The Oregon men’s basketball team narrowly remained undefeated this past week after beating BYU 100-95 in overtime on Saturday. With that victory and the 91-63 drubbing of UC Irvine on Dec. 17, the Ducks (11-0) were rewarded with a No. 12 ranking in Monday’s Associated Press Top 25 poll. Oregon was ranked No. 13 in last week’s poll.

If Oregon beats Morgan State at home on Dec. 29, they’ll finish non-conference play with a perfect 12-0 record. The Ducks begin Pac-12 play on Jan. 2 against Utah in Salt Lake City. Oregon plays their first Pac-12 home game a week later against California.

The Ducks also lead the nation in scoring as of Monday, putting up 90.3 points per game. BYU is fourth at 89.2.

Still sitting atop the AP top 25 standings is another Pac-12 school, Arizona. The Wildcats gained the No. 1 spot two weeks ago and have held it with blowout wins over New Mexico State and Southern University and a two-point victory over Michigan. Arizona does not play Oregon until Feb. 6.

One top-25 team, Wichita State, accomplished something it hadn’t since 2006. By moving up from No. 11 to No. 10, the Shockers reached the top 10 in the AP poll for the first time since 2006.

The other Pac-12 team in the top 25 is Colorado, who moved down one spot to No. 21 after losing 78-73 to No. 7 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Here is the top 10 for week 8 (first place votes in parentheses):

1. Arizona (63), Pac-12, Record: 12-0, Previous Ranking: 1

2. Syracuse (2), ACC, 11-0, PV Rank: 2

3. Ohio State, Big Ten, 12-0, PV Rank: 3

4. Wisconsin, Big Ten, 12-0, PV Rank: 4

5. Michigan State, Big Ten, 10-1, PV Rank: 5

6. Louisville, American Athletic Conference (AAC), 11-1, PV Rank: 6

7. Oklahoma State, Big 12, 11-1, PV Rank: 7

8. Villanova, Big East, 11-0, PV Rank: T-8

9. Duke, ACC, 9-2, PV Rank: T-8

10. Wichita State, Missouri Valley, 12-0, PV Rank: 11

The entire week 8 top 25 poll can be seen here.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

In the days leading up to the 2013 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Texas, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s running backs, with thoughts on Texas from Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation.

Oregon

The Ducks own the ninth-best rushing attack in the country this season at 278.3 yards per game … their worst output since 2009.

That stat sure seems to fit into this season’s narrative, both running the ball and in general – Oregon’s still elite, just not as much as the 2010-12 seasons.

But that stat is deceiving. Oregon averages 6.35 yards per carry this season, ranking fifth in the nation. Compared to the dominant recent Oregon teams, that per carry figure is second only to the 2011 team’s 6.66 (that team featured current NFL running backs LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and then-freshman De’Anthony Thomas).

That squad, combined with the 2010 and 2012 teams, averaged 648.3 carries per season. The 2013 Ducks currently sit at 526 carries.

Oregon has passed the ball about the same amount of times as recent Ducks teams, too. As a whole, the Ducks have run significantly less plays this year (905) than the previous three (1,032.7 per season from 2010-12).

Many factors explain that low number of total plays and rushes. For one, the 2013 total doesn’t include the bowl game. But none of those factors mean much from the running backs perspective. The 2013 group of backs have been just as good as Oregon’s recent units that dominated college football.

It’s very easy to think Oregon’s running backs have struggled this season. For the first time since 2006, not a single player eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in the regular season. Byron Marshall – currently at 995 rushing yards – will likely reach that figure if he plays in the Alamo Bowl but he’d have to put up a never-before-seen performance to reach the high rushing totals from James and Barner.

Despite the low overall total, Marshall still averaged 6.42 yards per carry. Freshman Thomas Tyner rushed for just 689 yards but on 6.32 yards per carry. Thomas averaged 6.25 ypc and compiled 581 rushing yards.

