Erickson Out As ASU Coach

[Duck07]

no offense but you must not have been a duck fan for long if you have never seen the D blamed for a loss. I have seen people calling for NA's head for as long as he has coached here. Lets take a look at Oregons 3 big losses the last couple of years

Rose Bowl vs OSU...The D kept that game close...our offense did SQUAT
NCG vs Auburn...The D played their asses off...offense did SQUAT
vs LSU....D played ok...fumbles deep in enemy territory (not on the D)

Yes the D gives up points. But when you have really good athletes come in...Barner and DAT to name a couple ...that were top D players and they get moved to offense. That does not help matters any.

I do have to chuckle at people 2nd guessing CK on his team tho...I seem to recall that CK said NA was a good DC. Probably wrong tho.

Back to Erickson...wonder if MB is gonna get a call for that gig?

Again, the D never takes the brunt of it and it doesn't last very long before discussions about why the offense lost it creep back. The D has played well in those games you mentioned, but here is a giant problem I have with the Rose Bowl (and subsequent others) that hits at the heart of what I'm saying: We didn't do a single thing differently on Defense, OSU knew we weren't going to change and as a result, used certain plays when they needed to convert and did. That is on NA for being repetitive and not changing his schemes. I thought this was a great write-up after the game back then, and guess what, nothings changed much, can you believe that?

http://buckeyefootballanalysis.blogspot ... fense.html

[oregontrack]

i'm quite surprised to hear that. i guess i've only been on this site for about a year and i tend to spend more time on the hoops and baseball forums. nick aliotti has been an internet whipping boy for years on other sites.

[maxduck]

and there it is folks, the recruiting angle. This team had an average defense with an All-Pro and Future NFL HOF DT and we still ran the same schemes that required us to sell out the blitz to put pressure on opponents.

Again, in all my time as a Duck fan I've never once heard open criticism of the defense. Every week there is some slant on what the offense is doing wrong. It's wholly and patently absurd to me the justifications people use for the mediocrity on Defense and how they are just fine with it. Seriously, people are putting the defensive woes against SC on freshman dbs, not the coach who put them in single coverage. Does that make any sense, at all?

really? aliotti has been our biggest punching bag for over a decade now.

no, not really. a few like myself will gripe, but for the most part everybody will tell me that I am an idiot, that I don't know anything about football, that the coaches know more than I do, and that I should shut up. Frankly, its old. I realize there is a small % of us who wish NA was gone, but not anything that I would call substantial and that is the point. How many times have we switched OC's since NA's joyous return from Westwood? In all that time, there has never once been a serious internal discussion over his mediocrity.

First, unless you are a member of the football staff for the past 20+ years you don't know if that statement is true. Rich Brooks, Mike Bellotti, and Chip Kelly all though his job performance was sufficient. Brooks hired him twice, Bellotti hired him back, and Kelly kept him on staff after observing his output for two years. Think they know something we don't?

I though Ken Woody (yet another former football coach) had a good synopsis...

Oregon’s offense, by the way, has turned the ball over five times on interceptions, nine times on fumbles, a blocked kick, and 10 times on downs. Most of the turnovers on downs have been in prime field position, and the defense has allowed only 23 points per game. In 1970 or even 1990, that might have been a lot of points, but it’s upper division in 2011. It’s aggravating to see teams chew up yards, but that’s just foreplay, the real part of the dance comes in the end zone, and the Ducks do a great job of protecting theirs.

http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index ... ngs-to-im/

[Duck07]

I though Ken Woody (yet another former football coach) had a good synopsis...

Oregon’s offense, by the way, has turned the ball over five times on interceptions, nine times on fumbles, a blocked kick, and 10 times on downs. Most of the turnovers on downs have been in prime field position, and the defense has allowed only 23 points per game. In 1970 or even 1990, that might have been a lot of points, but it’s upper division in 2011. It’s aggravating to see teams chew up yards, but that’s just foreplay, the real part of the dance comes in the end zone, and the Ducks do a great job of protecting theirs.

http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index ... ngs-to-im/

Ultimately, that is the exact point I have been making: that any discussion of NA's performance ultimately leads back to what the offense did wrong. It never cuts the other way.

