games is highly uncharacteristic for a Mark Banker defense.  I predicted a whopping two sacks for the unit against UNLV.  They didn’t deliver.  Even two sacks might not cut it against Cincy.

To win, OSU needs play-makers to emerge from its secondary (Tim Clark) and defensive line (Stephen Paea).  It remains to be seen whether the 2009 Beaver defense can develop the identity of its predecessors.

A gutty win against Cincinnati would go a long way toward solving that riddle.  I can’t wait till kickoff.  At least then the Quizz questions will dissipate for a few hours.

College Football Flappers (Library of Congress)

For college football fans, there are times where you feel fancy-free and on cloud nine.  You have not a care in the world.

You are a character in a roaring twenties dance flick.  You’re a flapper, gleefully gyrating and enjoying every moment of your team’s season…

Actually, that’s not what college football is like for about 105 of the teams out there.

USC is in the midst of their own extended period of bliss.

For everyone else out there, the season usually begins with hope.  That hope is then mercilessly crushed.

The Oregon Ducks went through a mini Great Depression after the Boise State game.

Hope lay flat on the canvas.  Their best running back is now long gone (you might’ve heard about that).

Yet, the Ducks stood up against Purdue.  It wasn’t necessarily pretty, and question marks are still more readily visible than answers.

But as Herm Edwards once said:

“You play to win the game,” and win the Ducks did.

Now it gets tougher.  The Utah Utes enter Autzen Stadium with the longest winning streak in the country: 16 games.

A victory over 18th ranked Utah this weekend will help to erase a lot of those doubts, but significant improvement better be right around the corner.

The question marks are less visible for the Brothers Rodgers show.

Oregon State gutted out a victory over a game UNLV squad, and they are positioned for a fantastic start to their season.

OSU expected a battle from UNLV, and they were up to the task.  Sean Canfield is starting to combine his considerable throwing talents with the moxie of his backup Lyle Moevao.  The Beavers have to love where they stand right now.

The Beavs have a chance to exact some revenge on 17th ranked Cincinnati.  Cincy beat OSU 34-3 in 2007, and the game wasn’t even that close.

So the forthcoming weekend looks like this: two ranked opponents are headed to Reser and Autzen, and two opportunities to answer some big questions headed into conference play are ripe for the picking.

The OSL “Three Guys on a Couch Podcast” keeps it under a half hour, while touching on:

- Sean Canfield adding leadership to his bag o’ tricks

- The return of Jeremiah Masoli

- Walter Thurmond III living up to his own hype

- The rush to judgment about UO’s bowl eligibility

- Jacquizz doing what he does, and the comical preseason notion that teams would “figure him out”

- And Jake Locker’s moment in the Sun against USC

We kept it brief and to the point this week.  Apologizes for the general malaise in my voice.  Fifth and final wedding of the summer (and an incredible one at that) took its toll on the energy reserves.

Three Guys on a Couch Podcast – Canfield, Thurmond III, and More

Also:  Check us out on twitter if you haven’t already

ORsports

OSU is Looking to Avoid Another September Road Meltdown (courtesy cliff1066 flickr page)

The UNLV-Oregon State game is shaping up to be a trendy pick for the weekend upset special.

It’s easy to see why.  The meticulous Ted Miller documents OSU’s early season road struggles quite well.  The numbers are staggering.

Despite last year’s Rose Bowl flirtation (and second straight home victory over the Trojans), the Beavers’ otherwise great season played out nationally based on their performance in two games: the early season massacre at Penn State, and the well-documented Civil War beat-down.

Conventional wisdom says Mike Riley’s squad builds steam as the season ramps up.

The crescendo in Corvallis (hey, I like that) speaks well of the coaching staff there.

But this year that simply won’t do.

Saturday’s matchup is just as big for the Pac-10 as a whole as it is for OSU.  Winning in Vegas is absolutely imperative, but it won’t be a cakewalk.  UNLV returns 15 starters from a team that played well at times last year, but sputtered down the back stretch.

OSU is playing for more than just Beaver Nation this weekend.

Oregon’s pathetic performance against Boise State last week did more damage to the league’s credibility than it probably deserved (winning in Boise ain’t easy), but a Beavers loss at UNLV would only augment the national perspective of the Pac-10 as the red-headed stepchild of the BCS powers.

Pac-10 apologists would have to grin and bear it, because a loss at UNLV  should be unacceptable for one of the conference’s top four teams.  Bullets!

• The Las Vegas Sun notes that the Rebels are well-aware of the dangers posed by the Brothers Rodgers.  Being aware and being ready are two entirely different things.
• UNLV players say they expect to win against the Beavs this year.  Their road upset of an overrated Arizona State team last year has to give them confidence, but as Rebels coach (and great friend of Mike Riley) Mike Sanford told the Vegas Sun, OSU is one of the most physical teams in the land.  ASU was ranked 15th last year when UNLV rolled into Tempe.  The Sun Devils finished with a losing record.  I can’t see OSU tanking this year unless both Rodgers go down.
• Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel expects the Beavers will follow their typical September script and fall to the Rebels.
• There’s been much ado about Mike Riley’s close friendship with Mike Sanford.  Riley tells Cliff Kirkpatrick of the Gazette Times that the game will be an emotional one for them both.

