Kim: Oregon receives wake up call from Michigan State, experiences life without Mariota

Vernon Adams Jr. was the last player to take the podium as lights and cameras quickly brightened the lifted stage following No. 5 Michigan State’s (2-0) 31-28 victory over No. 7 Oregon (1-1). Adams, who finished the game 22-of-39 for 309 yards, one touchdown and two picks, knew he had blown an opportunity. His moist eyes gleamed of disappointment and guilt as he repeated the following words over and over: “It starts with me. I’m putting this game on myself. I need to be better.”

On a second-and-six – two plays before Oregon’s last – the Eastern Washington transfer saw Byron Marshall streaking down the left side of the field and decided to launch what could have been the game-winning ball. For a moment, all of Spartan Stadium stood and stared with no idea of what would happen next.

Said Adams: “You know, I can’t stop thinking about it. He was wide-open and you got to make that throw and the game is different.”

The ball, which eventually soared over a diving Marshall, was Oregon’s best chance at escaping East Lansing with its first win as underdogs since 2011 (Oregon beat an Andrew Luck led Stanford team on the road). As the ball eventually fell just out the reach of Marshall’s fingertips, the veteran wide out threw up his hands in frustration, knowing the game was likely over.

“I felt the DB fall,” Marshall said. “I knew I was going to be open. I just tried to look back for the ball and see where it was at and go get it. I couldn’t get it.”

For those wondering, the play, according to offensive coordinator Scott Frost, was initially designed to hit the tight end on a short pass for the easy first down. Instead, Adams made a decision on the fly – that Frost wasn’t thrilled about – to take a chance on his speedy receiver, only to watch what could have been the play of the night, miss by inches.

Both later admitted to seeing how open the play was once it ensued.

“It could have been a different ball game if we played cleaner,” Oregon wide receiver Bralon Addison said.

This game is on Adams and he knows it. Nobody was going to pin a game with this type of magnitude, context solely on the shoulders of a quarterback that is in his first full season at the FBS level, except Adams himself. And trust me, Adams wholeheartedly took the fall for a matchup that ended up in Oregon’s favor last year, that could have gone their way again this year if a couple plays went their way.

“I need to be a better quarterback and leader. I got to take care of the ball, no interceptions, fumbles.”

Forget the fact that Madre London trucked Reggie Daniels on the Spartans opening drive; forget the fact that Johnny Mundt’s false start at the one-yard line led to three straight goal line stops. Forget that Addison, who finished with a game-high 138 yards on seven catches, almost brought Oregon back with crucial catches and an 81-yard punt return to the house in the third quarter. Even if it’s hard, try and forget some of the gaping deficiencies in the Oregon secondary that included a plethora of missed tackles.

What Oregon will remember, and what the fans at this game will remember, will be the missed offensive opportunities down the stretch that prevented the Pac-12 North favorites from making the difference late in the game.

Last year, Marcus Mariota entered Autzen Stadium to lead a No. 3 ranked Oregon team past No. 7 Michigan State. Last year, Mariota started his Heisman campaign and College Football Playoff hunt with one simple pitch to Royce Freeman that changed the entire complexion of an unforgettable season. Last September, Mariota willed the Ducks to their biggest home and non-conference win of the year that propelled them to the upper echelon of college football. It’s what separated Mariota from the rest: his natural talent, instinct and leadership to single-handedly will a team to victory.

Mariota is no longer here and the Ducks felt it tonight, whether they will admit it or not.

They cringed on every open pass that went incomplete; they cringed on every deep ball that went overthrown. That includes Adams’ first interception of the season directed at a temporarily open Charles Nelson that was soon taken away by Montae Nicholson.

Saturday morning, Nike released a timeless, viral video in the lead up to Oregon’s marquee matchup with Michigan State. The video, which was roughly five minutes of partying to the iconic soundtrack “Shout,” included every imaginable athlete/alumni that’s helped build its modern brand. From Tinker Hatfield to Ashton Eaton, everybody who was anybody was there.

It was a party that never looked like it was going to end. It was the party that was supposed to follow tonight’s win in East Lansing had fortunes rested with the “Galaxy White” helmets.

The athlete that was featured, that ran the operation was none other than Mariota.

