Three games into the season, the No. 5 Oregon football team is already on a record-breaking tear.
The offensive numbers have been among the highest in the nation, and the defense has yet to give up a touchdown in the second half.
With three dominant wins over New Mexico (72-0), Tennessee (48-13) and Portland State (69-0), Oregon has established a ground attack that’s second to none.
After running their way to a school-record 528 yards rushing against Portland State, Oregon’s season total already sits at 1,142 yards.
Using the running back by-committee scheme, second-year head coach Chip Kelly has seen six different Oregon players reach the end zone on the ground, and six more score through the air.
“I feel like the offense is never at full potential,” senior running back Remene Alston said. “Even at the end of the season, there’s always stuff to work on; there’s always stuff to get better at on both sides of the ball and special teams.”
After winning the starting quarterback job in fall camp, sophomore Darron Thomas has been an effective game-manager for Kelly’s intricate zone-read offense. The Houston native has completed 39 of 73 passes for 562 yards and has thrown eight touchdowns, compared to just two interceptions.
“He’s gotten better each game,” Kelly said. “You know, he’s still going to continue to progress. He’s still got a long way to go, but just his progress he’s made since being named the starter has been really, really good for us.”
While the opposition has been noticeably weaker in the preseason, Oregon’s execution in all three facets of the game has been strong. In addition to putting up an average of 63 points per game, the Ducks have been equally dominant on the defensive side of the ball.
Allowing a miniscule 4.3 points per outing, the Ducks had no trouble filling the holes left by the graduation of three defensive starters last season.
Sophomore free safety John Boyett picked up right where he left off, after leading the Ducks in tackles as a freshman in 2009. He now leads Oregon with 14 stops.
“I think there’s still some things we can clear up and get better on,” Boyett said. “And I think as long as we continue to do that, we’ll continue to become a better team.”
Senior defensive tackle Brandon Bair has improved his game on the interior with a pair of new faces on the defensive front.
Senior Zac Clark and junior Terrell Turner have both stepped into starting roles along side Bair and senior defensive end Kenny Rowe with a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
Bair leads the group with 12 tackles, 6.5 of which have been for a loss, and five pass break-ups.
Oregon’s third component, special teams, could be considered the most dangerous part of the Ducks’ overall game.
Before the Portland State game, the Ducks had returned five punts on the season, three of which went for touchdowns.
Sophomore defensive back and return specialist Cliff Harris was responsible for two of those scores, taking returns of 61 and 64 yards to the end zone in the season-opener against New Mexico.
“He’s getting better,” Kelly said. “You know, he’s still got some work to do at corner. But he made a couple of really nice plays for us.”
Harris recorded his third score on a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tennessee.
The Duck’s leading scorer, Kenjon Barner, has also chipped in on special teams, taking a punt return 80 yards for a score as a part of the 45 unanswered points Oregon posted on the Volunteers.
Overall, Oregon looks more than ready to defend its Pac-10 Conference title against a slate of debatably weaker opponents this year.
The Ducks will face tough road challenges when they travel to Cal and USC, but having a big win at Tennessee under their belts is encouraging.
“Everybody’s getting into conference play this week, and it will be interesting to see how it shakes out,” Kelly said. “Everybody, according to the experts. It’s a pretty open race.”
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