The Ducks averaged more than six yards every time they handed off to one of those three main running backs. They might not have that one dominant rusher like in years past, but as a whole, Oregon’s backs have been as good as ever.

Texas

The Longhorns aren’t on the same level as the Ducks this season, averaging 197.6 rushing yards per game and 4.47 yards per carry. But those are still above average national rates, and Texas features several solid running backs.

However, their top running back Jonathan Gray suffered a season-ending Achilles injury three games ago versus West Virginia. The sophomore still leads the team with 780 rushing yards and averaged 4.91 yards per carry.

Junior Malcolm Brown has been the main fill-in for Gray, and while Eberts said Brown’s improved this year, he’d had issues with his performance thus far.

“He has good vision and he’s run really hard this year,” Eberts said. “He’s done a lot better job of finishing runs and picking up yards after contact. But he’s not a really dynamic runner. He’s had a lot of trouble producing explosive runs.”

Brown has averaged a mediocre 4.12 yards per carry this season, more than a yard less than junior Joe Bergeron. Eberts said Bergeron is the most talented back on the team.

“He’s not the fastest guy but he has the best combination of power (on the team) and has really good hips,” Eberts said. “He’s bigger, about 220 or 230, but he’s the guy who can really make people miss and break arm tackles.”

Texas has also used sophomore Daje Johnson and freshman Jalen Overstreet but they’ve only received 44 combined carries. (Update: Johnson and Overstreet have been ruled academically ineligible for the Alamo Bowl.)

Advantage – Oregon. Even with a healthy Gray, Texas’ running backs aren’t nearly as consistent or explosive as Oregon’s Marshall-Tyner-Thomas combo.

Monday: Offensive line

Tuesday: Tight ends

Wednesday: Linebackers

Thursday: Defensive line

Friday: Secondary

Saturday: Wide receivers

Monday: Quarterbacks

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

In the days leading up to the 2013 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Texas, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s secondaries, with thoughts on Texas from Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation.

Oregon

Several writers called Oregon’s secondary the best in the nation going into the season. It hasn’t quite lived up to that billing in 2013. But the four starters and their backups stayed healthy and effective the entire year and have easily been Oregon’s best defensive unit.

The best player in Oregon’s secondary is third-team AP All-American Ifo-Ekpre Olomu, who blanketed opposing receivers this entire season. He also had one of his best games against Biletnikoff Award winner Brandin Cooks of Oregon State. Ekpre-Olomu has almost been as good against the run, leading Oregon with 51 solo tackles (78 total) and adding four tackles for loss.  

Opposing teams, in an effort to avoid throwing toward Ekpre-Olomu, have often directed passes toward Oregon’s other starting cornerback, Terrance Mitchell. Mitchell has occasionally gotten burned. But overall, he’s been fantastic, leading the team in interceptions (five), passes defended (11) and is tied for first in pass breakups (six).

Safeties Avery Patterson and Brian Jackson haven’t performed as well as their teammates on the outside and haven’t completely lived up to expectations. They certainly haven’t hurt the Ducks, though. The duo, while somewhat inconsistent, have played well against the run and the pass.  

Backup cornerbacks Dior Mathis, Troy Hill and safety Erick Dargan have also played well when called upon and are incredibly valuable in nickel packages (formations with five defensive backs).

Oregon has given up the fifth-lowest yards per pass attempt in the country this year, illustrating just how good the defense – especially the secondary – has performed this season. For instance, the Ducks gave up 557 passing yards to Washington State’s Connor Halliday on Oct. 19 but that total came on a record-setting 89 pass attempts. That translates to 6.3 yards per attempt, which would be ahead of Alabama’s 2013 average if maintained for a whole season. And 6.3 is well above Oregon’s season average (5.7). The defense was also constantly on the field due to Oregon’s fast-paced offense, making their stingy yards per attempt number all the more impressive.  