There, in the reenacted Animal House, stood Oregon’s greatest football player one day before his own season opener against Tampa Bay and Jameis Winston. There, stood a Bluto-reenacting Mariota breaking the guitar by the staircase putting on a spectacle only Oregon fans can fully appreciate in retrospect.

This is who Oregon missed tonight. This is who Oregon could have used tonight to lead them past the gritty Spartans. But he’s not here anymore, and there may never be another one like him.

“Last year was a lot more fun at the end, I remember that,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said.

Here instead, is an eager and highly talented fifth-year transfer that made himself vulnerable at the media’s disposal after his most devastating loss.

Adams is not Mariota and he never will be. He’s a different breed, with a different set of skills and approach. He’s the quarterback that replaced the reigning Heisman winner after arriving four days late to camp. Adams was the quarterback just one play shy of being nationally praised.

Now, Oregon will have to wait and see if they can mirror what Ohio State did last season after dropping a critical game early in the season.

“Everybody was fine, nobody was nervous,” Adams said. “We just need to execute.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter: @HayDayKim

Devon Allen grows from life experiences outside of sports during rehab →

Magnetized on the top right-hand corner of a white General Electric refrigerator is an 8×11 sheet of laminated paper. Look a little closer and you’ll see the title: DEVON’S GOALS. Take an even closer look and you’ll find three self-explanatory categories spread across the paper from left to right: short term, this year and next five years.

Oregon wide receiver and hurdler Devon Allen has been using this piece of laminated paper for the past eight years.

When Devon was a ninth-grader in Phoenix, Louis Allen, his single father, had an idea. The idea was to devise a system to help his two children — both in middle school at the time — set short-term and long-term goals. Louis was always a list person and believed it would help them achieve more.

The idea blossomed into a yearly family tradition where each member wrote out their yearly list of goals with a red dry erase marker that all sat side-by-side on the refrigerator door in the kitchen.

The laminated papers allow them to erase accomplished goals when they’re finished and edit those that need adjusting.

Devon did just that this year, erasing past goals and keeping an eye on those still ahead. Until the end of the 2014 football season, one of those goals was to win the inaugural College Football Playoff championship. He had to erase it.

Needless to say, it was a year that called for a lot of red smudges and self-reflection for the already well-accomplished dual athlete.

“No one wants to get hurt, but sometimes when you get hurt and miss out on things, one of the advantages is it makes you appreciate it more when you get back out there again,” wide receivers coach Matt Lubick said.

It’s been over eight months since Devon last saw a field or track in an Oregon uniform.

On Jan. 1, Devon entered the Rose Bowl Game against Florida State with 684 yards, a team-high seven touchdowns and a national title in the NCAA and U.S. Outdoor 110-meter hurdles. He tore a ligament in his right knee on the opening kickoff.

Those 20 yards in Pasadena would be the last he’d run in either sport for quite some time.

“He amazed me and actually inspired me and his teammates with the way he handled it,” Lubick said. “He never, ever once had a bad day.”

Fast forward to the first day after undergoing knee surgery. Devon’s lying in bed at home after a successful outpatient surgery and receives a text from Tim O’Neil, his high school track coach and family friend.

He told him, “Hey, congratulations on your day one of recovery.”

O’Neil, a former decathlete who also tore his ACL in college, acknowledged the hard work ahead for Devon. But he also believed in the type of kid Devon has become. He knew Devon was going to be just fine, if not stronger, as a person, athlete and student after going through the roughly year-long process.

“Any time we are faced with some obstacle, it makes us stronger and we learn how to adapt and become better in other areas,” O’Neil said. “I’m sure that he’ll parlay that [injury] into a strength at some point. That’s what really elite athletes do.”

Devon, who is eyeing a return against Michigan State, can now see his old high school coach’s point. He is looking to reap the benefits of resting his body in the offseason and has worked on deficiencies in the meantime, something he hadn’t had the luxury of doing before the injury.

“In any sport, injuries happen, so I feel like you got to learn from it and take the time while you’re not doing something to enjoy something else,” Devon said. “As an athlete, two-sport athlete especially, I was just doing sports 24/7. You have to look at the other things you’re doing in life. That’s what I did.”

