Ted Miller Inteviews Chip Kelly

[dthomas=ddixon]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/pac10/0-7-20 ... items.html

Here's a few highlights:

On suspended tailback LeGarrette Blount: "To play here is a privilege, and with that privilege comes responsibilities. Every kid is held to the same standard. He's very aware of what he has to do to be with us for our first spring practice. And he's on track to do that. "

On redshirt freshman running back LaMichael James: "A dynamic, dynamic player, who can run, stop, change direction. He can catch the ball. He's tough. He's up over 190 pounds [from 180 as true freshman]. He can really, really, really run. He's got legit track times. And he backs it up when he plays. We were fortunate to redshirt him last year because he was ready to play."

Said sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas "may be our most improved [player], may be our best kid in our off-season program. He's up to 218 pounds and can run 4.5 and can throw it."

[UOducksTK1]

All this talk is getting me excited for football season!

But we are still a good 5-6 months away.

I wonder what we'll do with DT. In a way I think it would be wise to redshirt him, but maybe he'll miss a step sitting out an entire season.. What do you guys think?

[TualatinDuck]

Honestly? I keep very quiet unless it involves politics, but here are my thoughts on DT.

He scares me. Seriously no BS. This kid has all the tools, all the smarts, all the talent. When he steps into the starting spot, I dont think there is a kid in the nation including Pryor that could take it away from him. The reason he scares me is because he is so damned talented that when it finally happens, and it will, the entire Duck nation will expect a NC title in his first year! I dont want this kid to be a disappointment. Its a recipe for failure if CK and Co do not get a great supporting cast around him.

*note~NO I do not think any incoming freshman this year or the next two can take the spot away from DT. I see what CK sees in this kid.

[stewbertwilloughby]

I think the most important quote there was "And he's on track to do that." That's reassuring considering we thought we would hear about this situation last week.

[goducks75]

you could make a legit argument for doing either/or. one could argue thomas has too much talent to keep him off the field for a whole year but at the same time we are very stacked at quarterback (masoli, roper, costa, etc) and thomas would probably not see as much of the field barring a freak amount of injuries like we had in '07 or the beginning of last year. as for me i say we redshirt him. he is the future of the quarterback position and would have 2 years of starting once masoli is gone as opposed to just one if he didn't redshirt. having said all that i trust that kelly knows what he is doing and will make a decision that's best for the program.

[Tray Dub]

I'm REALLY glad to hear that about DT. Kid needed to make improvement with his accuracy, and hopefully that's the improvement Kelly's talking about. I don't know if Masoli has the potential to thrive as well as Dixon did, but I think Thomas definitely does if he can get his passes down.

[goducks75]

I'm REALLY glad to hear that about DT. Kid needed to make improvement with his accuracy, and hopefully that's the improvement Kelly's talking about. I don't know if Masoli has the potential to thrive as well as Dixon did, but I think Thomas definitely does if he can get his passes down.

i don't entirely agree. dixon was more athletic but at the same time masoli did well enough on the ground and was doing the zone read just as well as DD by the end of the season (that was the skill that was crucial to DDs success in my opinion). if the offensive line clicks then i think he'll do even better next year.

i do believe that the potential for thomas is through the charts. i hope we redshirt him so he starts for 2 years after masoli is gone.

[buckmarkduck]

I really hope Nate is good enough to come back at be a backup so we can RS DT this year. I want 2 full year with him running the show, the kid will be a stud and will benefit by being in CK system for 3 full years before starting.

[Tray Dub]

I'm REALLY glad to hear that about DT. Kid needed to make improvement with his accuracy, and hopefully that's the improvement Kelly's talking about. I don't know if Masoli has the potential to thrive as well as Dixon did, but I think Thomas definitely does if he can get his passes down.

i don't entirely agree. dixon was more athletic but at the same time masoli did well enough on the ground and was doing the zone read just as well as DD by the end of the season (that was the skill that was crucial to DDs success in my opinion). if the offensive line clicks then i think he'll do even better next year.

i do believe that the potential for thomas is through the charts. i hope we redshirt him so he starts for 2 years after masoli is gone.

I think Dixon had a better arm and had much better running ability than Masoli. And he had the field vision that Masoli has been lacking (though Masoli got MUCH better in that area at the end of the season). I'm not saying Masoli can't be great, but I think he lacks some things that Dixon had, and I don't just mean height.

[karlhungis]

This is going to be an exciting spring. It is pretty crazy that DT is the most improved. That is going to make for a very interesting QB battle. As much as I would like to, I just don't see us redshirting him this year.

When does spring practice start?

