Mark Helfrich made his first official hire of the offseason Wednesday. Dave Yost was hired to become the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, according to a release from the Oregon athletic department.

Yost, who has 21 years of coaching experience at the division I level, was most recently a wide receivers coach at Washington State. He also spent 12 years as an assistant at Missouri, filling positions such as recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

“We are very excited to welcome David Yost to the Oregon football family,” Helfrich said. “He brings a wealth of experience as a QB coach and offensive coordinator, success as a national recruiter, and is an intelligent, dedicated family man.”

According to the release, Yost is regarded as one of the top quarterback developers at the collegiate level and has sent three signal-callers to the NFL.

“David Yost will be a great addition to the Oregon staff,” Former Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. “He is one of the most talented and dedicated coaches I worked with in my career. He’s got a proven track record of mentoring and developing quarterbacks to play winning football – guys like Brad Smith, Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert, to name a few.

“Oregon is getting someone who is a great family man and a role model for his players. He will help them become the best they can be on and off the field, and I’m confident that Coach Yost will do great things at Oregon.”

With the announced hire, Helfrich has filled all of Oregon’s coaching vacancies on the offensive side of the ball. Matt Lubick, Oregon’s newly appointed offensive coordinator, will continue to coach the Ducks’ wide receivers.

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— Oregon football was ranked No. 19 in the final AP Top 25 poll released Monday night. The ranking was the Ducks’ lowest to finish the season since 2007, the last time the team won less than 10 games in a season.

For those already counting down the days until next season, Oregon was ranked No. 18 in ESPN’s Way-To-Early Top 25.

— Oregon will reportedly hire Washington State’s Dave Yost as its quarterbacks coach, according to Football Scoop. Yost was a member of Mike Leach’s staff in Pullman, Washington for the last three seasons.

— Dylan Ennis was ruled out for the rest of the season last Wednesday, however the Ducks responded to the news with back-to-back wins. His departure also leaves the door open for talented guards Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey to become leaders, writes Emerald associate editor Hayden Kim. 

— Kevin Geniza flipped his commitment from Santa Clara to Oregon last fall. The prospect of playing for head coach Casey Martin, who played in the PGA Tour, as well as the ultra-competitive Pac-12 schedule ultimately swayed his decision. 

“I’ve known Casey pretty much through my whole junior career and I know that he’s been a great coach there,” Geniza said. “And Pac-12 golf, there’s no more competitive place to play. It was also a very personal decision, because I knew I needed to see myself advancing my game as far as I can and I could see myself down the road (doing that) at Oregon.”

— Oregon baseball was ranked No. 14 in D1Baseball’s preseason poll released Tuesday. The Ducks  also announced that Mitch Karraker will become the team’s new pitching coach. Karraker fills the void that Dean Stiles left after he took a coaching job at Florida International.

— Brooke Hamilton, a New Zealand native who is currently competing in the Australian Amateur, will join the Oregon women’s golf team this summer, according to GoDucks.com.

— Oregon men’s golf’s Aaron Wise won the Australian Master of the Amateurs in Black Rock, Australia. The win helped Wise jump to No. 11 in Golfweek’s men’s amateur world ranking. 

— Pac-12 basketball is experiencing an unordinary amount of parity this season. Ever team in the league has a wining record and nine of the team have an RPI above 50. But, the conference only has one team ranked in the top 25 and may be sabotaged by being so balanced. At least, that’s what Oregon head coach Dana Altman believes.

“It hurts, there’s no doubt about that,” Altman said. “They don’t pay as much attention. Last couple years with Arizona at the top, the Pac-12 was always in the conversation. But without that elite team it does hurt, no doubt.”

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After Oregon opened 2016 with a 13-point loss to in-state rival Oregon State, head coach Dana Altman said the Ducks needed to “get good quick.”

Consider Sunday’s performance a firm validation of where the Ducks have gotten in just one week.

Thanks to a 19-9 run to close the first half, an unrelenting defense and a near triple double from Dillon Brooks, Oregon concluded its brief home stint with its second consecutive win Sunday — this time over Stanford, 71-58.

