2009 Oregon Ducks football team

The 2009 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2009. The team was led by head coach Chip Kelly in his first season as a head coach at the Division I FBS level. Kelly was only the third Ducks head coach since 1977 and led the Ducks to a Pac-10 Championship and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. He took over for Mike Bellotti.

The Ducks finished the season 10–3, 8–1 in Pac-10 to claim the Pac-10 championship and earn the conference's automatic BCS berth where they were invited to the Rose Bowl, the schools fifth Rose Bowl and first since the 1994 season. They were defeated by Ohio State 17–26.

Previous season
The 2008 Oregon Ducks football team entered the season ranked 21st in the AP Poll, after finishing the 2007 season ranked 23rd. The major question going into the season concerned the position of quarterback. Oregon's top two quarterbacks, Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf, had graduated the year before, with Dixon being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sophomore Justin Roper was named the starter after Nate Costa suffered a season ending injury before the season began. As a freshman, Roper had led the Ducks to a Sun Bowl win over South Florida in 2007. He was injured in the third game at Purdue, and was replaced by junior college transfer Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli had led his junior college team to a national championship the year before. Masoli was inconsistent in his first few games, as he put up good rushing numbers but shaky passing stats. But he came on strong the last three games of the regular season and led the Ducks to a 9–3 regular season record and a victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Holiday Bowl.

Senior Jeremiah Johnson led Oregon in rushing with 1,201 yards while LeGarrette Blount record 1,002 yards and set a school record with 17 rushing touchdowns. Oregon scored over 500 points for the second straight season, and finished the season being ranked 10th in the AP Poll.

Pre-season
July 29 – Senior Ed Dickson is named to the Mackey Award watchlist, given out to the nation's best tight end.

August 4 – Junior Jeremiah Masoli is named to the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award.

August 8 – Senior LeGarrette Blount is named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Award.

Pre-season departures
Quarterback and wide receiver Chris Harper, quarterback Justin Roper, and wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad all decided to transfer from the team before the 2009 season.

Schedule


University of Oregon official schedule

Boise State
''2nd Meeting. 0–1 All Time. Last Meeting Boise State 37, Oregon 32

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jerseys, white pants

Oregon's offense was completely shut down in the first half and was unable to gain a single first down. They allowed the Broncos to get into their red zone multiple times, but Oregon's defense held them twice. Both times resulted in Boise State attempting field goals after having a first and goal situation. Both field goals in the first quarter were missed by kicker Kyle Brotzman (29 and 47). In the second quarter, the Broncos scored on a TD pass from quarterback Kellen Moore to wide receiver Austin Pettis. Michael Choate ran in the two point conversion. Billy Winn added to Boise State's first half score by tackling running back LeGarrette Blount for a safety. At the end of the first half, Kyle Brotzman booted in a 45 yard field goal to make the score 13–0. A low-scoring second half did not stop the Ducks from scoring a touchdown along with a two point conversion. The rest of the game was back and forth until the clock expired, Boise State winning by 11.

After the game, Blount, who earlier in the week was quoted as saying, "We owe that team an ass-whuppin," punched Bronco DE Byron Hout in the chin after Hout had taunted him in front of Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. Blount then went after fans in the front row of the south end zone before being restrained and escorted off the field by security, police, and Oregon coaches. The next day, Oregon suspended Blount for the rest of the season, seemingly ending his career. However, in October, Kelly announced that Blount could return as early as November provided he meets certain academic and behavioral benchmarks.

Purdue
Uniform combination: green helmets, green jerseys, green pants

The Ducks evened their 2009 record at 1–1 with a thrilling 38–36 win over Purdue in their first visit to Eugene. Jeremiah Masoli rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown and LaMichael James rushed for 56 yards. Walter Thurmond III returned an interception for a touchdown in the first half and Javes Lewis returned a fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter. With a minute and one second left to play Purdue failed on a two-point conversion that would have tied the game. Oregon recovered the onsides kick attempt and ran out the clock. Jamere Holland had 72 yards on 4 receptions but dropped a sure touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Utah
Uniform combination: white helmet, green jerseys, silver pants

Utah brought the Nation's longest winning streak of 16 into Autzen Stadium this year. This was the first meeting between the schools since a 17–13 Utah win at Salt Lake City in 2003. The Utes last trek to Autzen Stadium was in early September 2001, when Joey Harrington and the Ducks handled Utah 24–10 on their way to an 11–1 record and No. 2 in the Nation finish.

California
Uniform combination: throwback uniforms, yellow helmet, green jerseys, yellow pants

Cal has run off three in a row against the Ducks, more than any other Pac-10 school against Oregon. The Golden Bears streak is their longest versus Oregon since the 1970s. Cal won a waterlogged game at Berkeley last year, 26–16.

The Oregon Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli struggled in previous games but had a major breakthrough against Cal, throwing 253 yards with 21 completions out of 25 attempts, three for touchdowns. Oregon tight end Ed Dickson had a career day with 11 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns. The Oregon defense played very well, holding Jahvid Best who tied a Pac-10 record for rushing touchdowns the week prior, to just 55 yards on 16 carries. Before the game, Best was quoted as saying Autzen Stadium was the only venue where the crowd noise troubled him.