Prediction: Oregon State is healthy, hungry, and well-aware of their past foibles on the road.  This season’s schedule plays out far more favorably than in years past.  UNLV is not in the same class as Penn State, LSU, Louisville, Boise State, or even Cincinnati.  I don’t think it will be an easy victory for OSU.   Ultimately I think the Brothers Rodgers are just too dynamic and versatile for UNLV to handle for a full game.  OSU wins 31-24.

Ducks are Cornered (LOC, Horydczak Collection)

The Oregon Ducks are still treading water in the dangerous seas of negative publicity bestowed on the program thanks to LeGarrette Blount’s right fist.

I’m sure that wasn’t what Chip Kelly had in mind when he granted exclusive access to ESPN.com before and after the game.

Ivan Maisel’s front-page writeup is not exactly earth-shattering, but he notes Kelly learned the hard way that coaching debuts are never scripted affairs.

Despite his lack of head coaching experience, Kelly is a total coaching nerd and I’d imagine delving into the Purdue game preparation is a welcome respite.

I’d say he deserves a breather.

After nearly a full week of debate ad nauseam about whether ending Blount’s career was a brilliant decision or a tantalizingly stupid one, the Ducks must band together.

They feel cornered in their pen right now, like the whole world is against them.  That’s a good thing.  What greater motivational tool exists in sports?

I’ll offer one more Blount reaction link, then on to actual game implications and other Pac-10 notes.

• File this column by the usually fantastic Bud Withers under the definition of a “no-win situation.”  Withers says the Ducks jumped the gun, and he says the rookie decision-makers in Eugene bear some blame.

“Understand, what Blount did, punching Byron Hout, was abhorrent. The scene was ugly and potentially explosive. But the Ducks then made the kind of decision you make when you’ve got a first-year coach, a first-year athletic director and a president, Richard Lariviere, who’s been on the job for two months.”

I hadn’t heard that criticism yet, and I simply don’t buy it.  If they suspended Blount for merely 3 games or “indefinitely” talking heads and columnists across the land would’ve crucified Chip Kelly and Richard Lariviere for the exact same reasons.  The Ducks couldn’t win with this decision, and I think they knew that going in.

• With Blount gone, who carries the load for the Ducks?  Well, Rob Moseley points out that size is now officially an issue. Andre Crenshaw offered up a nickname for himself, Kenjon Barner, and LaMichael James.  The nickname: “the little scrappies.”  Kind of rhymes with little crapp….oh you know what I mean.  If that doesn’t put fear into the hearts of opponents nothing will.  Someone make a T-shirt in Eugene along the lines of the Lil’ Rascals.  We know you’ve got the time.
• OSU has their own “little scrappy;” you might’ve heard of him.  Goes by the title of Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.  Yeah, that guy.  Jacquizz Rodgers is getting more active in the passing game. That bodes well for the Beavers, but also adds another way for Quizz to be injured.  The Corvallis GI’s Cliff Kirkpatrick also notes that this year’s trip to Vegas isn’t a homecoming event.  The Beavs have recruited big names from the area in the past (see Jackson, Steven).
• Here’s a nice article about a walk-on putting in the hard work and getting rewarded with a scholarship at OSU.  After all the cynicism and rhetoric surrounding the Blount situation, it’s nice to read Paul Buker’s piece on Damola Adeniji.  The Beavs could also use some production from an offensive player not named Rodgers.
• Speaking of former walk-on wide receivers at OSU, Mike Hass is on the practice squad (again) in the NFL.  For the life of me, I can’t understand why this guy hasn’t made a full-time roster position.  He catches everything, he’s smart, and he is tough.  He may not be the fastest guy ever, but I’m not convinced his services wouldn’t be of some value on Sundays.
• The Beaver defense is always known for pressuring the quarterback….yet the Statesman-Journal notes the Black and Orange registered zero sacks against Portland State.  Not sure what to make of that.  I’ll go out on a limb and say OSU records two sacks against UNLV.  Two.
• Another prediction at OSL – The Ducks will score more than 20 points, and they will record more than zero first downs in the first half.  They will also defeat Purdue 28-14.

OSL The Lonely Tree (photo thanks to flickr's cuellar's feed)

We at OSL decided to sit on the fence and wait to let the LeGarrette Blount controversy set in a bit (and continue to fester) before we touched on it.

We felt adrift – like a lonely tree in an unforgiving landscape of media overlords waxing poetic on the horrific nature of college football and its most current lightning rod – Mr. Blount.

The time for silence is over, however.

LeGarrette Blount messed up, and he probably got what he had coming.