“Losing to Oregon State, losing to our rival, gets us more pumped up to play harder,” said Brooks, who followed up a 2-for-10 performance against Cal Wednesday with 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. “It just fired us up more.”

It clearly was one of the more complete efforts from Oregon this season. But, like the Ducks’ 77-71 win on Wednesday, it certainly wasn’t pretty at times. Oregon committed 15 turnovers, six of which came in the first 10 minutes, and struggled to make baskets while the Cardinal built an early lead.

However, that narrative quickly changed and the Ducks, due in large part to its dominance on the glass, gained a four-point halftime advantage.

Then, the pace picked up and Stanford, a group that had just beaten Oregon State Thursday, was left reeling.

“The second chance points were the difference in the game,” said Altman, who’s group out-rebounded the Cardinal 38-22. Jordan Bell led the Ducks in that department, finishing with 10.

“The rebounding was the difference, I liked our effort there.”

But it wasn’t just the rebounding. The Ducks assisted on 11 of their 14 made baskets in the second half and finished with 36 points in the paint as well as 16 second chance points. The group also shot 16-of-22 from the free throw line.

Tyler Dorsey, who scored 17 against Cal Wednesday, finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Casey Benson added three three-pointers to finish with nine. The performances are obviously key, considering the announcement Wednesday that Dylan Ennis, a graduate transfer from Villanova who averaged 9.9 points per game last year, will miss the remainder of the season.

“They just got to step up,” Altman said. “We’ve been playing quite a while without Dylan so I don’t think it’s too much of a difference for them.”

The back-to-back home wins are particular essential for Oregon considering the top-to-bottom strength the Pac-12 has this year. Eight Pac-12 teams are currently in the top 50 of the RPI and the conference looks even more wide open after preseason favorite Arizona announced that its top scorer Allonzo Trier will miss up to six weeks after breaking his right hand in the Wildcats’ loss to USC Saturday night.

“You look at the league and the games and the closeness of the games, I think our league is really balanced,” Altman said. “Our depth is so much better… I think it’s going to be a lot of grinding and a lot of close games.”

It’s exactly what it has been three games in. Stanford was a team that Altman said “concerned” Oregon coming in. The Cardinal had an impressive overtime win over Utah and out-rebounded Oregon State by 17 on its way to a 78-72 win before heading to Eugene.

But, Stanford shot just 38 percent from the field Sunday and finished with only 16 points in the paint.

“Defending was a big key for us,” Benson said. 

Just a week ago, Oregon, as Brooks admitted after Sunday’s game, “got their butts kicked.” But a step was taken in the Ducks’ subsequent home contests and it has Altman excited for the possibilities.

“We’re here at Jan. 10 and there’s a lot of room for improvement,” Altman said. “There’s a lot of things that we could do so much better. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make some steps here.”

Oregon will hit the road to play at Colorado and Utah next weekend.

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Dylan Ennis, who was ruled out for the season with a broken foot before Oregon’s Wednesday night game against Cal, will apply for a sixth year eligibility, according to CBS Sports.

Oregon’s Dylan Ennis will apply for a sixth year of eligibility with the NCAA, source told @CBSSports. Out for year with a broken foot.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 7, 2016

Ennis, a graduate transfer from Villanova, logged 22 minutes in his short sting with the Ducks this season. He played his first game against Western Oregon on Dec. 29.

As The Oregonian reported in its initial report, it is unlikely Ennis’s request will be approved by the NCAA. A player must be miss more than one season due to injury to be eligible.

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Oregon ranked at the bottom of the Pac-12 in nearly every defensive statistical category this season. The pounding TCU gave the Ducks while scoring 47 points in the second half of the Valero Alamo Bowl exemplified just how the season had gone under defensive coordinator Don Pellum.

And two days after the epic collapse, head coach Mark Helfrich announced that Pellum will move back to his former position as linebackers coach and that the program will begin pursuit of a new coordinator.

“Don is a great man who has helped shape the culture and growth of Oregon Football in several different capacities for nearly 30 years,” Helfrich said in a release from the University of Oregon athletic department. “He’s committed, as we all are, to being part of the solution to improve the end results on the field.”

