One could only imagine what went through first-year head coach Chip Kelly’s mind after he saw his thought-to-be high-powered offense rack up just 152 total yards in an embarrassing 19-8 loss to Boise State in Oregon’s opener this season. What went through his mind after he saw his star running back sock an opposing player in the face, shove his teammates when they tried to intervene, and then had to be restrained by police officers from going into the stands to fight fans is pretty easy to figure out:
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
But Kelly and the Ducks have come a long way from that loss and LeGarrette Blount’s psychotic episode. On Thursday night, Oregon edged out in-state rival Oregon State 37-33 in route to winning the Pac-10 and earning their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1994. Freshman tailback LaMichael James paved the way by gaining 166 yards on 25 carries and three scores, while quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 14-of-21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown pass. He also rushed 10 times for 40 yards and picked up a big fourth down late in the fourth quarter by running over an overmatched Oregon State defender.
Blount, who missed most of the season after Kelly suspended him for his conduct after the Boise game, even chipped in 51 rushing yards on nine carries and also scored a third quarter touchdown. He ran like a kid trying to make up for lost time.
After things went so horribly wrong for his team in the opening week, Kelly could have succumbed to the pressure that most head coaches face in their first seasons. Instead, he dealt with the Blount situation by forcing the troubled running back to become a better student athlete and by not giving up on him. He then held his team together and led his team to an impressive 10-2 record.
For all his efforts, Kelly will have the opportunity to showcase what Oregon can do in the Rose Bowl in early January. He and the Ducks are one of the better stories of the 2009 college football season.
Of course you do – he’s the Oregon running back that was viewed as a potential Heisman candidate before he decked Boise State’s Byron Hout in the face following the Ducks’ 19-8 loss to the Broncos in the opening week of the season. He was subsequently suspend for the rest of the season by head coach Chip Kelly, although not it appears that Oregon could allow him to be reinstated as long as he meets certain conditions.
Kelly said he set down academic, behavior and football-related “ladders” that Blount must achieve for possible reinstatement, which would not come before Oregon’s Nov. 7 game against Stanford.
“There’s a distinct possibility he’ll never play football here again,” Kelly said. “But the ball is in LeGarrette’s court.”
Blount hasn’t endeared himself to many within the Oregon program with his actions over the last two years. But I happen to think that this was a good move by Kelly.
If Blount has nothing to work for, what’s from stopping him from continuing to get into more trouble? Kelly is giving him the opportunity to play football again as long as he succeeds in the classroom (positive), doesn’t misbehave (positive) and puts in hard work at practice (positive). If he screws up again, then he’s done for the rest of the season, just as he was before. But if he succeeds, then he proves to himself that hard work and good behavior can get him what he wants in life.
Granted, some may look at this as Kelly going back on the suspension in order to get his star player back onto the field now that Oregon has rattled off three straight wins. But Kelly said the earliest Blount could return is November 7, which means the running back would miss the next four games (including USC on October 31) no matter what. I hardly view this as a sign that Kelly’s only mission is to get Blount back in uniform.
It’ll be interesting to see if Blount can meet Kelly’s requirements and turn a negative situation into a positive one.
Following Oregon’s embarrassing loss to Boise State on the opening night of the college football season, a Ducks fan was so upset about what he saw from his team’s performance that he e-mail head coach Chip Kelly asking for a refund.
According to the Web site, Kelly replied to Seminary’s e-mail with a question: “What is your address?”
Sure enough, a check for $439, apparently signed by Kelly, arrived in Seminary’s mailbox, according to the Web site. Seminary was so impressed by the gesture, he returned the check to Kelly with a thank-you note, rather than cashing it.
“As a sales guy, it’s really hard to shut me up,” Seminary said, according to the Web site. “When I received that check, I was literally speechless.
“I think of Coach Kelly as a totally different person now,” Seminary said, according to the Web site. “I have a different bond with him now. … Let’s just say he lost every game as an Oregon coach. You would never hear me calling for his head. It just wouldn’t happen. The guy showed an incredible amount of class.”
I wonder what kind of storm Kelly just created for himself after this incident. Now every team he losses, he’s going to have thousands of fans e-mailing him asking for a refund.
Nevertheless, this was a cool gesture by Kelly, who was incredibly upset by the way his team performed in Boise and the actions by running back LeGarrette Blount following the game in which he punched a Broncos player. I think a lot of people will agree with Seminary’s sediments to Kelly and root for him in the future.