Texas

The Longhorns’ pass defense has been slightly above average this season. And while the secondary only contributes to a third of a team’s defense, Texas’ defensive backs have put up solid seasons.

Senior cornerback Carrington Byndom has probably had the best season in the group, making the all-Big 12 second team. Eberts said Byndom struggled in the first couple of games this year, especially with beating blocks on the perimeter. But he rebounded well and became Ekpre-Olomu-esque in his cover abilities.  

“He’s a guy that not many teams pick on,” Eberts said.

That might explain Byndom’s zero interceptions, as it’s hard to catch a ball not thrown your way. Duke Thomas led the team with three interceptions. Eberts said teams often picked on him in the passing game. Overall, Eberts said Thomas has been inconsistent but sees a bright future for the sophomore.  

Junior Quandre Diggs is the other main cornerback in Texas’ rotation but Eberts said he’s had a tough season.  

“They tried to put him in the nickel and he’s just had a lot of problems getting overwhelmed by blockers; so Texas has tried to relieve him of some of those responsibilities,” Eberts said.

Eberts said similar things about safety Mykkele Thompson. While Eberts said the persistent questions about Thompson’s physicality are overblown, he said the junior has struggled in other areas.  

“He’s rangy but takes a lot of bad angles and gives up big plays,” Eberts said.

The other starting safety, Adrian Phillips, turned in a much better season. He has 75 tackles (11 more than Thompson), two interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss and has been used all over the field.  

“(Phillips) has probably been their most versatile defender, a guy that they trust to get everybody lined up,” Eberts said.

Advantage – Oregon. Not many secondaries would have the advantage over the Ducks’, which is one of the nation’s best. Texas’ secondary is solid but well below Oregon’s level. Plus, they’ll face Marcus Mariota in the Alamo Bowl. Oregon’s defensive backs will deal with Case McCoy.

Monday: Offensive line

Tuesday: Tight ends

Wednesday: Linebackers

Thursday: Defensive line

Saturday: Wide receivers

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Nike reveled the uniforms Oregon will wear during the Alamo Bowl on Friday.

The uniforms are called Nike Pro Combat “Mach Speed,” which Nike’s official website called “the most innovative Nike Pro Combat system of dress to date.”

The entire release with images of the uniforms can be seen here.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

In the days leading up to the 2013 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Texas, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s linebackers, with thoughts on Texas from Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation.

Oregon

The biggest question mark surrounding any Oregon position group going into this season involved the linebacking corps. Three starters – Kiko Alonso, Dion Jordan and Michael Clay – in 2012 all left Oregon and ended up on NFL teams (Clay was cut by Miami in August after initially signing with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent).

Nobody knew if their replacements could step up for the Ducks this season, but for the most part, they did.

Junior middle linebacker Derrick Malone made the biggest impact, compiling a team-high 102 tackles (fifth in the Pac-12) to go along with 1.5 sacks. Malone’s fairly undersized at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds and isn’t great in any particular area, but he was a menace all over the field, helping stop the run and pass equally.

Junior Rodney Hardrick joined Malone in the middle but wasn’t nearly as good. He had 60 tackles, zero sacks and one interception and didn’t provide the same intensity as Malone, although he filled the Alonso-Clay hole adequately.

The one returning starter, senior Boseko Lokombo, didn’t quite live up to his massive potential, although he certainly didn’t have a bad season. He had three sacks, seven tackles for loss and one forced fumble and performed well against the run.

Backups Rahim Cassell, Joe Walker and Tyson Coleman were called upon multiple times this season due to minor injuries from the starters, and they did decent jobs filling in.

The Ducks struggled at times on defense this year, but overall, they had a good season. In many ways, they performed better than people might think (they gave up the ninth-fewest yards per play in the nation this season). The linebackers, three of whom replaced elite players, were arguably the biggest reasons for Oregon’s success.