The release says a nationwide search for the position will “commence immediately.”

Erik Chinander, who was the Oregon linebackers coach since 2014, will accept a position to become a defensive coordinator at another FBS program, according to the release. Although the school was not disclosed, it has been reported that Chinander is joining Scott Frost at the University of Central Florida.

“I want to thank Coach Chinander for his hard work these past two seasons,” Helfrich said. “This is a natural progression for him as he’s an outstanding young coach.”

More to come.

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The Oregon offense was huddled near the sideline, moments away from the fourth quarter beginning, but Vernon Adams Jr. wasn’t the center man inside it. Instead he stood a couple paces away in street clothes, a headset adorned over his buzzed hair, staring aimlessly at the far end zone. A few moments later he patted his replacement, Jeff Lockie, on the helmet and moved back to his home for the second half of the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl: The sideline.

Adams had electrified the Astrodome crowd in the first 25 minutes, juking and eluding would-be-tacklers before passing for 197 yards and one score as the Ducks built a 31-0 lead. But, on the Ducks’ sixth drive of the game Adams scrambled and turned up field before taking a brutal helmet-to-helmet blow from TCU safety Derrick Kindred. Adams fell limp, and so did the rather bright outlook for Oregon’s bowl game.

Without Adams — as well as starting center Matt Hegarty, who also sustained an undisclosed injury –– the Ducks transformed back into the team that was haunted by the graduate transfer’s absence at the beginning of the season. It lost hold of the tight grip it had on the game and gradually watched as the lead was trimmed drive-by-drive as a rejuvenated TCU offense exploded in the third and fourth quarter. By its conclusion, after the three overtimes and the confetti had settled, Bram Kohlhausen and TCU had overcame what seemed at the surface like an insurmountable lead and beat the Ducks, 47-41.

Adams left with what appeared to be a concussion, and without him, Jeff Lockie and the offense became stagnant. The unit that had gained 376 yards in the first half and executed big play after big play, gained just 19 on 18 plays in a scoreless third and fourth quarter.

“We didn’t execute,” said Matt Lubick, who coached his first game at Oregon as offensive coordinator calling plays in the booth. “Whether it was turnovers, a snap here, a snap there, a drop or two.”

The consistently low and erratic snaps were a product of backup center Doug Brenner, but even when the ball did come to Lockie effectively, the offense, as Lockie said, “couldn’t get it going.” While that was happening, the Horned Frogs, who were starting a backup quarterback of their own because of Trevone Boykin’s suspension, began to show signs of life.

Behind Kohlhausen, TCU had punted five times, turned the ball over on downs and committed one turnover in the first 30 minutes. Even when it did run a play efficiently, there usually was a penalty bringing it back.

But, Kohlhausen guided TCU to six consecutive scoring drives in the second half and finished the game 28-of-45 for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He brushed aside a first half in which he faced constant pressure in the pocket and led the Horned Frogs to the largest come-from-behind victory in a bowl game since 2006.

“We got it together and were able to get rolling,” Kohlhausen said.

On the other side of that was a defense who had been rolling, yet another time this season conceded over 500 yards of offense — this time 545.

“We didn’t finish,” Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum said. “We didn’t make a play.”

Deforest Buckner, the Ducks’ stout defensive lineman who had a sack in what was a dominant first half, admitted that the Ducks were exposed to a problem that they’ve faced all season.

“It’s been a struggle in the second half to finish games,” Buckner said. “Just like the Oregon State game. We had a 31-0 lead. We gave that all up.”

TCU was a beaten and battered group all season. The defense alone started over 20 different players, but as the game moved into its final stages, it was clear that Oregon was more heavily damaged by injuries than its opponent. Adams and Hegarty were in street clothes, starting guard Matt Pierson was sidelined, Dwayne Stanford was hurt and starting tackle Tyler Johnstone missed time.

As Oregon traded punches with TCU in overtime, they did it with some of its most important members absent. The Ducks did manage to find the end zone in the first extra period, though, after Royce Freeman barreled his way into the end zone to tie the game at 38.

