DUCK NOTES: Fresh off USC blowout, QB Masoli still working on throwing passes

Roper might be in quarterback mix for UCLA game

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Oct 5, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

CHRIS WILSON

USC's Kevin Ellison drags down Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli by the face mask during the first quarter of Oregon's 44-10 loss to USC on Saturday. The run and resulting penalty led to Oregon's only touchdown.

Coach Mike Bellotti says Justin Roper, after battling a knee injury and a sickness, should be back at practice to prepare for the UCLA game next weekend, setting up a competition between he and Jeremiah Masoli to be the starting quarterback.

Roper has more experience running the offense, about the only thing that separates him from Masoli. But, it's a big thing.

Masoli played decently at USC, going 18 of 29 for 156 yards in the 44-10 loss. But, he clearly has to continue to work on one thing — putting some touch on some passes. He's got a rifle for an arm, and sometimes he throws the ball too hard and too straight. Roper probably throws a more catchable ball.

"We are working with him on it — understanding the trajectory on some throws," Bellotti says of Masoli. "He got away with it in junior college. He's getting better."

Bellotti thought Masoli played "solid" against the Trojans. "He made some mistakes, but he learned a lot and will learn from watching this film," the coach says. "He has to be ready to throw the ball away and he forced a couple throws.

"I like his toughness, he's doing a good job operating the offense, and he provides the type of leadership that I like."

Masoli says he rushed some throws under USC pressure, "but, no matter what, you have to connect on those."

Running back Jeremiah Johnson says Masoli brings toughness and leadership to the offense, but "that's not talking bad about Roper."

He adds: "(Jeremiah's) a great leader, telling everybody to come on, it ain't over, yet. He's a great quarterback, and he's got characteristics of a great leader. He plays more tough than Roper ... mentality-wise, he'll put his head down and get a first down, trying to get some yards."

Masoli ran for the goal line twice before Johnson's first-quarter 1-yard TD run against the Trojans. "I'm telling him to slide down, slide down, and he says, 'No, I gotta get a touchdown,'" Johnson says. "That's Jeremiah in a nutshell."

• Johnson had seven carries for 31 yards in the first quarter, and then only two totes of the ball in the second, while LeGarrette Blount had eight carries for minus-1 yards.

After his good start, Johnson thought the UO coaches might give him a steady diet of carries. (Especially considering the 5-9, 205-pound Johnson presented the smaller, quicker target than the 6-2, 230 Blount, a la OSU mighty mite Jacquizz Rodgers against the Trojans).

"Yeah, that was kinda frustrating," he says. "I thought they'd keep feeding me. I'm not in the coaches' heads and I'm not going to down talk their decisions."

The Ducks rushed for only 60 yards on 39 carries (1.5 per), 248 yards fewer than their average going into the USC game.

Three reasons:

The Ducks had to abandon the run after giving up 24 points in eight minutes before halftime to trail 27-10.

Left tackle Fenuki Tupou went out with a knee strain.

And, "we couldn't get the necessary blocks to make the big run," Johnson says. "First quarter we were kickin' some ass. When a team drops 24 on you, you're down so many points, you can't run, it takes time off the clock. Then we couldn't make necessary passes on first down. Everything bit us in the butt."

He adds, of USC: "They're a good defense, but they got a lot of weak spots on defense. We were hitting them up the gut. Then, they scored and we went into panic mode and everything went downhill."

• The Ducks (4-2, 2-1 Pac-10) take on UCLA (1-3, 1-1) at 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

The Bruins started the year down two quarterbacks, and having to rely on QB Kevin Craft. But they beat WSU 28-3 for their first Pac-10 win.

"We're going to bounce back and show that this loss was nothing," Johnson says, of the USC defeat. "Gotta come to practice and tell everybody, 'It's time to go. It's our homecoming, and we really can't lose that game.'"

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