Less than one month from now, the Oregon Ducks football team will represent the Pac-12 Conference in the 2012 Rose Bowl game against Big Ten Conference champion Wisconsin on Jan. 2.
The Ducks (11-2)@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=233&SPSID=3377@@ will be making their second trip to Pasadena in three seasons, having defeated Pac-12 South Division winner UCLA 49-31@@see previous@@ Friday night in front of an electric Autzen Stadium crowd.
A heavy favorite entering the inaugural Pac-12 title game, Oregon came out flat early in the first quarter before finding its rhythm offensively. Once things got going, Oregon’s Darron Thomas@@CE@@ and LaMichael James@@CE@@ accounted for seven touchdowns@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/436315.htm?SPID=233&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ over the next three quarters of play to lead the Ducks to their third-straight BCS bowl berth — the only team in the country to accomplish that feat.
“For the Rose Bowl, in this conference, it’s the pinnacle,” Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. “To play in the ‘Granddaddy of Them All’ if you don’t have a chance to play — obviously because of our two losses — in the national championship game, there’s no other game you’d rather play in than the Rose Bowl.”
James had one touchdown in each of the first three quarters, including a 30-yarder on a fourth-and-1 play during Oregon’s first possession of the game.@@see previous@@ On James’ second rushing touchdown of the night — a three-yard run in the second quarter — he surpassed former USC running back Marcus Allen to move into third place on the Pac-12 career rushing list.@@http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=313362483@@
The Texarkana, Texas, native finished with 219 yards and three touchdowns@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/fcg.htm@@ en route to becoming the first player in conference history with three seasons of 1,500 yards rushing.@@http://www.pac-12.org/Football/Tabid/1452/Article/136637/Football/Tabid/1452/Article/139304/Oregons-James-Stands-Out-In-The-Crowd.aspx@@ His 19 touchdowns@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@ this season trail only his own school record of 24 scores set a year ago.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204990164@@
Kelly was asked after the game what James has meant to him personally over the last few years, given that the Rose Bowl could very well be James’ last game in an Oregon uniform.
“He’s special,” Kelly said. “I think you watch what he does in the classroom, you watch what he does in the community, it’s not just a football thing with him. It’s the way he lives his life.
“It’s what I want our football team to be like, and I think he epitomizes that.”
Thomas continued to impress as well, overcoming an early interception that bounced off running back Kenjon Barner’s hands and into UCLA linebacker Patrick Larimore’s, who@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/larimore_patrick00.html@@ returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@ to finish 20-of-36 for 219 yards with three scores.@@see previous@@ He also carried the ball five times for 60 yards and another touchdown.@@see previous@@
On Oregon’s final touchdown of the first half, a 25-yard catch-and-run@@see previous@@ by Daryle Hawkins,@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204773775@@ Thomas tied former Oregon quarterback Danny O’Neil (1991-94) for the most touchdown passes in a career (62).@@http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2011/12/pac-12_championship_oregon_duc_1.html@@ He moved into first place with his third touchdown pass of the night, a 22-yard strike to David Paulson with 4:45 left in the third quarter.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@
“I’m very excited to get the record. Got a lot more to go,” Thomas said. “Very excited that I can get to it. Happy to be on the list with a lot of good Oregon quarterbacks, great Oregon quarterbacks at that.”
On Saturday, No. 15 Wisconsin held on to beat No. 13 Michigan State, 42-39,@@http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/275/wisconsin-badgers@@ in the inaugural Big Ten Conference Championship Game. A late running-into-the-kicker call ultimately decided Michigan State’s fate, sending the Badgers to their second-straight Rose Bowl and seventh overall.
Wisconsin will be a challenge for Oregon up front, while running back Montee Ball@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ball_montee00.html@@ — who rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan State@@http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/wisc-13.html@@ — is among the most talented backs in the country.
For an Oregon program coming off two-straight BCS losses, there’s no denying the sense of urgency to end the season on a win for the first time under Kelly.
“We have to (win),” James said. “We’re going to go into the game to compete and be aggressive regardless. We have a long time until this game. We’ve got to start in practice. That’s where it begins.”
With Pac-12 title in hand, Oregon to face Wisconsin in 2012 Rose Bowl
Daily Emerald
December 3, 2011
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