The two teams then relied on their field goal kickers in the second overtime, before Kohlhausen ran in a touchdown in the third on a quarterback keeper to give the Horned Frogs a six-point lead.

The Ducks couldn’t compete in a shootout, however. Lockie’s fourth down heave to Darren Carrington on the subsequent posesssion fell incomplete, and TCU’s players and coaches swarmed the center of the field while many Oregon players quickly headed for the tunnel.

“It definitely leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” Lockie, who finished 7-of-15 for 36 yards, said. 

Playing in his final collegiate game, Adams proved to be the difference for the Ducks once again. The offense was a fast-paced juggernaut with him, but a disheveled unit lacking any true sign of life without him. With the additional injury to Hegarty, another graduate-transfer, TCU caught a break that they seemed to desperately be looking for in the second half and took advantage of it.

“Every single person, including me, needs to improve,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said. “This kind of game, there were so many odd things that happened.

“They made one more play than we did.”

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After just 10 minutes, the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl had all the signs of a bloodbath. With new offensive coordinator Matt Lubick calling the plays, the Ducks shredded the TCU defense for four touchdowns in the first half, taking a 31-0 lead heading into the break.

It was far from over, though. In the second half, TCU scored 31 unanswered to send the game into overtime. Though it took two more overtime periods to decide the winner, the Horn Frogs completed the miraculous comeback.

Vernon Adams Jr., who passed for 197 yards and one touchdown, did leave for locker room early. He suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter and did not return.

Jeff Lockie, who stepped up in his place, finished 7-for-15 for 36 yards.

TCU’s veteran backup Bram Kohlhausen went 28-of-45 for 351, two touchdowns and one interception.

Key Plays

• Darren Carrington, repping No. 22 in honor of his late best friend Markel Byrd, catches the first touchdown of the game, a 37-yard strike from Vernon Adams Jr.
• Royce Freeman bursts in the end zone for a four-yard score to put the Ducks up 14-0 after the PAT.
• Adams shakes a defender, rolls left and throws a deep bomb to Carrington, who comes up with the 44-yard reception. Freeman finishes off the drive with a rushing touchdown from five yards out. Ducks go up 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.
• Tony Brooks-James rushes up the middle for 42 yards, then punches it in from five yards out. Ducks up 28-0 with 13:30 left in the second quarter.
• TCU appeared to finally stop Oregon, but DeForest Buckner had other plans. TCU blocked Ian Wheeler’s punt and Buckner snatched it out of the air and ran it 10 yards for a first down.
• Kicker Aidan Schneider booted a 47-yard field goal before halftime, putting the Ducks up 31-0.
• Bram Kohlhausen lobs a 26-yard pass to Jaelan Austin for TCU’s first touchdown, cutting deficit to 31-10.
• Charles Nelson fumbles the kick-off and TCU recovers. Kohlhausen then scores a two-yard touchdown on a QB keeper on fourth down to make it 31-17.
• Tyson Coleman sacks Bram Kohlhausen on third down, forcing a fumble and the Frogs to kick a field goal. 31-20 with 7:45 to play.
• Riding a 31-point second half comeback, Bram Kohlhausen connected with Emmanuel Porter on a contested seven-yard touchdown pass. Royce Freeman and the Ducks would answer back with a score of their own.
• With the game on the line, Bram Kohlhausen rushed eight yards untouched, tiptoeing the sideline, for the final score of the game. Despite a failed two-point attempt — point after attempts are not allowed past the third overtime — TCU would hold on thanks to one last botched snap between backup center Doug Brenner and Jeff Lockie, forcing Oregon into yet another tough situation.

