As corny as it seems with the holiday season upon us, the Oregon Ducks have a lot to be thankful for this year.
They are sitting atop the Pacific-10 Conference with a 7-1 record and ranked No. 10 in the nation. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli can do no wrong by fans right now and on Dec. 3, the Ducks will host Oregon State, with the winner going to the Rose Bowl.
“This is the biggest one since I’ve played here and I’ve played in some big ones,” senior tight end Ed Dickson said at practice on Tuesday. “The Pac-10 championship is coming out of the state of Oregon this year. This is what we dream of.”
But before the Ducks and Beavers can finally settle the dispute next Thursday, the teams must first do something they haven’t done in a while: relax.
Head coach Chip Kelly is giving the team a break until Saturday and a lot of the players are planning on going home for some much-needed home cooking.
“I told them be safe when they travel, enjoy their break and we’ll see them Saturday morning,” Kelly said. “They deserve it. It’s been our plan in place the whole time. It’s Thanksgiving, they need to spend some time with their families. We’ll have a big work week starting on Saturday — which is like a Monday for us — so it will be the same preparation we’ve had for any other games.”
Dickson, a veteran of knowing how to utilize time off, said that the best thing the team can do is kick back on the couch and let the various aches and pains heal.
“Get off your feet,” Dickson said. “It’s a long season and we’ve been working up to the last game of the Pac-10 season. Get off your feet and watch a little film if you can.”
Dickson is actually staying in Eugene to get some treatment on a bruise he has on his leg and he won’t be alone. While some will be travelling for the short break, cornerback Talmadge Jackson III said that it wasn’t worth spending the money to go home to Murrieta, Calif., which is just north of San Diego, only to have to fly back on Friday.
“About $500 for two days? That’s a long trip,” Jackson said. “And I don’t want to rush to get back because we have practice Saturday morning. You miss a flight and that could be game time right there.”
Instead, Jackson is hosting what has become an annual Thanksgiving dinner at his place. About 10 or so of his friends and their girlfriends come over and they all cook something for the occasion, and Jackson said it’s a time he looks forward to. He also said that it’s a good way to bring people together who can’t travel home.
“I cooked some yams, a ham, collard greens…pretty basic stuff,” Jackson said of his culinary endeavors. “Nothing too hard.”
As for Kelly, he will also be in Eugene getting some work done in preparation for the Beavers. He said that he probably won’t work on Thanksgiving, but he might end up sneaking in for a bit.
“I’d get killed if I do that, but maybe,” he said. “A little bit.”
Kelly also told the media what he was thankful, saying that he is having a great time this year because of the group of guys he sees every day.
“I’m thankful for just being around these guys,” Kelly said. “It’s a tremendous group of young men that’s got great character. It’s a special group. It’s fun.”
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Ducks plan to use three-day break to relax, recuperate
Daily Emerald
November 23, 2009
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