The Oregon defense will gladly regain some experience in the secondary when senior cornerback Anthony Gildon@@CE@@ returns from an undisclosed injury to face the Washington Huskies on Saturday.
Having started the first seven games of the season@@http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111102/SPORTS/111020409/Tough-road-ahead-Ducks@@, Gildon was on the sidelines in uniform but did not play against Washington State last weekend, which left a trio of freshmen — Troy Hill, Terrance Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu@@CE all@@ — to help fill the void.
Despite giving up more than 330 yards@@337: http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@ through the air to senior quarterback Marshall Lobbestael@@CE@@, the secondary allowed only its ninth touchdown pass of the season@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@, the lowest amount in the Pac-12 this season@@changed from second-lowest: http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@.
“I thought our secondary has played very, very well all season long,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly@@CE@@ said. “Even when passes are completed against us, there’s a lot of guys around the ball and they’re limiting the yards after the catch.
“We’ve got a young group back there, but they’ve accepted every challenge that they’ve faced.”
Like most weeks in the Pac-12, Oregon will again see a talented quarterback with a stable of playmaking receivers in Seattle. Sophomore signal caller Keith Price has thrown 23 touchdowns passes@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/price_keith00.html@@ (the eighth-best mark in the country@@changed from fifth-best http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1005@@) against eight interceptions@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/price_keith00.html@@ in his first year as a full-time starter, with wide receivers Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, James Johnson and true freshman tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins@@CE all@@ each accounting for more than 330 receiving yards@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND@@.
Kearse, a two-time all-conference performer@@http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskyfootballblog/2015828691_counting_down_the_top_10_huski_6.html?syndication=rss@@, leads the team with 31 receptions for 395 yards and six touchdowns in 2011@@http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/kearse_jermaine00.html@@. The last time Washington faced the Ducks, however, Kearse was limited to just six yards on two receptions@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204990164@@ against the likes of Cliff Harris@@CE@@ and the graduated Talmadge Jackson@@CE@@.
This year, the 6-foot-2, 208-pounder@@CE@@ will have the size advantage against Oregon’s young secondary, but that’s nothing new for a group that’s already faced seven of the top-10 reception leaders in the Pac-12.
“I think those guys are holding up very well,” defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti@@CE@@ said. “I’m not going to use the youth card here. It is what it is, that’s what we have. They’ve played good enough for us to win seven games, they’ll find a way to get it done.”
The Ducks continue to lead the conference in pass defense efficiency by allowing just 54.7 percent of the passes they face to be completed@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@. Mitchell’s play has been particularly key in that regard, as he leads the team with eight passes defended, ahead of Ekpre-Olomu and Harris, who have six apiece@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@. Hill and Gildon have five each, as do safeties John Boyett, Eddie Pleasant and Avery Patterson@@CE names and numbers, see previous@@.
Pass breakups figure to be key in keeping Price out of his rhythm, as will limiting the big runs from junior running back Chris Polk@@CE@@, the Pac-12 rushing leader with 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns this season@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@.
“They’re clicking on a lot of cylinders and they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Gildon said. “Their quarterback is obviously playing lights out, and Polk has been a great running back in this league for the last (three) years.”
In last year’s 53-16 Oregon win@@CE@@, Washington was limited to just 263 yards of total offense@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204990164@@, with 127 of those coming via the passing game@@see previous@@. Price made his first collegiate start inside Autzen Stadium, completing 14-of-28 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions and was also sacked five times@@see previous@@.
But now with nearly a season’s worth of experience under his belt, Price will certainly present different challenges for the Oregon defense this time around.
“It really seems like he’s got a great command of what is a very diverse offense,” Kelly said. “They do a lot of different things on offense, but to do a lot of different things, you’ve got have a guy pulling the trigger that understands it.”
Oregon secondary ready for another challenge in Keith Price
Daily Emerald
November 3, 2011
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