The Ducks had a rough start to the game when Walter Thurmond fumbled the opening kickoff reception. Thurmond was hit in the knee on the return and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL and ended up missing the rest of the season. Cal took possession and, on a drive that went for negative eight yards, scored a field goal, their only points in the game. The two teams went back and forth on several miscues. In the first quarter on the Ducks' first scoring drive, running back LaMichael James fumbled the ball and was picked up by Cal's defensive back Josh Hill. During his run back, Hill fumbled the ball again which was recovered by Oregon. In the second quarter, Cal recovered a fumble by Oregon, only to fumble the ball back on the very next play. Later that quarter, Oregon punter Jackson Rice kicked the ball off the side of his foot for a 5 yard punt. After a quick three-and-out by Cal, Brian Anger, Cal's punter, booted the ball off the side of his foot for another 5 yard punt. Masoli's first touchdown pass of the season occurred in the first few seconds of the second quarter, a 26 yard completion to Ed Dickson.

Since Cal's first field goal, the Ducks went on to score 42 unanswered points to win the game. It was Cal's worst loss with Jeff Tedford as the head coach.

Washington State
Uniform combination: black helmet, yellow jersey, black pants

Oregon has won two in a row, and four of the last five against Washington State. The last two games have resulted in 63–14 and 53–7 victories by the Ducks. The Cougars have not won at Autzen since 2003 when they defeated Oregon 55–16.

UCLA
Uniform combination: green helmet, white jersey, green pants

''Oregon won last year's match-up with UCLA 31–21 in Eugene. The Ducks last trip to the Rose Bowl in 2007 was a humbling experience, as they were shut out for the first time since 1985 by a score of 16–0. That game however was played the week after they had lost star QB Dennis Dixon to injury for the season. At game time, current Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel was 4–2 against the Ducks going back to the days he coached the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies. Since the first game in 1928, UCLA was leading the series 39–23.

With a solid performance in the first half and taking a field goal lead into the locker room, the Bruins gave up three quick touchdowns within few minutes of the third quarter to give the Ducks their fifth win of the season. The Ducks scored on Kenjon Barner's 100-yard kickoff return, on Talmadge Jackson's 31-yard interception, and on Nate Costa's 20-yard pass to Jeff Maehl, which was resulted from a UCLA fumble.

The Bruins scored their only touchdown when Akeem Ayers intercepted a Costa pass in the back of the Rose Bowl north end zone by keeping his feet in bound. Kai Forbath kicked a 52-yard field goal to give UCLA the early lead. Oregon’s Rob Beard attempted a 51-yard field goal, which was blocked by Jerzy Siewierski. Mogan Flint kicked a 33-yard field goals for the Ducks in the fourth quarter.

Washington
''Oregon has won a school record five in a row over their hated rivals to the north, all by 20 or more points. Washington's last win over the Ducks came at Husky Stadium in 2003.''

Uniform combination: black helmet, white jersey with silver numbers, black pants

After Erik Folk's 33-yard field goal in the first quarter for Washington, Oregon blocked a punt and recovered the ball in the endzone in the second quarter to give the Ducks their first lead. Javes Lewis intercepted Jake Locker's pass in the end zone to give the ball back to Oregon, which resulted in Jeremiah Masoli's 1-yard touchdown. With a second left, Folk kicked a 48-yard field goal to end the half, which was aided by a personal foul on Oregon.

With good field position at their own 47-yard line, the Ducks scored their third touchdown on Masoli's 3-yard run in the top of the third quarter.

USC
''USC had not won a game in the state of Oregon for the past three years, a streak that the Ducks kept alive. USC beat Oregon in the Los Angeles Coliseum last year, 44–10.

Uniform combination: green helmet, green jersey, black pants

The tenth ranked Ducks handed the Trojans their worst loss since 1997 and Pete Carroll the worst loss in his tenure at USC. Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli passed for 222 yards, and a score, and ran for 164 more, including a touchdown, while LaMichael James ran for 183 yards.

Stanford
''The Ducks will go for their 8th straight win against Stanford this season. It is their longest current win streak against any Pac-10 school. The seven straight wins also ties the longest stretch of dominance in school history over the Cardinal (1957–63). Oregon came from behind and won last year in Eugene on a last minute touchdown, 35–28. Stanford's last win against Oregon came in Eugene in 2001. That was the Ducks only loss that season, on their way to a 11–1 finish and No. 2 final ranking.''

Uniform combination: green helmet, white jersey, white pants

Oregon's undefeated conference season came to an end at Stanford, 51–42. Both teams have five victories in the Pac-10 championship race.

Arizona State
''Oregon has won four straight over the Sun Devils by an average of 23.8 ppg, including last year's 54–20 win in Tempe.

Uniform combination: black helmet, black jersey, black pants

Arizona
Uniform combination: green helmet, white jersey with silver numbers, black pants

The previous trip the Ducks took to Tucson in 2007 was a crushing one as the Ducks saw their BCS National Championship Game hopes fade as their star quarterback Dennis Dixon tore his ACL in the first half of the game. The 2009 game was also important, as it involved the only two teams that week in the Pac-10 who were able to control their path to earn an outright Pac-10 Championship.

It was a hotly contested game as neither team led by more than 10 points after Arizona's first touchdown in the second quarter. Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli started with a sluggish game with two recovered fumbles and an interception to set up Arizona's first touchdown. Late in the game, however, he led the Ducks to a narrow victory with two key touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown of his own. After Arizona scored a touchdown in the only score of the third quarter to put them up by 3, the game turned into a frantic sprint with numerous close calls. Morgan Flint attempted a 43 yard field goal for the Ducks that bounced in after hitting the crossbar, tying the game. With three minutes left in the game and Arizona ahead by a touchdown, Talmadge Jackson intercepted Arizona quarterback Nick Foles's pass in the end zone on a 3rd and 16 play at Oregon's 40 yard line. As Oregon drove down the field in the remaining minutes, the student section poured into the Arizona sideline as they prepared to rush the field. However, the drive ended with a touchdown pass from Masoli to Dickson. The Ducks tied the game as Oregon backup quarterback Nate Costa corralled an errant snap for the extra point kicked by Flint. The Arizona student section made their way back to the stands as overtime began. The two teams traded a pair of touchdowns in the first overtime but in the second overtime, Arizona settled for a field goal and Oregon scored a touchdown to win the game.

After the conclusion, the Arizona section at one end of the stadium next to the visiting section began to throw debris at the Oregon players. An Oregon cheerleader, Katelynn Johnson, was struck in the head with a full water bottle, giving her a concussion.

Oregon State
Uniform combination: yellow helmet, throwback green jersey, white pants

The Ducks crushed the Beavers' Rose Bowl aspirations for the second year in a row and managed to secure their own with a 37–33 home victory over the Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ran over safety Lance Mitchell in order to reach a first down much like his performance against UCLA and Oklahoma State last year where he ran over other players. Suspended running back LeGarrette Blount saw his first action since the Boise State loss and took out his frustration this time in a sportsman like way by running over Oregon State linebacker Keaton Kristick who was regarded as the most feared player in the Pac-10. Blount also stiffarmed and threw Stephen Paea to the ground who was regarded as the best defensive tackle in the Pac-10. When Oregon was down 30 to 21 Blount broke free and rushed for a 12-yard touchdown to bring the game closer before Lamichael James broke free for 52 on a touchdown run. In total Blount rushed for 7 times for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State (Rose Bowl)
Uniform combination: white helmet, green jersey, white pants

''Oregon returns to the Rose Bowl for the fifth time and first since the 1994 season. That year the Ducks lost to No. 2 ranked and undefeated Penn State, 38–20. Oregon has never beaten Ohio State in their seven previous meetings. Their most recent meeting occurred in Columbus in 1987, with the Ducks losing 24–14. Oregon and Ohio State have played in the Rose Bowl once before. The 1958 Rose Bowl game turned out to be a defensive struggle as the Ducks eventually lost to the heavily favored Buckeyes 10–7. Ohio State would go on to share the National Title that year, the Ducks would have to wait 37 more years to return to Pasadena. Ducks QB Jack Crabtree was named MVP of the game that year, the last and only second time ever that a person from the losing team had been bestowed that honor. This time the Ducks will try to win the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1917, a 14–0 victory over Pennsylvania. The Oregon Ducks lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl in 2010, 26–17.''

1st quarter
 * 11:38 OSU Saine 13 yard pass from Pryor (Pettrey kick) 7–0 OSU
 * 0:34 OSU Barclay 19 yard field goal 10–0 OSU

2nd quarter
 * 14:24 ORE Flint 24 yard field goal 10–3 OSU
 * 9:05 ORE Blount 3 yard run (Flint kick) 10–10
 * 1:05 OSU Barclay 30 yard field goal 13–10 OSU
 * 0:00 OSU Pettrey 45 yard field goal 16–10 OSU

3rd quarter
 * 11:03 ORE Masoli 1 yard run (Flint kick) 17–16 ORE
 * 6:36 OSU Barclay 38 yard field goal 19–17 OSU

4th quarter
 * 7:02 OSU Posey 17 yard pass from Pryor (Pettrey kick) 26–17 OSU

Coaching staff

 * Chip Kelly – Head Coach
 * Steve Greatwood – Offensive Line
 * Nick Aliotti – Defensive Coordinator
 * Mark Helfrich – Offensive Coordinator
 * Gary Campbell – Running Backs
 * Jerry Azzinaro – Defensive Line
 * John Neal – Secondary
 * Tom Osborne – Tight Ends & Special Teams
 * Don Pellum – Linebackers & Recruiting Coordinator
 * Scott Frost – Wide Receivers
 * Jim Radcliffe – Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
 * Alex Miller – Graduate Assistant Coach
 * Peter Sirmon – Graduate Assistant Coach
 * Jeff Hawkins – Senior Associate Athletics Director, Football Operations
 * Kyle Wiest – Asst. Director of Football Operations
 * Jim Fisher – Asst. Director of Football Operations/Recruiting