You can’t punch a person in the face, get dragged off the field, punch a teammate, and not expect a heavy sentence.  Everyone at OSL is in agreement about that.

But – that doesn’t mean LeGarrette is a bad person.  We don’t know that for a certainty, but punching someone in the face, even after a demoralizing loss, is not acceptable.

It also doesn’t mean he can’t make it to the NFL.  That will be a difficult road however.

Yes, and shockingly enough Blount didn’t show up at Ducks practice on Monday.  Wowsers.

OSL’s Mike Whitman, Joe Jackson, and Andrew Theen talked for a long time on a recording device about the Blount saga and much, much more.

We touched on a slew of juicy topics:

-Blount’s “conduct unbecoming of a Duck”

-His NFL draft stock (or lack-thereof)

-UO’s attempt to bounce back with a home game against Purdue

-The phenomenal Brothers Rodgers at OSU

-A possible quarterback controversy in Corvallis?

-The return of the monster at UW

-Jake Locker’s unnatural athletic ability

-Martell Webster cleared to hit the hardwood

-Dante Cunningham’s chances of playing

Plus, there are some tasty original grooves on the podcast.  Count on having more of those in the future.  Please give it a listen, download it, or just sit at your computer and enjoy.  We know you’ve got the time.

Blount, Rodgers Bros, Martell Webster Podcast

Sports Scramble

Today’s scramble is heavy on the fighting.  I’m not a morning person, so it’s fitting.

It’s less than a week until Boise State-Oregon Part Deux, brought to you by Charlie Sheen and ESPN.

The bulk of the off-season yapping is emanating from the Casanova Center down in picturesque Eugene.

So far the “war of words” has just two participants, Jeremiah Masoli and Ed Dickson.   Coincidentally those Ducks were on the end of Boise State cheap shots in last year’s emphatic BSU victory.

Anyway you cut it, this year’s game should be a doozy.    To the Bullets!

• OSL’s Mike Whitman is all over UFC 102 at the Rose Garden, and looks like the Oregonian is turning its sleepy eyes that way too.  The O’s reigning national Sports Columnist of the year John Canzano is prepared to give UFC another chance.

“It’s my job to cover sports, and offer commentary, and a growing number of people love mixed martial arts. We tell each other in this business that we’ll cover the stuff you care about. And so I’m going to show up at the UFC event with an open mind, and a blank notebook, and I’m going to give White the opportunity to demonstrate that he’s got something special here.”

I’m coming from the same place as Canzano.  As a sports fan, I know what I love and I love what I know.  But every so often something new creeps into the fold and grabs your attention.  There’s a big moment that impacts you as a viewer and compels you to care.  For a slew of Americans this year’s Confederations Cups in South Africa was that catalyst.  UFC is entering that world for me, and it’s safe to say there are thousands of others sitting on that proverbial fence ready to make the leap into fandom.

• On the heels of OSL’s interview with Oregon Boy Evan Dunham…the Las Vegas Sun (the daily news from Dunham’s adopted training ground) caught up with the undefeated UFC fighter.  Dunham told the Sun he expects to get a huge lift from the Oregon fans.
• Dunham is fighting on the under-card this weekend.  The big show involves another man with Oregon ties (and a legend in wrestling and UFC circles) Randy Couture.  In an interview with the Associated Press, Couture takes a stab at why mixed martial arts and the UFC are blossoming in Oregon.

“The state of Oregon is a very unique place,” Couture said. “It’s a great wrestling state, and it’s turning into a wonderful place for fighting and developing fighters. I think there’s this particular mentality there. I don’t know if it’s the rain or what, but indoor sports, and wrestling especially, have always flourished there, and I think MMA is going to flourish there as well.”

• In non UFC-related news, Oregon State football is riding on the shoulders of two diminutive Texas boys.  The Rodgers brothers are dynamic, electric, shifty, etc.  They accounted (this is amazing) for over half the Beavs’ yards from scrimmage last year.  With a relatively easy non-conference schedule, this year is a terrific opportunity for OSU to head into conference play with confidence instead of scrambling to catch up.  Ted Miller has a terrific look at the Rodgers.  If they stay healthy (and that’s a big if) OSU is incredibly dangerous.
• Every Duck fan’s biggest scapegoat (*cough* Nick Aliotti *cough cough *) admits he doesn’t love criticism.  The always informative Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune caught up with long-time UO Defensive Coordinator Nick Aliotti. Aliotti touched on what seems to be a growing theme with the Ducks – speed.  He says his defensive unit has some top-secret plans.

“I don’t want to divulge too much, but … we’ve gotten to a point where, why can’t we be on the attack on defense and not always let the offense dictate to us?” Aliotti says. “Attack instead of reacting to what’s going on. We’re trying to put as many fast players on the field as we can. The pace (at which) we practice helps quite a bit.”

That’s it for today’s scramble.  Stay tuned for more UFC 102 coverage from OSL in the coming days.