They say birds of a feather flock together, but the Duck that’s missing for Oregon’s 2013 season is former head coach Chip Kelly. Kelly’s departure is probably the single-biggest change to Oregon for the 2013 season since the NCAA sanctions didn’t ruffle many feathers.
With Kelly off to coach in the NFL, the Ducks’ new head coach is former assistant Mark Helfrich. Helfrich, an Oregon native, was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2009 - 2012. Although taking over for Kelly may pose challenges, Helfrich certainly has history on his side. He’s the third consecutive offensive coordinator promoted to head coach for the team and only the fourth head coach in the past 35 years.
Last month, the NCAA Committee on Infractions released its ruling on its two and a half year investigation into Oregon’s recruiting practices. Compromised eligibility? No. Bowl ban? Nope. Loss of 10+ scholarships? Not quite. The Ducks are on probation until January 25, 2016. Between now and then, the program loses one scholarship each year and its recruiting visits have been reduced from 56 to 37. Former coach Chip Kelly was also hit with an 18-month show-cause penalty, which essentially means nothing since he’s no longer coaching in the college ranks.
In 2012, the Ducks went 12-1, 8-1 in the Pac-12 with the sole loss coming from an overtime loss to Stanford that shook up the BCS title race. For 2013, the team retains 16 starters: nine on offense and seven on defense.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota returns under center for the Ducks. Mariota finished the 2012 season passing for 2,677 yards with 32 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also put an additional 752 yards on the ground with 5 rushing touchdowns. Offensively, rushing is in the Ducks’ wheelhouse. The team retains backs De'Anthony Thomas and Byron Marshall for the 2013 season.
Defensively, the team lost leaders in players like Dion Jordan and Kiko Alonso but it’s still stacked in depth. Defensive tackles Taylor Hart and Wade Keliikipi, an All-Pac-12 honorable mention recipient, return for their senior seasons.
Schedule wise, the Ducks’ 2013 season is theirs to lose. The two games that could pose threats are the Oct. 26 game against UCLA albeit at home and the Nov. 7 match away against Stanford.
Ultimately, the bar is high for this Oregon team, even without Kelly. If everything on paper comes to fruition, the team could wrap up the season with a Pac-12 championship and a solid run at the BCS title.
- Hayley Elwood
@hayleyelwood
hayley.projectcfb@gmail.com
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