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Oregon Ducks vs Utah Utes Recap

It wasn't pretty, and it came without high-level quarterbacking, but the Oregon Ducks enhanced their season to a considerable degree, anyway.

Chip Kelly's team still lacks crispness, and signal caller Jeremiah Masoli has yet to regain the mastery he displayed at the tail-end of last season, but after snapping Utah's 16-game winning streak--the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision--the Ducks aren't just developing an identity; they've stumbled upon a good one, too: they're grinders.

Being a grinder is a great compliment to any set of sportsmen. Grinders win when playing below their best; they might be erratic, but they manage to bundle their big plays in clusters so that they have a maximum effect on a game's outcome. That's what Oregon did against the Utah team that rolled to a 13-0 season in 2008.

If you had told Kelly before the game that his team would accumulate just 312 yards, and that Masoli would throw for only 95 yards while coughing up three turnovers and converting just three of UO's 14 third downs, the first-year head coach would have hated his chances in Autzen Stadium. Yet, all those stats actually applied to this non-conference clash in Eugene, and yet Oregon lived to tell about it. That's a hard-earned victory.

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Walter Thurmond III ran back a punt 78 yards for a score. Eddie Pleasant and John Boyett came up with clutch interceptions for coordinator Nick Aliotti's defense. Receiver Jeff Maehl--like his other pass catchers--didn't grab many aerials from Masoli's unreliable right arm (Masoli completed just four passes on the afternoon), but one of them covered 58 yards and set up a touchdown. UO running back LaMichael James, forced to pick up the slack in the absence of LeGarrette Blount, raced 45 yards to set up another Oregon touchdown. Everywhere on the field, different Ducks compensated for Masoli's misfires and the up-and-down rhythms of a choppy and sloppy game. At the end, UO's combined efforts were enough to stop the Utes, and score a meaningful win for the Pac-10 Conference against the defending champs from the Mountain West.

Grinders--the Oregon Ducks are reaching deep into their toolbox of skills. With more rugged resilience, a season that rests on the edge could still be satisfying after all.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer