LOS ANGELES — The No. 6 Oregon football team continued its pre-Rose Bowl activities this morning as coach Chip Kelly and the entire Ducks roster took questions from reporters at Media Day.
The event marked the final media availability for players this week, while Kelly and Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema will hold their final press conferences Saturday morning beginning with Kelly at 8 a.m.
Having been in Los Angeles since Monday, it was clear that both teams are more than ready to just play the game. Oregon’s season ended 28 days ago (27 for the Badgers), and by most measures, the Ducks are no longer phased by the bright lights and extravagancies that accompany the Granddaddy of the Them All.
Two years ago, that might not have been the case.
“I think that two years ago that’s what was happening,” Oregon senior Mark Asper said. “The older guys were trying to tell the younger guys what was going to happen and how this was going to be and everything. But even they hadn’t really been on a big stage, a BCS game or anything like that.
“So it was the blind leading the blind a little bit.”
Much has changed for the Ducks since that 26-17 loss to Ohio State in 2010. Of course, Oregon has gone through a nearly identical week leading up to the game. Practices are still held at the Home Depot Center, Disneyland opened its doors for the Rose Bowl Welcome Press Conference, and the annual Beef Bowl at Lawry’s The Prime Rib even added a little more excitement this time around.
During Oregon’s 30-minute presser this morning, the Ducks fielded plenty of questions about getting off to a strong start offensively. Sluggish starts were commonplace during the regular season, though they rarely played much of a factor in the game’s outcome.
In the last two BCS games, however, Oregon’s slow starts have put more pressure on the defense as well as the passing game to try and play catch-up. Against Ohio State and Auburn, the Ducks were held scoreless in the first quarter of play and relied on big second quarters to climb back into the game before halftime.
Asper — one of three Oregon players to compete in four straight bowl games — said there’s been added emphasis on effective starts since last February.
“I can’t speak for everybody’s attention,” Asper said. “But Coach Greatwood has specifically spoken to the O-line and had us focus on starting fast, starting physical, getting out there and setting a tempo for the game.”
Oregon’s biggest catalyst in establishing offensive tempo remains in the hands of redshirt junior running back LaMichael James. In two BCS bowl game starts, James has carried the ball a combined 28 times for 124 yards without a rushing touchdown. Granted, Ohio State and Auburn were chalk-full of NFL caliber defensive linemen, but James noted that Wisconsin presents an equal challenge with a talented group of high-effort guys.
The key, he said, will be sustaining drives in the opening quarter, particularly in facing a Badgers offense that tries to dominate the time of possession.
“I feel like if we get the drives going in the game, I think we’ll be fine,” James said. “If you start punting the ball, there’s going to be more time outs so we have to get the drives going.”
Fellow redshirt junior Kenjon Barner had arguably the best game of his young career against the Buckeyes two seasons ago. His 227 all-purpose yards were a game-high by more than 100 yards (Ohio State’s Brandon Saine tallied 120), and he was named the team’s offensive player of the game.
Barner’s all-around game has steadily improved over the last two seasons, and he reportedly received a very positive draft evaluation from the NFL earlier this month.
A third backfield mate, true freshman De’Anthony Thomas, will make his postseason debut on Monday. The co-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year seemed happy to be back in his hometown of Los Angeles, and even more so to get back on the field after missing most of Oregon’s Pac-12 title game with a head injury.
Kelly spoke at length about the relationship he’s developed with Thomas this season during their one-on-one position meetings. The third-year head coach admitted he misses position meetings from his days as offensive coordinator, and enjoyed the opportunity to work with Thomas individually in 2011.
“The one thing I love about De’Anthony is consistency,” Kelly said. “He comes in every day with a smile, he’s eager to learn, and it’s a lot of fun being around him like that.”