Gregory TD ends 31-0 run for Ducks

The game is long since over here at the Sun Bowl, but backup quarterback Grant Gregory has thrown an 11-yard pass to A.J. Love, cutting Oregon's lead to 49-21 with 6:34 left to play.

Cutting into the lead is a good thing -- had Oregon's 35-point lead held up, it would have been the third-most-lopsided bowl loss in Big East history, trumped only by a 42-3 thrashing North Carolina handed Virginia Tech in the 1998 Gator Bowl and a 51-14 loss Syracuse took against Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl.

I'm headed down on the field and will update with the final score in an hour or so ...

Comments

[GVaz]

I think we need to star looking into next year team. What bout playing the guy from Gulf High. I dont think Grant Gregory is the future of the team. We need to star looking for someone to take over Matt. What about playing a two QB system, something like UF. Due to Matt playing style in which is could get hurt. Let take this game as a warning. Look at what Grant had done of the bench(two interceptions) 6 from 12 so far. I hope the team play better next season. Go bulls

[GVaz]

Hey Greg what is the status of Matt?

[WinWithClass]

A good season for the Bulls, but still a long ways to go. Although the start of the season went well, and the boys played their hearts out, let's be honest, the #2 ranking was completely inaccurate.

Before these guys can truly become a Top-10 Team, the coaches have to work on the durability and depth of the team. In addition, class goes a long way in college football, especially if you are trying to "graduate" "good men" from your program. Example: a classy coach does not repeatedly throw for the endzone when up by 30 points (UCF game) with 6 minutes left in the game. You run the ball, run out the clock, get to the videos/scouting reports, and start planning for the next team. Maybe in the extra 30 minutes they would have had to scout Rutgers, Conn., and Cincinnati, they could have picked up something to continue their winning streak. Instead, they went 0-3 in the next three games. I am not screaming karma, but that was classless, and most importantly, a waste of the team's time and effort. Hopefully the coaching staff learned something from that experience.

Best of Luck in '08 Bulls!

[Dave W]

Greg Gregory needs to go. I've been saying it all season long- I'm not impressed by the numbers. In this game, our best plays were extraordinary efforts from guys (like the Grothe TD pass). That has been the case all year. Our average play nets about 2 yards, which expands when the player/o-line puts in a terrific effort that should not be expected every play. Gregory did nothing to put the team in a position to win, he couldn't figure out how to run on a mid-level defense, and he added zero new wrinkles to the offense in a month. He belongs in the Big-10, where his staid, predictable play-calling will be welcomed.

Oregon presents the solution to the OC problem- they hired a dynamic mind (Kelly) to work with an uncommonly talented QB, and it worked extremely well (Note that I first said this around mid-October).

And Wally still can't stop a power back. Rice, Dixon, McCoy, and Stewart killed us. Slaton, Smith, and other burners couldn't run against our speed. We need a hitter at a safety spot- Nate and Carlton are very good in coverage and chasing guys down, but do not inspire fear like Chung did for Oregon.

Lots to work on, for sure. Find a new OC, grab several need positions in recruiting (QB, OT, OG, DT, MLB, CB), and come up with a plan to stop Rice and McCoy (our biggest challenges in '08). I love our schedule next year; I won't be around to watch in person anymore, but we have some great challenges ahead, and I do think that this season was a positive step forward. This loss is bitter, for sure.

[James]

No offense but...

Pac 10 vs. Big East is no contest...You've done a lot in your short history, but have a very long ways to go. J. Stew didn't break a sweat on his way to both personal and sun bowl records for rushing and your offense couldn't get much going either. Keep your chins up but take this as a lesson: It takes a lot more to play with the big boys.

[Dave W]

GVaz- Gregory is a year ahead of Grothe, anyways. Alton Voss could be a player, we'll have to see. I think that BJ Daniels is the guy we need to get, and seems to like us.

Winwithclass- UCF couldn't stop us that game if we grabbed random fans and told them to just run in place. In that game, we grabbed meaningful work for Gregory and let Severino have something nice to cap his career. It's not our fault that UCF couldn't tackle a guy on a 5 yard slant (which is completely fair to be running at the beginning of the 4th Q. Or that they couldn't stop a running back on a simple blast play. Should the RB, fighting for playing time, run 10 yards and stop? We went down the depth chart very early in that game, just like Oregon did tonight. UCF couldn't stop our backups, and we couldn't stop Oregon's.

I should say that Stewart is the best RB we've ever faced. A 230 pounder out running Trae Williams and then bowling over T-Mac later? That's far more impressive than just being strong or fast. He won that game by himself. They had some talent at WR, and the defense really stepped up in the third. I think they'll be more than alright with Roper and I'm sure they can get another RB to replace Stewart. That's a very good, solid program that we have yet to match.

[Dave W]

I just saw the Pac-10- Big East comment: Cincy 34 Oregon St 3. One game does not an argument make for conference strength. Keep your chin up, James. With stellar teams like Stanford, UW and Washington St, I'm sure your conference must be a nightmare. Stanford over USC = Pitt over WVU.