The Oregon football program has suspended running back LeGarrette Blount for the remainder of the 2009 season after punching Boise State linebacker Byron Hout after the Ducks’ loss to the Broncos on Friday night. Blount also had to be restrained from going after fans as he walked off the field.
Blount’s suspension includes any bowl games. Coach Chip Kelly said he will remain on scholarship.
After the game, a contrite Blount came out of the locker room.
“I should have handled that situation a lot better than I did,” he said. “I apologize. We will never have a game like this again. … The game, as it went on, just got more frustrating and more frustrating for me in general. I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have done anything.”
Blount’s offseason also came with missteps when, according to The Oregonian, he was suspended by first-year Ducks coach Chip Kelly for poor attendance at team meetings and workouts.
Oregon and Boise State also met last year in Eugene, Ore., a 37-32 victory for Boise State. In that game, the Broncos committed two late hits that received much attention since, and last month Blount told Sports Illustrated that the Ducks owed the Broncos an “ass-whuppin’.”
It’s football – frustrations boil over, especially when a supposedly good team like Oregon plays as flat as they did last night. But Blount’s actions were completely ridiculous and it’s good to see that Oregon didn’t just slap him on the wrist. His suspension is appropriate, because he certainly doesn’t deserve the right to play football right now.
I don’t know what was said, but Hout was clearly taunting Blount and hopefully he learns from this incident too. Even though Hout won’t face any discipline, chances are that Boise head coach Chris Petersen won’t let his young linebacker escape without some form of punishment.
The 2009 college football season didn’t get off to a great start Thursday night for Chip Kelly and his Oregon Ducks.
After their thought-to-be high-powered offense racked up just 152 total yards in a 19-8 loss at Boise State, Kelly’s Heisman candidate running back LeGarrette Blount socked a Broncos player in the chin, then shoved one of his own teammates when they tried to intervene, then had to be restrained by team officials and cops from going into the stands and fighting fans on his way to the locker room.
Seriously…here’s the video:
That’s absolutely unbelievable. It appears that the Boise player said something first, but that’s still no reason to clock a guy as he’s turning away, nevertheless have to be dragged out of the stadium looking like a lunatic on national television.
Blount, who has been disciplined before by Oregon, will no doubt be suspended. For how many games is anyone’s guess, but Kelly (who is in his first year at Oregon) certainly has a mess on his hands both on and off the field. It’ll be interesting to see if Kelly kicks Blount off the team indefinitely. If so, the Ducks will lose their best offensive weapon.
Preseason Ranking: No. 16 in AP Top 25; No. 14 in USA Today Poll.
Key Returning Players: LeGarrette Blount (RB); Jeremiah Masoli (QB); Ed Dickson (TE); C.E. Kaiser (OT); Jeff Maehl (WR); Bo Thran (G); T.J. Ward (S); Will Tukuafu (DE); Walter Thurmond III (CB); Clay Matthews (LB); Spencer Paysinger (LB).
Key Losses: Patrick Chung (S); Max Unger (C); Jairus Byrd (CB); Jerome Boyd (LB); Ra’Shon Harris (DT); Jeremiah Johnson (RB); Mark Lewis (G); Nick Reed (DE); Cole Linehan (DT); Justin Roper (QB); Terence Scott (WR); Fenuki Tupou (OT); Jaison Williams (WR).
Player to Watch:LeGarrette Blount, RB.
Blount didn’t get off to a great start in ’09, as he was suspended for missing strength and conditioning workouts in February, then reported to spring practice in April in less than ideal physical condition. (He weighed 10 pounds heavier than his normal playing weight.) But things started to turn around in early August, as Blount reportedly dropped 20 pounds off his spring weight and then showed off his new frame by rushing seven times for 52 yards in a recent scrimmage. Along with his quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, Blount is Oregon’s top playmaker and the backbone of the offense. He’s a bulldozer and as long as he can stay healthy (he was nicked up earlier this spring), he should be in store for big season.
Check out LeGarrette Blount’s run in Oregon’s 42-31 win over Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl Tuesday night.
This game was absolutely crazy. There were 24 points scored in the first, 28 in the third and 21 in the fourth but 0 in the second. Apparently the defensive coordinators figured things out for 15 minutes and that was it.