Texas

Unlike Oregon, Texas’ linebackers have not managed to stay healthy. Senior starter Jordan Hicks tore his Achilles tendon in Texas’ fourth game of the season, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. Two games ago, junior Steve Edmond lacerated his liver, which will force him to miss the Alamo Bowl, as well.

Eberts said the Longhorns only have two linebackers they trust right now – Dalton Santos and Peter Jinkens.

“[Santos] is probably the hardest hitter on the Texas team and he can really cause some damage to receivers who want to try to come across the middle,” Eberts said.

Eberts said the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Santos has to make the right reads in order to succeed because he isn’t the fastest player. Jinkens, on the other hand, is known for his speed. In fact, Eberts said he ran faster than running back Jonathan Gray (out for the season with and Achilles injury) in workouts before the season. However, Eberts said Jinkens never built on last season’s good finish and fell out of the rotation before Hicks and Edmonds went down.

“Jinkens played okay against Baylor, he’s got good speed but he’s kind of indecisive sometimes and has some trouble beating blocks since he’s only 6’1,” Eberts said.

After giving up 550 rushing yards to BYU in the second game of the season, Texas improved as a defense. The loss of Edmond was devastating though, especially considering their next two opponents (Baylor, who beat Texas 30-10, and Oregon) have two of the best offenses in the nation.

Advantage – Oregon. This probably goes to Texas if both units are at full strength, but that is obviously not the case with the Longhorns.

Monday: Offensive line

Tuesday: Tight ends

Thursday: Defensive line

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla’s request to move to Las Vegas was denied by Lane County Circuit Court judge Jay McAlpin Tuesday morning. Lyerla, who’s facing one felony count of cocaine possession, hoped to live and train in Las Vegas with Dwight Ross of Performance Athletics in preparation for February’s NFL scouting combine and May’s draft.

Lyerla, 21, signed a standard jail release agreement after he was arrested on Oct. 23 for interfering with a police officer and cocaine possession. The agreement did not permit him to leave the state of Oregon while his trial was going through the court system, so the only way for Lyerla to leave Oregon was for a judge to grant him permission. McAlpin wasn’t so generous, saying that he couldn’t treat Lyerla any different than other defendants in similar cases.

“In this case Mr. Lyerla has had an original arraignment, three drug court appearances — and two status conference checks — one resulting in a settlement conference,” McAlpin said, according to the Oregonian. “That’s more than twice what a normal case has going through this process.”

McAlpin also said that Lane County is quick and efficient in resolving criminal cases, so he felt it was unnecessary to grant Lyerla a permanent move.

Lyerla chose not to enter a drug treatment program with the Lane County Drug Court after a Nov. 13 hearing. The former Duck will likely go to trial unless he and the prosecutors can agree on a deal to resolve the case.

UPDATE:

Lyerla’s attorney met with McAlpin and prosecutor Amy Seely met at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon to discuss a possible settlement, but no agreement was reached. Both sides will continue settlement talks on Dec. 27 at 9:30 a.m.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

The Associated Press college football All-American teams were named Tuesday morning, and Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was named to the third team. He was the only Duck honored by the AP this season.

This is the second year in a row Ekpre-Olomu has made the AP’s third team, although unlike this year, he had a teammate on the list in 2012. Running back Kenjon Barner, now with the Carolina Panthers, made the second team following his senior season.

Ekpre-Olomu was second on the Ducks in tackles behind linebacker Derrick Malone. The junior cornerback tallied 78 total tackles (51 solo) to go along with three interceptions and nine passes defended (both ranked second on the team behind fellow cornerback Terrance Mitchell). Ekpre-Olomu was also tied for the lead in passes broken up with six.

While no other Oregon players were named AP All-Americans this season, several other large sports websites had Ducks on their lists. Junior center Hroniss Grasu made Sports Illustrated’s first team, while quarterback Marcus Mariota and Ekpre-Olomu received honorable mentions.

