Coming into their first-ever meeting with Oregon, expectations for the Missouri State Bears were low. Regardless, head coach Terry Allen now faces a daunting task: to pick his team up off the ground after a 0-3 start against some of the toughest competition the NCAA has to offer.
“That becomes my job. We need to keep this football team together. We’ve got to learn from the experience,” said Allen. “We’re not gonna face anything in the (Missouri Valley Conference) like we faced when we went to Arkansas and Oregon.”
That much is true. Missouri State now holds the distinction of being the only team in Division I to play two top-15 teams in their non-conference slate (they lost their first game of the season to then-No. 15 Arkansas 51-7 on Sept. 3). Oregon, tabbed at No. 12 in the latest AP poll, represents the highest-ranked squad the Bears have ever faced. The gap in competition was apparent as Missouri State fell behind 35-7 at the end of the first half.
“Obviously, the Oregon Ducks are a great football team, we knew that coming in. It’s very difficult for us to simulate their speed and we certainly had an opportunity to see it here this afternoon,” said Allen.
The Bears, who compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), were picked in preseason polls to finish last in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season. That doesn’t mean the team didn’t come out firing.
Missouri State took the opening kickoff and marched down the field with a nine-play, 84-yard drive capped with a three-yard touchdown burst by running back Chris Douglas. The series featured several explosives plays by sophomore quarterback Trevor Wooden, who finished the first quarter 4/4 passing for 80 yards to go along with 28 yards rushing.
“If we’d played 60 minutes like we’d played the first four and a half, it might have been a ball game,” Wooden said. “You’ve gotta play the whole game. We showed what we could do at the beginning, that was clear.”
However, the next 55 minutes transpired much differently. Oregon took over on offense with an impressive touchdown drive of their own, going 56 yards in 10 plays punctuated by a one-yard touchdown run by LaMichael James. From that point on, the Ducks offense grabbed the reins like it has against so many opponents in the Chip Kelly era.
“You can’t outscore Oregon, because their defense is going to make you work for everything and their offense is obviously going to put points on the board at a remarkably fast pace,” said Allen.
Oregon went on to score touchdowns on their first five possession of the opening half to briskly put the game out of reach. While the Duck offense kept accumulating points, the defense shored up, refusing to allow Wooden the same big plays that plagued the team in the game’s first possession.
“Their defense is solid,” said Allen. “Their defense is more bending and not breaking, rather than penetrators or readers.”
While the Ducks were quick to converge on ball carriers and receivers alike, both Wooden and Allen felt the Bears needed to do more on their side.
“In the first half, offensively, I think we dropped three or four passes that really kept us from having a nice offensive production,” said Allen.
“We can compete with anybody. We know that, we just have to put the whole game together,” said Wooden. “It can’t be five, 10 minutes here, five, 10 minutes there. Five plays here, five plays there — that’s not enough.”
Despite the setbacks, Allen feels optimistic about Wooden’s prospects for the rest of the season. The underclassman — who was making only his second career start against Oregon — showed tremendous upside in the team’s previous game against Eastern Kentucky, a 28-24 loss in which the High Springs, Fla., native threw for 262 yards and accumulated a game-high 333 yards of total offense.
“He’s going to keep getting better and better each week,” said Allen. “But he’s got a lot to look forward to.”
The same could be said for Missouri State as a team. Even after two debilitating blowouts against powerhouse teams and a win less non-conference effort, the Bears remain eligible to achieve many of the goals they set for themselves before the season started.
“If everybody plays their part, our season could still turn out the way we want it to,” said Wooden. “Conference champs is still out there. Playoffs, we can make that too. We just have to play all 11 games one week at a time and make the best of the opportunity.”
“We were a little banged up in this game; they beat us up a little bit, and that’s what happens when you play two of these games in three weeks,” said Allen. “So we’ll see what we’ve got physically left.”
The game was a taxing experience for Missouri State, but hopefully one that will pay dividends in the near future. Witnessing the Ducks in full flight is a sight to see — albeit an unwelcome one for the opposition.
“Their speed and athleticism, plus the speed at which they play the game — we attribute that to Chip (Kelly) and I’m a big fan of Chip,” said Allen. “He came from our background. It’s enjoyable to watch unless you’re on the other sideline.”
Missouri State looks to rebound from Oregon loss, physically and emotionally
Daily Emerald
September 16, 2011
0
More to Discover