In June, Devon had a unique opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic to help build a basketball court for a roughly 1500-person Haitian community with 18 other Oregon student athletes through the non-profit O Heroes program. It wasn’t something Devon had initially planned on, considering the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were still going that weekend.

But this past summer, the two sides connected by chance with openings in Devon’s schedule.

“It was one of those things that I never really thought about doing,” Devon said. “It was a crazy experience. It was hard work. But in the end, it was worth it.”

When Devon landed in the country, he didn’t know what to expect. Neither did the other 18 athletes that boarded the plane.

While laying the foundation for five hard days of work, Devon slept on foam pads in a local clinic next to a church that was surrounded by nets to fend off mosquitoes. He wasn’t in his comfort zone. He was simply dedicating his time to an experience that he may never be able to do again.

These are the types of priceless experiences that an older, rejuvenated Devon will soon carry as a lead receiver for the Ducks in the coming months. Devon may never be able to claim the feat of winning the inaugural college football title game. But he will, however, live the rest of his life with the memory of building a safe haven for future generations of Haitian kids to enjoy.

On paper, he has been out of commission for eight months. No football, no NCAA track championships.

But from Devon’s perspective, 2015 has been a year he will never forget. Not because of the accolades that he has earned or the untimeliness of his injury, but because these testing months have given him a glimpse into life beyond sports, while simultaneously reigniting his passion for them.

Waiting for Devon at home will be a little red smudge ready to be wiped away, a remnant of past successful years. Next to that red smudge though, there will also be one last goal, one that he’s been working towards since 2011, despite his injury.

It reads: “Olympic Games!”

Devon’s course may have veered in all types of directions since January, but the spirit of his plans remains unchanged.

If all goes according to plan, Devon will be wearing the red, white and blue in August 2016, representing Team USA in Rio de Janeiro and will wipe one more goal off the board.

“[These experiences] helped him grow,” Louis said. “We’ve always talked about big picture goals. He goes back to those goals that he has. There’s life after sports.”

This December, the Allen household will gather back in their kitchen around Christmas time to catch up and update their lists. There will be some erasing. There will surely be some writing.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Marcus Mariota: The play that changed the game

Mark Helfrich compared his halftime speech to the Gettysburg Address as an underwhelmed Oregon team headed into the break trailing 24-18. While Helfrich was being a little overdramatic, the results produced afterwards were profound.

“Gettysburg Address-like,” Helfrich jokingly said. “We have so many young guys on our team that haven’t had a competitive quote unquote adversity. Just to see them weather that, very proud of them.”

Out of the tunnel — following a somewhat underwhelming first half performance — the No. 3 Ducks outscored No. 7 Michigan State 28 to three and the entire complexion of the game changed in their favor.

This however, was all after the play — the moment when Marcus Mariota took the game into his hands and passed it off to true freshman Royce Freeman on the most important pitch play they’ll likely ever complete.

“I was looking for him to run it, so I was ready to block for him,” Freeman said. “But he pitched it and told me to get the first down. I’ve heard from multiple people that that was a momentum changer in the game.”

Early in the third quarter, the Spartans appeared to have full control of the game. The Oregon defense was struggling to slow down the one-two punch of Connor Cook and Jeremy Langford and there really was no end in sight. Michigan State held a 27-18 lead with 10:55 to go.

But with just under seven minutes to go, Mariota made one of those plays that Autzen will surely remember for years to come. There was “the pick” with Kenny Wheaton back on Oct. 22, 1994 against Washington, but with Mariota, there was “the pitch.”

“What Marcus does on the field amazes me almost everyday,” Scott Frost said. “In the third quarter, really a turn when we got them tired.”

On a broken play, Mariota had made the impossible, possible. Scott Frost thought Mariota had a chance to run for a first down, but instead, Mariota scrambled out of the pocket, evading the cluster of Spartan linemen and forward pitched a perfect ball to Freeman for a fresh set of downs. It may not have been planned, but it worked just fine.

“That’s the only play I don’t think Marcus did well,” Frost said. “I don’t think he should have shoveled it to him (Royce Freeman), I think he should have ran for it (first down) because that was dangerous. If we dropped that, it could have changed the game.”