2002 7-6
Scoring Offense: #23
Total Offense: #60
Scoring Defense: #76
Total Defense: #94

2003 8-5
Scoring Offense: #56
Scoring Defense: #70
Total Offense: #57
Total Defense: #50

2004 5-6
Scoring Offense: #55
Scoring Defense: #62
Total Offense: #37
Total Defense: #35

2005 10-2
Scoring Offense: #12
Scoring Defense: #38
Total Offense: #18
Total Defense: #44

2006 7-6
Scoring Offense: #25
Scoring Defense: #89
Total Offense: #9
Total Defense: #42

2007 9-4
Scoring Offense: #12
Scoring Defense: #40
Total Offense: #10
Total Defense: #60

2008 10-3
Scoring Offense: #7
Scoring Defense: #78
Total Offense: #7
Total Defense: #82

2009 10-3
Scoring Offense: #8
Scoring Defense: #51
Total Offense: #33
Total Defense: #35

2010 12-1
Scoring Offense: #1
Scoring Defense: #12
Total Offense: #1
Total Defense: #34

2011 10-2
Scoring Offense: #3
Scoring Defense: #43
Total Offense: #6
Total Defense: #64

What this says to me is a few things. Last year was special. If we have a better defense in 2007, that might have been a special year even with all the injuries. It also tells me that average results are not allowed for the Offensive Coordinator but it is acceptable for the Defensive Coordinator. I feel this cannot be argued, either.

Rant all you want about those average years for our offense. Last year notwithstanding, the last decade at best could be described as average for NA. Combine the fact that his play-calling and schemes really haven't changed at all over time, even under Chip, and I really don't see how anybody could be enamored with the guy. It's real easy to call zone blitz after zone blitz against a team like OSU. What this program needs is not just an average D with an average DC but someone better. Someone who doesn't believe our defense has to give up all those yards and points just because our offense scores a lot and quickly.

But hey, if you look at the year after year results and truly want to believe that he's going to try out calling new plays and tweaking looks week to week, go right ahead. I'm just saying that history says otherwise.

Chip put the O in Oregon, can we please put the D in Ducks? I'm done discussing this now but feel free to continue supporting him.

[oregontrack]

It also tells me that average results are not allowed for the Offensive Coordinator but it is acceptable for the Defensive Coordinator. I feel this cannot be argued, either.

reminds me of that infamous quote that came out after the '04 season. to paraphrase: oregon is the only school in the country who would lose a rivalry game 50-21 and fire the offensive coordinator.

[Boom]

Rant all you want about those average years for our offense. Last year notwithstanding, the last decade at best could be described as average for NA. Combine the fact that his play-calling and schemes really haven't changed at all over time, even under Chip, and I really don't see how anybody could be enamored with the guy. It's real easy to call zone blitz after zone blitz against a team like OSU. What this program needs is not just an average D with an average DC but someone better. Someone who doesn't believe our defense has to give up all those yards and points just because our offense scores a lot and quickly.

But hey, if you look at the year after year results and truly want to believe that he's going to try out calling new plays and tweaking looks week to week, go right ahead. I'm just saying that history says otherwise.

Chip put the O in Oregon, can we please put the D in Ducks? I'm done discussing this now but feel free to continue supporting him.

The defensive scheme has changed a bit... and more importantly so has the overall depth of talent he has to work with.

I'm curious if you think there is a better defensive coordinator in the Pac 12 and who that may be?

[Boom]

You are nuts if you actually think some team is going to hire him. Chip doesn't do the bend but don't break nonsense? I disagree. Look at USC. Look at how our Defense plays period. We give up certain plays so that we don't give up big plays (yet, we still give up big plays) - that is bend but don't break.

Further, I continue to not buy into the idea that we automatically have to lose the TOP. Nothing is stopping the defense from forcing the team to go 3 and out the next series, at which point, our offense has the ball again. Raise your hand if you expect our D to stop the other team on 3rd down? I don't. Watching NA call a defense is like being reminded of that insanity definition: doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.

If you need any further proof of how much we baby our defense but act like drill sergeant's to our O, look at the SC game. Everybody just had to rip on all the mistakes the offense made, yet call out the defense and you become an idiot.

Is it really that wrong to have higher expectations for the defense than this?

