In case you want to hate Justin Wilcox, remember, he's one of us.
Oregon may be playing an SEC team Saturday, but they might as well be preparing for the WAC.
While you might think that’s a stinging statement about the current state of the Volunteers football program, it’s actually where the Ducks are going to find most of Tennessee’s game film.
That’s because new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley brings his system from WAC school Louisiana Tech while defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox hails from Boise State.
Yeah, that Wilcox, the former Oregon defensive back and, more recently, the bane of Chip Kelly’s existence.
While most acknowledge that Oregon has a decided advantage in this game, some are pointing to the Wilcox factor in making an argument for Tennessee.
After all, in two games against Oregon, Wilcox’s Broncos held Oregon to a total of 40 points.
Most famously, he was the architect of the defense that held eventual Pac-10 champion (and offensive juggernaut) Oregon to just 8 points to open the 2009 season. Word on the street is, Wilcox has Oregon’s number.
But it’s not that simple. The Ducks were breaking in four new starters on the offensive line last year. They looked disorganized and, well, new. LeGarrette Blount was the feature back while LaMichael James got all of two carries. And a guy named Kenjon was barely an option. Simply put, that wasn’t the 2009 Oregon offense that became so prolific.
It’s also not the offense that Oregon brings to Knoxville on Saturday. The offensive line is completely intact from a year ago while James and Barner will be the most prominent playmakers.
There is the matter of quarterback. Darron Thomas is facing his first road test and it’s a doozy. Then again, he’s the quarterback responsible for 19 of the 40 points a Wilcox team has surrendered to Oregon. And he did it on just five drives in one quarter.
The Wilcox factor is probably being overplayed. It’s a catchy angle to look at and given the magnitude of last year’s game, it has some staying power among the media. But as far as relevance to what Oregon is capable of doing in 2010, it’s not that big of a deal.
Consider what Kelly said in a Portland Tribune article:
“I know Justin’s running the defense. But, we’re not playing against Justin Wilcox, we’re playing against Tennessee. It’s a little different animal.”
Indeed it is. Different players, different circumstances, different game. And while Kelly also said Tennessee looked “schematically similar” to Boise in its first game, the success of Oregon’s offense usually has more to do with its own execution than anything an opposing defense does to stop it.
Worry more about Rocky Top and humidity. Kelly can handle the Wilcox problem.
loading...
No comments yet.