ESPN put Ekpre-Olomu on its first team, and both he and Grasu made CBS Sports’ second team.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Oregon defensive back Troy Hill was suspended indefinitely from the team on Monday after being arrested by the Eugene Police for menacing and fourth-degree assault, including strangulation, allegations on Friday night.

On Monday in Lane County Circuit Court, Hill was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of menacing and criminal mischief. The charges of fourth-degree assault and strangulation were listed as felonies but Hill was charged with misdemeanors after the arraignment. Patricia Perlow, chief deputy district attorney of Lane County, said Hill pleaded not guilty, according to Comcast SportsNet Northwest’s Aaron Fentress.

Head coach Mark Helfrich spoke about the decision to suspend Hill in a statement through the Oregon athletic department.

“We are aware of the incident and charges involving Troy Hill and he is suspended indefinitely from all football-related activities,” Helfrich said. “We expect every member of our program to hold themselves to a high standard of conduct and to represent this university with class, pride and integrity. We will wait until the legal process has concluded before making any final determination of Troy Hill’s status.”

In-custody arraignment listings at the circuit court indicated that Hill spent the weekend in jail. Neither Perlow nor Eugene police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said they could release more details regarding the incident that resulted in Hill’s arrest.

Hill’s uncle, Jim Gilmer, said Friday’s incident involved a woman Hill “had been together for a while with.”

Hill was suspended for Oregon’s most recent game against Oregon State for violating team rules. That was the only game the junior missed all season.

On the year, Hill had 21 tackles, broke up four passes and forced a fumble.

Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla was also arrested this year. Lyerla, who withdrew from the University of Oregon on Oct. 6, was arrested on Oct. 23 for interfering with a police officer and cocaine possession.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

**Editor’s note: Inappropriate, racist or libelous comments will be deleted** 

In the days leading up to the 2013 Alamo Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Texas, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Dec. 30 in San Antonio. Today, we’ll look at each team’s offensive lines, with thoughts on Texas from Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation. 

Oregon

The leader of this group for the Ducks is Hroniss Grasu, a Rimington Trophy finalist for best center in the nation this season. The three-year starter, who’s returning next season, helped lead the Ducks to a Pac-12-best 278.3 rushing yards per game.

Grasu wasn’t even named the best lineman by his teammates. That honor went to guard Mana Greig who, along with Grasu and the other starting guard Everett Benyard, paved the way for Oregon’s speedy running backs up the middle. Tackles Tyler Johnstone and Jake Fisher round out the group, which remained relatively healthy all season.

The “big uglies” (Grasu’s nickname for the linemen) went through plenty of struggles, though, especially toward the end of the season. In Oregon’s 26-20 loss to Stanford on Nov. 7, the Ducks rushed for 62 yards on 2.6 yards per carry, and quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked three times.

Stanford does boast one of the best run defenses in the nation and Mariota was extremely limited that game, so not all the blame falls on the linemen. Plus, the rushing attack gradually improved in the next three games against Utah (145 total rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry), Arizona (198, 5.1) and Oregon State (283, 6.3).

Overall, the line was solid this season. But the Ducks’ still struggled running the ball compared to recent seasons, especially on carries up the middle. Against Texas, they’ll face a solid defensive line that includes co-Big-12 defensive player of the year Jackson Jeffcoat and all-Big 12 second-teamer Cedric Reed (both defensive ends). The Longhorns might not be the toughest test for Oregon’s offensive line this season, but they’ll certainly cause problems on Dec. 30.

Texas

The Longhorns have a strong left side of their offensive line with tackle Donald Hawkins and guard Trey Hopkins. The seniors both made the all-Big 12 second team and have been stars in the run game this season, according to Eberts.

“In games against like Kansas State and Oklahoma (both wins), those guys were pretty much flawless in run-blocking,” Eberts said in a phone interview with the Emerald. “They just weren’t getting beat. Texas was running behind them a lot, so that’s definitely the strength of their offensive line.”