Stats:

Oregon Passing 

Vernon Adams Jr. – 13-for-19 197 yards, one touchdown

Jeff Lockie — 7-for-15, 36 yards

TCU Passing 

Bram Kohlhausen – 28-for-45, 351 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Oregon rushing 

Royce Freeman – 26 rushes, 130 yards, three touchdowns

Tony Brooks-James – 3 rushes, 50 yards, one touchdown

TCU rushing 

Aaron Green – 25 rushes, 101 yards, one touchdown

Bram Kohlhausen – 11 rushes, 45 yards, two touchdowns

Oregon receiving 

Darren Carrington – seven catches, 107 yards, one touchdown

Dwayne Stanford – three catches, 32 yards

Bralon Addison – five catches, 29 yards

TCU receiving 

Shaun Nixon – nine catches, 71 yards

KaVontae Turpin – five catches, 65 yards

Jaelan Austin – four catches, 67 yards, one touchdown

Oregon total offense – 419 yards

TCU total offense – 545 yards

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Vernon Adams Jr. was putting on a clinic in the first 15 minutes of the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl. By the end of the first quarter, Oregon led 21-0 and Adams had helped the Ducks amount 244 yards of offense.

But, Adams suffered helmet-to-helmet contact with just under five minutes remaining in the half and fell awkwardly to the turf. Adams left for the locker room for further evaluation, and Jeff Lockie took over behind center.

Adams returned from the locker room after the half in street clothes, signaling the end of his night and career in an Oregon uniform. Adams led the Ducks on a six-game winning streak after returning from a broken index finger early in the season.

Adams finished the first half going 13-for-19 for 197 yards and one touchdown.

After just 10 minutes, the 2016 Valero Alamo Bowl had all the signs of a bloodbath. With new offensive coordinator Matt Lubick calling the plays, the Ducks shredded the TCU defense for four touchdowns in the first half and entered halftime up 31-0.

Defensive coordinator Don Pellum received a non-vote of confidence regarding his job security from head coach Mark Helfrich Friday, but the Oregon defense stepped up and forced five punts, an interception and a turnover on downs. Granted, TCU starting quarterback Trevone Boykin was suspended due to his arrest early Thursday morning, so back-up Bram Kohlhausen started in his absence.

Vernon Adams Jr., who passed for 197 yards and one touchdown, did leave for locker room early. He suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter.

Key Plays

Darren Carrington, repping No. 22 in honor of his late best friend Markel Byrd, catches the first touchdown of the game, a 37-yard strike from Vernon Adams Jr.

Royce Freeman bursts in the end zone for a four-yard score to put the Ducks up 14-0 after the PAT.

Adams shakes a defender, rolls left and throws a deep bomb to Carrington, who comes up with the 44-yard reception. Freeman finishes off the drive with a rushing touchdown from five yards out. Ducks go up 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.

Tony Brooks-James rushes up the middle for 42 yards, then punches it in from five yards out. Ducks up 28-0 with 13:30 left in the second quarter.

TCU appeared to finally stop Oregon, but DeForest Buckner had other plans. TCU blocked Ian Wheeler’s punt and Buckner snatched it out of the air and ran it 10 yards for a first down.

Kicker Aidan Schneider booted a 47-yard field goal before halftime, putting the Ducks up 31-0.

Three things to watch

How will Oregon’s offense fair without Adams?

Adams said he was approaching this game as one last job audition for NFL scouts. He’s clearly playing that way. By the end of the first quarter, Oregon had already totaled 244 yards of offense and a 21-0 lead. But, Adams took a vicious hit in the second quarter and took an early exit to the locker room. Jeff Lockie came in to replace him and the Ducks offense initially lacked the rhythm it possessed during their first quarter offensive explosion. But, Lockie did help guide the Ducks to a field goal on their last drive of the half.

Oregon’s pass rush

While Oregon’s offense has been unstoppable, TCU looked out of sorts for the majority of the first 30 minutes. Even when the Horned Frogs did move forward, it seemed to always come back due to penalty. Bram Kohlhausen started at quarterback and faced consistent pressure from the Ducks’ line. Buckner sacked him once and the constant bodies in the pocket appeared to rattle him. He went 9-for-19 for 96 yards and one interception.

Does TCU have any sort of chance left?

