No. 4 Oregon did exactly what they were expected to do on Saturday afternoon against the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
The Ducks won, and just as many anticipated, did so in a convincing manner — 70-14.
From the opening kickoff the game was never truly in question and at the half, the score read 56-0 in favor of the Ducks. With the game clearly in hand Chip Kelly once again began inserting the Oregon reserves, a move that has been commonplace in the last few weeks. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205720917@@
Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota was pulled before halftime, as were running backs Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas. As the second half wore on, few starters saw any action on the field and even third string quarterback Dustin Haines played several series’ in the fourth quarter.
Not only was the score of the game impressive in and of itself, but also the way in which the Ducks spread the wealth was a sight to behold.
Ten Oregon players rushed the ball for 435 yards in the 56-point rout and nine different Ducks ranging from Josh Huff to Will Murphy caught passes from either Mariota or Bennett. @@checked names@@
Chip Kelly consistently speaks of the “next man up” philosophy the team has adopted, and the effort in Autzen Stadium on Saturday exemplifies it perfectly.
After the starters were pulled, the second and third units came on, and while it may not have been as flashy they effectively managed the game and secured Oregon’s eighth victory of the year. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=233&SPSID=3377@@
After the game Chip Kelly spoke about the depth that Oregon has and about the slew of players that were able to play in the matchup against Colorado.
“We have a lot of kids that practice extremely hard and they deserve to play,” Kelly said. “We constantly rotate a lot of guys to begin with … We don’t talk about this being a dictatorship or a democracy, it’s a meritocracy. You merit playing time by your performance during the week.”
While the stars of the game were once again the usual names of Mariota, Barner and Thomas, the effectiveness of the second and third unit is something that should make Chip Kelly very pleased.
In the long college football season it is inevitable that injuries will occur and lineups will change. The fact that the Ducks have ability and depth at several key positions will pay dividends as they enter the final third of their season and continue their chase for a national title.