With the dust beginning to - sort of - settle following the debacle at Boise State and the home opener against Purdue directly ahead, there is plenty of grist for the conversation as they say.
Blount was wrong first and foremost and his suspension for the year is a point of principle for Oregon that was quickly taken by the athletic department. Many Oregon fans are quick to point out that BSU has culpability here too and their administration has been slow to recognize the numerous shortcomings the events of the evening exposed. This is the second year one is left wondering, "what is going on over in Boise"? Apparently, anything goes. No apology last year even though the player who speared Jeremiah Masoli admitted that was his intent and not a word of regret from Hout, who instigated the punch from Blount and set in motion the chain reaction of events that followed.
If showing the replay on the big screen was to incite the crowd, it was a job well done and could potentially have led to a far more serious, perhaps tragic incident. Lack of security at the field exit area factored significantly in the events of the evening. These are basic stadium security issues that were faulty at every measurable level, a lack of security that extended into the post game interview areas - a very serious breach of protocol given what had just taken place.
Oregon's 19-8 loss was just as unsightly.
The incendiary offense displayed last year was nowhere to be seen as the Ducks stumbled their way deep into the 3rd quarter with zero first downs. Zero. Jeremiah Masoli misread the option when he tried to run and misread his receivers when he passed. Standing flatfooted in the pocket and staring down his receiver led to one drive killing interception. You don't expect that from him at this stage. But sometimes players are too hyped and they lose their analytical ability on the field. Sometimes it's better to bring in the backup, Nate Costa, for a series or two and let your starter see it from a different perspective.
Make a change? If Chip Kelly had shaken things up with Nate Costa maybe the Ducks would have responded. On the other hand, Oregon didn't have the ball much and the Bronco's weren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard either. Masoli gets hot for a couple of series you go home happy. Not converting the short fields he was given will be addressed with him I'm sure.
Waiting until late in the third quarter to throw the first pass to Ed Dickson was another oversight that needs to be dealt with as well. Oregon's offense must attack the middle to create mismatches on the perimeter. Theoretically, Blount would have been part of that task, now it is all the more important for Dickson to open that seam. All in all, offensively, the Ducks get a D- for play calling, game management, and execution.
The one spot where they get a C+ is for the offensive line. Think I'm crazy? OK. but hear me out. Reviewing the game tape shows there was room to run but the misreads on the option kept the Ducks from sustaining a drive. When Masoli would hand off instead of reading the offensive line forming a wall behind the rush LaGarratte was swallowed by the numbers. Tuck the ball and slip inside the corner, Masoli runs for a month.
Pass protection was good too, with the defense getting to Jeremiah once on the interception when they hit his arm, and one sack. The offensive line was penalized once for a false start and for the opening game on the road with a noisy crowd, they stood out as the only passable portion of offense for Oregon.
Defensively, the Ducks were on the field for far too many minutes, 42:32 to be exact. Yes, they had some trouble stopping BSU early but they were given short rest when Oregon was unable to move the chains even once until the midway through the third quarter.
Two third down and long situations in the second quarter see Oregon get flagged for pass interference calls that come out of the blue, leading to 10 BSU points. Even Bob Davies, the ESPN announcer and former Notre Dame Coach had to mention those calls.
In the second half , Oregon's offense got a few first downs and allowed the defense to get some rest and they held the Broncos to six points. Conclusion? Forty two minutes is a LOT of minutes to be on the field and Aliotti's guys more than held their own against one of college football's most prolific and creative offenses.
They were very effective against the run allowing only 2.8 yards per carry. BSU's Kellen Moore was deadly accurate in the short passing game but the Ducks didn't yield any explosion plays. They held BSU to 19 points at home and the defense earns a solid A for that effort, spending nearly three quarters of an hour on the field in 88 degree heat!
This loss in on the Oregon offense, plain and simple.
Oregon was OK on special teams as well. Though they did not attempt a field goal, the punting was handled nicely by Jackson Rice who averaged 43.9 yards per kick. The freshman should poise in his first collegiate game by making a nice catch on a high snap. Rob Beard was solid with kickoffs and the Ducks made no errors in the return game. All of these areas were big question marks coming into the season and this was a good start.
While Oregon did not perform well, let's keep this in perspective. The first game of the season is always sloppy but when you play an out of conference creampuff who can't take advantage of your errors you get away with it. Oregon didn't have that luxury and you could argue the BSU played just as poorly as Oregon.
BSU committed three turnovers and Oregon coughed up a pair. The Ducks weren't able to take advantage and indeed turned fortune into misfortune on two of the possession. Masoli threw his interception on the first play after Oregon recovered a fumble in the third quarter. Then he fumbled on the BSU 32 after Oregon got the ball following a botched field goal attempt. And the official stats don't factore what was a sure touchdown by Jamere Holland, who dropped a perfect ball from Masoli and . oops. committed a false start at the line of scrimmage. A virtual turnover in my book.
This game was a disaster with a capital D. A loss to BSU and Blount available is a logical worse case scenario a week ago. Now the Ducks are faced with a significant reorganization of their offense. If Oregon could take care of business against Purdue and Utah it would set the stage for a salvation game with Cal and a chance to regain their standing in the country and conference. Cal looks awfully good right now, as they always do to open the season. Oregon can still have a good season if they start 2-2, and play well versus Cal. Going 1-3 puts them behind the 8 ball.
The friendly confines of Autzen Stadium must look and feel awfully good to the Oregon players and coaches right now.
The Ducks sure hope Dorothy was correct, "there's no place like home". | 