[Duckattack]

WOW! Just got done reading Quotes from "It's official: USF-Oregon in Sun Bowl" 12/3/07 reacting to release of the matchup of USF vs. ORE. They read as...

"We are going to freakin kill Oregon.
They lost to Oregon State - who lost to Cinci by like 4 Td's.
This is going to be a boring game - I can feel it.I wish we played someone like Texas" Ari Hinkelberger

Boring Game you say? Maybe for J. Stew

"Oregon sucks without Dixon, they will lose by 14 or more. They don't deserve to be here Oregon State should be." Micheal

"Oregon with 3 straight losses, I don't think we could have gotten a worse opponent. Beating Oregon means nothing." OR

Does getting smoked by them mean anything?

"Pac-10 VS. Big East = No contest!!" JAmes

Smartest thing I've heard all day

Alot more but I will now stop cause I have alot of respect for your coach. Go DUCKS....Too Easy!!!!!!!!!

[James]

Whatever makes you feel better, Dave.

OSU beats Oregon, Cinci beats OSU, Cinci beats USF, Oregon destroys USF...go figure that one.

All I can judge is the scoreboard...56-21. Like I said, this should be a wake up call to all Big-East teams who think they're ready to play the major conferences. Your D-line looked like average sized Pac-10 linebackers...Grothe couldn't start in the Pac-10 and your vaunted defense made our 5th string QB like like a pro. Sorry, but the proof is in the pudding.

[Blake]

James, the Big East IS a major conference. Any person who knows anything about college football could see that. A single unprepared team in one game does not justify your argument. The Big East had wins against the SEC and Pac-10 this year. One bowl game does not change the fact that on any given week the Big East can compete with anyone else out there.

[cee]

where are all the leavitt lovers now? let's face the facts everyone, jim leavitt is not a big game coach. he chokes in big games and, while it's easy to roll over syracuse and UL, struggling against teams like FAU and ELON are proof that we have no right in being a BCS conference. today, against and inexperienced QB, leavitt chokes a big one and should be fired on the spot. on a national level, this is downright pathetic and leavitt should lose his job altogether

[Gvaz]

Cee
Without Leavitt USF, wont be the team it is. Remember last year we lost some of the staff members. Also this is the 11 year the Bulls play. USF dont have any 4 star of 5 star players. This team had been built on players that no one recruit. Give the team a couple of years and have Oregon play USF again.

[Gvaz]

I think USF need a better offense staff. The defense had been great during the past seasons. The only part of the defense that have to improve is the rushing defense. May be USF can get some advise from MR. keffin

[Gvaz]

Alton Voss should get some playing time next season. I saw him back in High school and he was a great player. Also the Bulls need to star recruting some bigger names. The D-line need to get bigger, The running game had been poor, but I know the Bulls are going to get bigger and better. Go Bulls since 2001

[James]

Blake,

I know that technically the Big-East is a major conference....duh....I'm trying to point out that there is a difference in name versus reality. Victories over Auburn and Oregon State (OSU being the first game on the road with a new QB and 6 turnovers against cinci) don't really paint the picture.

Unprepared? You had a month! Outclassed, outmanned, outperformed, outcoached would have been better reasons.

[Blake]

James you are right, we were outmanned, outcoached and outperformed. I completely agree with you on that point. All I am saying is that a team from the top half of the Big East can matchup with another from any other BCS conference and be given a chance to win. The Big East is a competetive conference, WVU beat Georgia two years ago, we beat Auburn, UConn competed with Virginia(and believe it or not thats an upper level ACC team this year). All I am saying is that we are in a major conference, the biggest thing holding the Big East back is national perception, and USF not showing up today really hurt our conference as a whole.

[James]

Blake,

Agreed, any team has a chance to win on any day (ask Michigan). However, what I am saying is put any Big East teams up against any other major conference and they will loose the significant majority of the time. They simply have not the infrastructure to beat the major programs consistently, YET.

USF is a young program with a lot to be proud of, but based on the posts about how USF would destroy Oregon, this should provide a much needed reality check.

[Blake]

Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree about the Big East v. the other major conferences. However, on the posts about how USF would destroy Oregon, you should realize that every fanbase out there is full of over-zealous fans. We could have been playing the New England Patriots and you would find certain fans who would think we were going to win. That is just the way FANatics are.

[Ken]

We looked ridiculous. Yes, we were outperformed in every area of the game, and yes, I thought we looked unprepared, though of course there's no reason to be for, as James said, we had a month!--I suppose that's mostly coaching. The defense, in particular, looked like it had no idea what was coming at them. Oh, Cee, certainly nice to have your pleasant voice back again.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

This whole bickering about the game is laughable.

It is really clear whats the problem

We can't run the ball - We can't stop the other team from running the ball.

Ever since the Rutgers game, teams have been jamming it down out throats.

The kid from Pitt had a banner game. Ray Rich ran for 200. The guy from Uconn ran wild.. Its really clear.

And we have no ability to run the ball. That inside trap draw we run every game is laughable.

So how do we move up the pecking order??

Get some bigger lineman. Develop a rushing game --and learn to stop the inside rush.

What a terrible performance.