[dthomas=ddixon]

I think Dixon had a better arm and had much better running ability than Masoli. And he had the field vision that Masoli has been lacking (though Masoli got MUCH better in that area at the end of the season). I'm not saying Masoli can't be great, but I think he lacks some things that Dixon had, and I don't just mean height.

I'm sorry but that's not even close. Dixon had more quickness & could juke like no other but Masoli's running ability is way, way above Dixon's. He has much more power & vision when running the ball, and it's really not even close.

Dixon had a much better arm but wasn't in the same league as Masoli when it came to RUNNING the ball. Getting outside the pocket getting a few yards then sliding to the ground or getting out of bounds as fast as he can compared to running straight up the middle, running over a safety & going 30 more yrds for the TD? C'mon, it's an easy answer.

[goducks75]

I'm REALLY glad to hear that about DT. Kid needed to make improvement with his accuracy, and hopefully that's the improvement Kelly's talking about. I don't know if Masoli has the potential to thrive as well as Dixon did, but I think Thomas definitely does if he can get his passes down.

i don't entirely agree. dixon was more athletic but at the same time masoli did well enough on the ground and was doing the zone read just as well as DD by the end of the season (that was the skill that was crucial to DDs success in my opinion). if the offensive line clicks then i think he'll do even better next year.

i do believe that the potential for thomas is through the charts. i hope we redshirt him so he starts for 2 years after masoli is gone.

I think Dixon had a better arm and had much better running ability than Masoli. And he had the field vision that Masoli has been lacking (though Masoli got MUCH better in that area at the end of the season). I'm not saying Masoli can't be great, but I think he lacks some things that Dixon had, and I don't just mean height.

depends on your definition of better as far as running ability goes. dixon was better at running in the sense that he was a finesse runner but i absolutely love masoli's running style. he isn't the quickest and flashiest but he doesn't shy away from a hit (see oklahoma state) while it seemed like dixon did that a lot more (i don't blame him given how he isn't nearly as thick as masoli). at this point masoli hasn't quite reached dixon's talent level in passing but i think he can get up there with the reps (like dixon did eventually). i guess it all depends on ones style or preference. either way one thing we can both agree on is that both are/were fantastic fits for our program.

[karlhungis]

Masoli had 718yds 127carries 5.65ypc

Dennis Dixon had 583yds 105carries 5.6ypc

I don't think you can say that it "isn't even close". Masoli relied on the run, usually at the expense of the passing game. Dixon used the run to keep the opposition on their toes. Both have completely different styles but I think Dixon was just as effective. As a personal matter of taste, I much preferred Dixon's style when compared to Masoli. Dixon never got hit whereas Masoli takes a beating. I worry that he will not be able to sustain the punishment involved in running over safeties like he seems to enjoy.

[stewbertwilloughby]

I think Dixon had a better arm and had much better running ability than Masoli. And he had the field vision that Masoli has been lacking (though Masoli got MUCH better in that area at the end of the season). I'm not saying Masoli can't be great, but I think he lacks some things that Dixon had, and I don't just mean height.

I'm sorry but that's not even close. Dixon had more quickness & could juke like no other but Masoli's running ability is way, way above Dixon's. He has much more power & vision when running the ball, and it's really not even close.

Dixon had a much better arm but wasn't in the same league as Masoli when it came to RUNNING the ball. Getting outside the pocket getting a few yards then sliding to the ground or getting out of bounds as fast as he can compared to running straight up the middle, running over a safety & going 30 more yrds for the TD? C'mon, it's an easy answer.

Yes dthomas, I was just about to say this. Dixon could make the play. Going back and watching clips of Dixon, he was so quick and could accelerate so fast. He could run is open space fantastically. But when it comes to actually rushing, Masoli is superior. He runs like a running back, not like a fast quarterback. He's deceptively fast, has a low center of gravity, has the power, and breaks tackles. He is the better runner. And he's only going to be a junior. And by the way, I don't think I've ever seen a person that could pick up a fumble on the run like he did last year. I don't know if he just got a bunch of lucky bounces, but I've never seen someone pick up a fumble at full speed, then make a play. And I remember a few specific times that it happened.

[dthomas=ddixon]

I guess it's how you define "running". To me it's your combination of abilities that make you able to run like a RB would. Masoli has a much better combination than Dixon when it comes to running the football, IMO. Dixon looked great, juking LBs & prancing out of bounds but when it come to the actually ability to run through each level of the defense with a combination of quickness, power, agility, speed, etc, etc Masoli comes out way ahead.

I probably shouldn't have said "it isn't even close". When you compare their stats & their effectiveness it really is close. When it comes to their abilty to run the ball though, it isn't close.