Well, it didn’t. Mariota completed the pass and went on to find Devon Allen in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown, his second of the game.

“It was one of those (plays) where they brought pressure and I was looking for my hot (route) and I couldn’t find it,” Mariota said. “I just had to make a play on my feet and once I got it, I saw Royce (Freeman) by himself, so I just gave him a little shovel pass to go get the first down.”

Mariota finished the game with 17-of-28 passing for 318 yards and three touchdowns.

When Mariota and Co. look back at their season, there is a good possibility that the replay of the pitch will stand alone. It was a play that wasn’t meant to happen, but it was also one that held strong implications in the Ducks win over the Spartans.

This play breathed life into a struggling Oregon team and it’s an invaluable moment that has momentarily kept Oregon’s playoff hopes alive. Oregon still has a long way to go, but this play insured that they got off to the right foot.

Freeman may have quickly forgotten about the Gettysburg Address-esque halftime speech, but it will be hard to believe he will forgot this play anytime soon.

Kim: Oregon fans lack enthusiasm as NCAA tournament approaches

I briefly spoke with former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington on Saturday morning. We discussed the current state of the Pit Crew and Oregon men’s basketball since transitioning from McArthur Court to Matthew Knight Arena.

If you didn’t already know, Harrington was one of 10 original members of the Pit Crew and was heavily involved with the early success of what was then a nationally feared student fan group, one that used to literally and figuratively rattle the gym in the early 2000s. Harrington was known for leading this rowdy group of students all throughout his time at Oregon.

To put it simply, Harrington wasn’t comfortable speaking on the topic. Talking while at his son’s soccer game, Harrington seemed distracted and was hesitant during our conversation. Our conversation ended when his son entered the game. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to talk or was disinterested. It was because he hasn’t been as involved with the program as of late. He just didn’t feel comfortable commenting on a team he hasn’t been around lately.

I don’t blame him.

While the Ducks are on the verge of making the NCAA tournament in three straight years for the first time in program history, the level of interest in the team has been below what would be expected.

There are a few reasons for this.

First, is the lack of continuity among players that have played under Altman since his arrival in 2010. Excluding Jonathan Loyd, Oregon hasn’t had many players stay longer than two years. Most of that has to do with Altman’s decision to build a program around transfers. For fans, this has made it hard to connect with the team, especially following an alleged sexual assault case that dismissed three players last spring.

Second, is the fact that Oregon is first and foremost, a football school. Beginning with Chip Kelly and now continuing with Mark Helfrich, there is little doubt that football is at the center of attention. It’s hard to live up to that atmosphere, that experience.

Third, is the fans’ attachment to promotions and product giveaways – specifically the occasional Nike customized shoes that are given away at home games through a raffle. Of course the Pit Crew is going to take advantage of their unique relationship with Phil Knight and Nike, but to say that their reliance on attracting students to games for free products is sustainable for long-term success, would be a lie.

“We need to be able to create long-term fans and you do that by having a great experience,”Senior Associate Athletic Director Craig Pintens said. “You can’t do a t-shirt every game or free food every game because then it’s not special and it loses that appeal. We need to examine everything and do a better job.”

But even with these realities, there is little excuse for how underwhelming Matthew Knight Arena’s environment has been this season. No one is arguing its world-class infrastructure and updated specs. I am however, starting to question why fans aren’t showing up.

Based on numbers given to me by Pintens, the average student attendance for this season was 989 per game. Last season, they were 1,539. In 2012, it was 1,541. In 2011, it was 1,574.

Now, considering the fact that in the Pac-12, attendance rates for men’s hoops are down as a whole, it’s not surprising to see Oregon isn’t an exception to this trend. It is however, surprising when a team can’t reach full student capacity when playing then No. 9 Utah on senior night.

When I was covering the final Civil War of the year at Gill Coliseum, I couldn’t hear myself think. The Oregon State crowd was electric and the fans were constantly on their feet. The energy was contagious. The place felt like a sauna. This is how a college arena should look and feel. Gill Coliseum holds 9,604 and there were 9,339 at this game.

I don’t know about you, but when Oregon State students pack their smaller 66-year-old gym and make it rock louder than Oregon’s state-of-the-art venue, there’s a problem.