Eberts said Texas’ line falls off after Hopkins and Hawkins, though. He said senior right guard Mason Walters is probably the worst pass-blocker in the group and called center Dominic Espinosa a “whipping boy” amongst Texas fans.

The Longhorns also lost starting right tackle Josh Cochran in just their third game of the season, but Eberts said his replacement, Kennedy Estelle, has performed well in Cochran’s place.

“He’s had some trouble with getting beat on inside moves sometimes,” Eberts said. “But with a guy who has the build of a tight end a little bit in the lower body, who really didn’t have much experience when he was thrown into the mix, he’s really played pretty confidently for Texas.”

Texas has given up 14 sacks this year, compared to 16 by Oregon, and is averaging just under 200 rushing yards per game (third in the Big 12). The Longhorns’ yards per attempt, however, is 4.47. Oregon averages 6.3 yards per attempt.

Advantage – Texas. Oregon’s offensive line has been good, not great this season. Texas hasn’t been elite, either, but with players like Hawkins and Hopkins, they have the advantage from a personnel standpoint. The Ducks also don’t have anyone nearly as good as Jeffcoat on their front seven, so Texas’ offensive line will have an easier time in San Antonio.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415

Illinois was about to take a 10-point lead with less than 10 minutes left that would’ve significantly lowered Oregon’s comeback chances.

But Rayvonte Rice’s three-point attempt rimmed out. On the other end, Portland native Mike Moser drove into the lane, missed the shot but rebounded his own miss and layed it in. The deficit was cut to five and the energy from the Moda Center crowd slowly started to rise.

Illinois scored a few possessions later but Jason Calliste answered with a three to make the score 54-50 in favor of the road team.

One play later, the crowd exploded.

Elgin Cook viciously blocked Joseph Bertrand with two hands, which caused Ducks fans to jump out of their seats in cheer. A mere five seconds later, Cook finished a dunk on the other end, which brought the crowd into a frenzy. The Ducks outscored the Illini 19-10 the rest of the way to win their ninth game in as many chances.

That two-minute sequence was one of several instances of intense crowd atmosphere on Saturday night in Portland. Much of the noise happened before the Ducks took the lead late, too.

“When we were down, they tried to pick us up,” head coach Dana Altman said of the fans. “I thought that was big.”

Moser said the last 10 minutes of the game was the “best segment of defense” the Ducks have played all season. Altman noticed that the crowd noise was at its best at that point, as well.

“We didn’t give much to cheer about for a long time but they really helped us out,” Altman said. “The last 10 minutes, I thought the atmosphere was really good.”

The game was technically a neutral site, but forward Damyean Dotson said it didn’t feel much different than a home game at Matthew Knight Arena. If anything, the crowd was louder (paid attendance was 10,043).

“It makes us feel like we’re at home,” Dotson said. “That’s kind of an advantage for us, just feeding off that and just getting hyped and letting our play get the crowd hyped.”

Illinois drew a healthy crowd despite their fans having to travel much farther than Ducks fans. At a couple points, the Illini fans in attendance chanted “I-L-L … I-N-I.” Oregon fans immediately responded with “Let’s go Ducks.”

“The Illini had a few people there and they were pretty loud,” Altman said. “I think it inspired our crowd.”

Moser had a little extra support at the Moda Center than his teammates. 100-150 family members and friends came out to watch the redshirt senior play on Saturday. He said it all added to the hard-fought win.

“It was really special to be able to have all my family, friends, my mom there in a packed arena,” Moser said. “Oregon fans came out in great numbers and we really appreciate all the support they’ve been giving us. It felt amazing.”

Altman echoed Moser’s comment about fan appreciation. Altman said their performance, while not quite up to his standards, was a good way to give back to the fans who made the drive up from Eugene to Portland.

“Portland’s very important to us,” Altman said. “The fans driving two hours to come see us play football, basketball, all our sports is critical to our success. But I think it’s important they know how much we appreciate them making the two-hour drive.”

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415