Well, if Oregon’s offense plays like it did when Adams was injured, yes. The Ducks looked like a shell of itself in games in which Adams wasn’t healthy. The team lost by 42 to Utah and in double overtime to Washington State. In those games, Lockie never found much comfort and it will be interesting to see if the TCU defense can find ways to rattle him like certain Pac-12 opponents did. However, TCU is still trying to just reach the end zone once. And down by 31, it appears like a nearly impossible feat. 

Stats:

Oregon Passing 

Vernon Adams Jr. – 13-for-19 197 yards, one touchdown

Jeff Lockie — 3-for-4, 16 yards

TCU Passing 

Bram Kohlhausen – 9-for-19 96 yards, one interception

Oregon rushing 

Royce Freeman – 13 rushes, 72 yards, two touchdowns

Tony Brooks-James – 3 rushes, 50 yards, one touchdown

TCU rushing 

Aaron Green – five rushes, 24 yards

KaVontae Turpin – five rushes, 16 yards

Oregon receiving 

Darren Carrington – seven catches, 107 yards, one touchdown

Bralon Addison – three catches, 32 yards

TCU receiving 

KaVontae Turpin – three catches, 62 yards

Shaun Nixon – three catches, 12 yards

Oregon total offense – 376 yards

TCU total offense – 142 yards

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SAN ANTONIO — It’s been a week involving added adversity for TCU. A group that has constantly been hobbled by injuries this season will be without its top playmaker after Trevone Boykin was arrested and suspended Thursday. It makes for an even tougher test for the Horned Frogs against Vernon Adams Jr. and Oregon. The Ducks come into Saturday on a six-game win streak and with an opportunity to win 10 games for the eighth consecutive year. Sports editor Justin Wise and associate sports editor Kenny Jacoby offer their takes on tonight’s matchup.

How do you expect Trevone Boykin’s suspension to affect the game. Do you think TCU still has a remote shot?

Jacoby — TCU has an outside shot. It still managed to beat Kansas with a back-up quarterback and almost — perhaps should have — beat Oklahoma. Additionally, one can never count out Gary Patterson’s defense. But Boykin’s suspension is demoralizing for the Horned Frogs, given the slew of injuries they’ve faced all season and the fact their star receiver Josh Doctson was also ruled out. TCU’s offense will be a shell of what it has been in what would have been a premier matchup between two elite offenses.

Wise — Yes. The group lost by just a point to College Football Playoff participant Oklahoma and managed to win 10 games this year despite a constant flurry of injuries on a week to week base. While it will obviously be a difficult task, the Horned Frogs are facing one of the weaker defenses in the Pac-12 and still have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball to have a shot.

Oregon’s defense has been an oft maligned group. Do you think there’s more pressure on the group because Boykin was suspended and All-American wideout Josh Doctson isn’t playing?

Jacoby — I do think there is more pressure on Oregon’s young secondary, which has endured growing pains all season. If the defense lapses in the Alamo Bowl the way it did in the second half against Oregon State, it will be heavily scrutinized moving forward. When Boykin was still a factor, people speculated 100 points would be scored between the two teams. That total has clearly declined since his suspension, but people aren’t expecting the Ducks to score any less. The Oregon defense will show its true colors today.

Wise — I don’t know if the unit is feeling any more pressure because of their absences, but TCU clearly poses less of a threat because of it. And because of that, if the Ducks continue to be exposed, especially through the air, it won’t look particularly good. Defensive backs coach John Neal said this week that it’s time for the secondary to be good now. I think with TCU lacking Boykin, it’s an absolute must for the group to efficient Saturday.

Prediction. Why?

Jacoby — Oregon 34, TCU 23. The Alamo Bowl will no longer feature the match-up everyone had been waiting for. Boykin is one of the best athletes in all of college football, so his absence will be detrimental to TCU’s passing and rushing attacks. The Ducks possess an opportunistic defense, which should be able to take advantage of an inexperienced quarterback.

Wise — Oregon 45, TCU 31. Oregon’s offense will continue to move at the pace its been gliding at since Vernon Adams Jr.’s return from injury in October. TCU just isn’t as explosive on offense to keep up, and I see a few turnovers from the Horned Frogs giving the Ducks an opportunity to break the game open.

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