Kim: Mariota and Grasu share one last moment that proves Oregon will be okay

ARLINGTON, Texas – Marcus Mariota slowly walked into the Oregon locker room wearing a traditional Hawaiian lei around his neck that was as decorated as his career – his parents had given one to him after their 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the inaugural College Football Playoff title game at AT&T Stadium – trying to hold back the emotions that his teammates were also surely fighting.

“I love those guys, it’s why you play the game,” Mariota said. “The relationships that I’ve built here will last a lifetime and these guys are truly special. I was part of a special team. Truly blessed for it, grateful.”

As media members quickly rushed over, squeezing tight around the Heisman winner for what may be his last availability as Oregon’s quarterback, Mariota kept his words short and simple.

Instead of dwelling on the loss that had kept the Ducks just short of their title dreams, which was a feat within itself, Mariota preached words of encouragement and family, the very aspects of the Oregon culture that prompted the decorated quarterback to return for another year this season. And while there wasn’t too much to be said in a game where Urban Meyer, third string extraordinaire Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott outperformed his team, Mariota continued to emphasize how special this team was, how bright the future was for this program regardless of whether or not he decides to return for another year or inevitably moves on to the NFL.

“It was a great season,” Mariota said. “To be Pac-12 champions, to be Rose Bowl champions, it says a lot about what we’ve been able to do and we came up short tonight, but I’m so proud of these guys for battling all year.”

Keanon Lowe was one of the first players that media members approached some minutes after the Buckeyes celebrated on the podium, holding up their first-ever College Football Playoff hardware. Exactly like Mariota, the senior leader remained as even-kill as possible, embracing the positives.

Said Lowe: “You obviously don’t want to end your season this way, but I’m not overly emotional right now because I’m taking the time to appreciate everything I’ve been through these last five years and especially this year. It’s been the best year of my life.”

The loss was undoubtedly hard, and you could tell by just looking at the disappointment on the Oregon players’ faces, but Lowe showed that there was a way to deal with the enormity of the situation, that there was a way to move forward.

“We’re obviously one of the best teams in the country, we didn’t get to go down as the best, but this team is a whole bunch fighters and they’re all my brothers and I love them all.”

Judging by the numerous reactions from the Oregon players, there was a certain, noticeable confidence among them that their program was going to be ok, that there was something positive to take away from this memorable loss. No one truly knows the future of this program, but internally, the Ducks remained confident in their chances to return to the top, embracing the very family-esque ideals that were first set by Chip Kelly, that were later developed by Mark Helfrich.

“I believe it’s ascending,” Mariota said about Oregon’s future. “This program has been around now for a few years and they have great coaches, great talent and there’s always an opportunity to get better. Whatever the case may be, this program will be alright.”

With less than a minute remaining on the countless high definition screens surrounding AT&T Stadium, Mariota and Hroniss Grasu shared one last final moment, one that encapsulated years of camaraderie, brotherhood.

With the game already in hand for the Buckeyes, with the distraught Oregon fans not knowing how to take the loss, with the thousands of prideful Buckeyes fans cheering on what they knew was likely going to be Mariota’s final drive in college football, Mariota made eye contact with his longtime center, telling him to “go out swinging.”

Neither of them wanted to exit with a loss, especially one of this magnitude, but like always, the two fought hard together until the end. And as Mariota’s last pass was picked off, the game came to an end, leaving behind an image of two storied players that had failed to bring home a title in two separate instances.

“He’s done a lot for us,” Grasu said of Mariota. “He’s an unbelievable person, unbelievable face of the program, I couldn’t ask for any other quarterback to go to war with, any other team to go to war with.”

Grasu is bound for the NFL next season and so will a large group of other Oregon players. Mariota on the other hand, has yet to make his decision to return for one more year.

“Especially a guy like Marcus, he’s a brother to me, someone I look up to very much,” Grasu said. “Since I’m done here….I don’t know what he’s going to be doing, but it’s been a pleasure.”

Regardless of the decision he makes, their relationship will exemplify an attitude that their program will continue to strive for as they look to reload next season. This won’t be the last time Oregon will see a closely knit team make a memorable run, at least that’s what they believe, hope for.