3rd down defense
1 Arizona State 33.52%
2 California 34.68%
3 Oregon 35.07%

4th down defense
1 Oregon 22.73%
2 UCLA 38.89%
2 Arizona State 38.89%

Yards per play
1 Oregon 4.7
2 California 4.8
3 Arizona 4.9

Scoring D
1 Stanford 17.4
2 Oregon 18.7
3 California 22.6

Red zone conversion
1 ASU 67.39%
2 Oregon 67.50%
3 Cal 78.95

Ducks are also
1st in pass completion %
1st in yards per completion
2nd yards per rush
3rd in turnover margin


It's not wrong to have high expectations... but the bar is set pretty high... the Ducks are practically rated 1st or 2nd in every meaningful category.

[RanDux]

i'm quite surprised to hear that. i guess i've only been on this site for about a year and i tend to spend more time on the hoops and baseball forums. nick aliotti has been an internet whipping boy for years on other sites.

Our defense was very solid last year and adequate this year, so the whipping has quieted down the past 2 seasons. Expect it to ramp up if the CBs have more games like the USC game.

[RanDux]

You are nuts if you actually think some team is going to hire him. Chip doesn't do the bend but don't break nonsense? I disagree. Look at USC. Look at how our Defense plays period. We give up certain plays so that we don't give up big plays (yet, we still give up big plays) - that is bend but don't break.

Further, I continue to not buy into the idea that we automatically have to lose the TOP. Nothing is stopping the defense from forcing the team to go 3 and out the next series, at which point, our offense has the ball again. Raise your hand if you expect our D to stop the other team on 3rd down? I don't. Watching NA call a defense is like being reminded of that insanity definition: doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.

If you need any further proof of how much we baby our defense but act like drill sergeant's to our O, look at the SC game. Everybody just had to rip on all the mistakes the offense made, yet call out the defense and you become an idiot.

Is it really that wrong to have higher expectations for the defense than this?

3rd down defense
1 Arizona State 33.52%
2 California 34.68%
3 Oregon 35.07%

4th down defense
1 Oregon 22.73%
2 UCLA 38.89%
2 Arizona State 38.89%

Yards per play
1 Oregon 4.7
2 California 4.8
3 Arizona 4.9

Scoring D
1 Stanford 17.4
2 Oregon 18.7
3 California 22.6

Red zone conversion
1 ASU 67.39%
2 Oregon 67.50%
3 Cal 78.95

Ducks are also
1st in pass completion %
1st in yards per completion
2nd yards per rush
3rd in turnover margin


It's not wrong to have high expectations... but the bar is set pretty high... the Ducks are practically rated 1st or 2nd in every meaningful category.

Wow, those stats are surprising. Thanks for sharing them.

[goducks75]

Most of my OSU friends are getting so sick of Riley to the point where they want OSU to just up and go after and rehire Erickson right now, but of course they all know that won't happen with Riley's contract lasting through 2019 at this point so they're just clinging to the incredibly slim possibility that Riley does a staff overhaul. I guess even people in Corvallis get sick of loyalty when the wins aren't coming in

[woundedknees]

There was a time I would have gladly replaced NA with Rocky Long, the former Beaver DC... Perhaps my favorite Duck DC was Charlie Waters, who departed in the wake of the untimely decease of his teenage son (An incredible kicker at Marist HS, who was all state playing both soccer and football, in the same season.)

All things considered, there has definitely been improvement in Nick's D since Chip took over.

Not sure if it will ever be enough to satisfy some Duck fans.

(I, like many other fans, absolutely hate 3rd and long situations!)

[pudgejeff]

i'm quite surprised to hear that. i guess i've only been on this site for about a year and i tend to spend more time on the hoops and baseball forums. nick aliotti has been an internet whipping boy for years on other sites.

Our defense was very solid last year and adequate this year, so the whipping has quieted down the past 2 seasons. Expect it to ramp up if the CBs have more games like the USC game.

You mean the 3 freshman cornerbacks?...One of which decided he was just going to go man to man with one of the top 5 receivers in the country in Robert Woods in the 2nd half and shut him down, I think his name is Terrance or something lol...That game was all Barkley, I'm sorry but he was just really good.