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Old 01-02-2006, 07:35 PM   #168
hoopsguy
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Chicago
There is a light rain coming down - I've made my feelings about rain known in Eaglesfan's USC dyansty. Short version - not good for UCLA.

Am I the only one that finds it ironic that Oregon has a kicker named Duckett?
Burford comes out passing on the first three plays.
The next five plays are runs, including three by FB Hagood Morris. We are systematically moving down field.
Until a holding penalty ... but it is a blip on the radar as Burford finds Brewer for 22 yards.
We are at 4th and 1 on the Oregon 2 - what to do?
Burford goes for it, throwing a 2 yard TD pass to Voight. 7-0, 8:45 left in the quarter.

3 and out for Oregon.

Unnecessary roughness stops our next drive after we had picked up a tough 3rd down.

DT Jared Burford records a sack.
But QB Johnny McClure picks those yards up, and more with a 20 yard pass play to Bishop on 2nd down.
Their line does a great job on a pair of runs, but the drive ends with ILB Scott Wilson laying out for an interception of a McClure pass.

C Nick Moore is laying people out on a 15 yard pickup by FB LeShon Toomer. But QB Jack Burford somehow sustained a nose injury after the handoff? Out for the game.
Another holding call on us - we aren't getting much help from the zebras so far.
Edwards is not deterred - 26 yards on the next play to TE T.J. Thomas, down to the 16.
Edwards throws a 4 yard TD pass to Dawson and we are up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

McClure finds Bishop, who tacks on some yards after the catch. 30 yard gain.
Another penalty, defensive holding. Is there some hidden attribute that I'm recruiting for commiting penalties constantly?
RB DeCarlo runs it in from 19 yards out. 14-7, 12:59 left in the half.

After a 9 yard pickup on first down our QBs have combined for 13 straight completions to start the game.
But I appear to have jinxed it. False start, sack, incomplete, and we punt.

RB Alonzo DeCarlo is hurting us on the ground. 5 carries, 53 yards.
ILB Jerry McCullough records a sack, then DT Burford adds another on 3rd down.

Now Edwards is injured (foot) on a running play. What is going on here? Our great health coming into the game has unraveled and we are going to be hard-pressed to win this game with sub-standard QB play.
Another false start - 6 penalties in 22 minutes.
We are stopped by the refs, with Oregon getting nominated for a supporting role. Punt, putting them back on the 9.

Oregon doesn't stay near the goal line for long. 3 first downs move the ball out near midfield.
On 3rd down McClure stares a hole into his wide receiver and Greg Moore puts an end to this drive. A holding call against Oregon is declined - late flag that would never have been thrown on a completed pass, I'm convinced.

The new offensive game plan is Brown, Brown and Brown. That works just fine, as he keeps converting 3rd downs.
QB Greg Moorehead, emboldened by a screen pass to Brown, then fires a strike to Ben Jackson for 15 yards, into the red zone.
Then he finds Dan Campbell in the back of the end zone - 12 yard TD on an over-the-shoulder catch. Great play, scrub! 21-7, 1:54 left in the half.

FS Greg Moore collects his 2nd interception of the half! We take over at the 44. The secondary has really done a number on McClure so far.

Not a good start to the possession. Sack, incomplete pass (trap) with Jack Brewer going out of the game.
But on 3rd and 14 Moorehead fires deep and Mike Voight is running alone! 48 yard TD pass, 28-7 with 0:18 left in the half.

Halftime Notes:
Our pass defense is so much better this year it is not recognizable.
Penalties continue to be a thorn in our side and I'm sure we cannot sustain this level of play from Moorehead over the last 30 minutes.
Hopefully we have built enough of a buffer to survive some tough times, which are almost sure to be coming ...

McMullen shanks the opening kick of 2nd half, Ducks start at the 40.
They come out running with DeCarlo. Good move, he is giving us fits.
Then McClure and Bishop combine for 19, then 9 yards.
SS Noland King has a spleen injury - the last one wasn't too serious, but he won't be playing again today.
The drive dies at our 11, so they kick a 29 yard field goal. 28-10, 11:07 left in quarter.

K Duckett has three kickoffs, all for touchbacks.
3 and out, we fumble on 3rd but recover. Punt.

3rd and 10, McClure connects with a wide open Willie Edwards. Moore saves a touchdown, but it goes down as a 53 yard gain.
Oregon runs three times from the 11, but are stopped at the 4. Kick? Go for it? They kick, 23 yard field goal is good. 28-13, 6:41 left in the quarter.

Not much on the next drive. QB is giving us nothing. Punt.

DeCarlo hits 100 yards on his 16th carry.
Bishop is working our secondary. Another two receptions, into our territory.
We stop them at our 32, and Duckett misses a 50 yard field goal.

Again the refs call a holding penalty on Oregon when we already have a 1st down. Jags.
They do call a facemask, but I wanted 15 instead of 5.
Brown only gets one on 3rd and 2 from the Oregon 47. Punt? I hope so ...
Nope, and our backup QB is incomplete trying to pick this one up. Ducks start with great field position.

Another defensive holding penalty on our D, giving them a first down.
23 yards to Willie Edwards into field goal range.
The defense toughens up again in the red zone. Ducks settle again for 3, 35 yard field goal. 28-16, 12:11 to play.

Big 3rd down conversion - 3rd and 10, Toomer catches it right on the marker and holds on after getting drilled by a converging linebacker.
Moorehead and Campbell appear to have developed some chemistry running the scout team. They combine on a pretty 41 yard deep ball - great timing there. First and goal at the 8.
The Ducks get a sack on 2nd down and we don't pick it up on 3rd down. McMullen hits a 29 yard field goal. 31-16, 8:22 left.

Sack on first down. Big run stop on 2nd down by DE Ronald Smith. 3rd and 17, McClure converts it. 25 yards.
But McClure pushes his luck and pays the price. CB Elijah McCallister secures an interception, the 4th of the day for McClure.

Moorehead doesn't even think about salting this game away. Nope, he throws an interception right back to CB Kenny Justin. We had recruited Kenny last year, but backed off when we brought in the first couple of studs at the position.

Ducks start at our 42.
The defense only gives up 5 yards in three plays. Punt.
That may have been a mistake, Ducks are running out of time.

3 and out. We punt.

Bishop makes another grab and he is the best we've seen so far at getting yards after the catch. 34 yards, down to our 18.
The Ducks are betrayed by the refs late - losing a first and goal due to an ineligible receiver downfield.
But McClure earns his first down. The refs still call a holding on us to give a couple of extra yards, but they would have had it without the penalty. 1st and goal at the 5, 1:20 to play.
3 plays, -5 yards. 4th and goal from 10.
Refs call a defensive holding on the incomplete pass. You aren't paranoid if they really are out to get you.
DeCarlo finally runs it in from 6 yards out, but there are only 0:15 left. Two point conversion is good, 31-24 with 0:08 left.

We recover the onside - has anyone seen an onside work yet?
Tough road win, we overcame a lot of adversity today.
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