LOS ANGELES — The college football world is finding out what it means to get “Ducked” — like getting Punk’d, only faster. Much faster.
Last night, it was once-vaunted USC’s turn. Oregon, the No.1 team in the country with the drag-racer offense, went into the L.A. Memorial Coliseum last night and Ducked the Trojans, 53-32.
The Ducks blew a 12-point halftime lead, gave up more than 30 points for the third time this season and nevertheless left their latest opponent wondering what that blue streak they had just seen was.
“I know this might sound corny but the thing I like best about this team is it”s character,” Nike founder and Oregon alumnus Phil Knight told the Post. “And for me it’s the best show in college football.”
Oregon’s quick-as-a quack tempo got to the Trojans late in third quarter. Early in the quarter, USC had capitalized on an Oregon turnover with a 6-yard TD pass from Matt Barkley to Ronald Johnson, then got another Barkley-to-Johnson 6-yard TD to turn a 29-17 halftime deficit into a 32-29 lead.
Most teams would have been dead Ducks. Not Oregon (8-0, 4-0 Pac-10). Not with an offense that came in averaging 55 points. Not with coach Chip Kelly calling plays with quacky placards, with no huddle and absolutely no letting up. They shrugged on the sidelines.
“We said to each other, it’s only three points,” Kelly said.
Oregon struck back with 24 straight points over the next 20 minutes, including a Darren Thomas TD pass and two scoring runs by LaMichael James. With four minutes left in the third, after the first of James’ TD runs, the Trojans defenders had their hands on their hips. Damn Ducks!
“It happens in a lot of games, as we keep playing faster and faster teams wear down,” Oregon center Jordan Holmes told The Post earlier this week. “You see it in their body language, how they talk to each other. They start getting chippy with each other.”
You can’t blame any defense from becoming defensive after playing the offensive Ducks. In the second quarter, Oregon scored three touchdowns on drives that, uh, consumed 23 seconds (two plays), nine seconds (one play), 28 seconds (two plays).
These will now be referred to as Duck Drives.
But then the Ducks showed another side. Their next three drives, the ones on which they regained the lead, were actual drives. Each took at least 11 plays and four-plus minutes.
“We just kept pushing and new our offense would wear them down and that’s what happened,” said wide receiver Jeff Maehl.
USC (5-3, 2-3), on NCAA sanctions and ineligible for a bowl, looked as if it might recapture the glory of the last decade for one night. The Trojans led 7-3 after the first quarter. The 88,726 fans had turned the Coliseum into a sound machine.
But then the Ducks’ offense went to work. By halftime, they had held the ball for just 8:49, but had scored 29 points and amassed 313 yards in offense.
James, who with 239 yards on 23 carries and three TDs went over 1,000 yards in just seven games (he was suspended for the opener) scored on a 42-yard run.
Thomas, who has made Oregon fans forget Jeremiah Masoli, the quarterback kicked off the team for repeated rules violations, threw TD passes of 45 and 33 yards.
The Ducks are far from being a great defensive team, but they lead the Pac-10 with 15 interceptions, the last one coming with 5:15 remaining in their end zone — John Boyett picking off Barkley to seal the win.
The once packed Coliseum was almost empty when the final seconds ticked off the clock and one question remained:
Can Oregon be stopped?