Oregon moved to 2-1 on the season with a 31-24 victory over Utah, ending the Utes 16 game winning streak, longest in the nation. The Ducks held the lead 28-10 late in the 3^rd quarter when Utah put their best drive of the day together for seven then returned quarterback Jeremiah Masoli's fumble for a touchdown 10 seconds later to suddenly narrow the score to 28-24.

The Duck's defense really rose to the occasion. It is true Utah had vacancies to fill on their offensive line and quarterback, but they returned veteran receivers and running backs. But the Ducks held them in check for seven straight possessions in the first and second quarters, giving the Autzen crowd a comfortable 21-7 halftime lead.

The Oregon offense really stepped up in the running game. The offensive line opened holes enabling the Duck's to rush for 217 yards, their best total of the season. LaMichael James rushed for 152 yards, a credible showing in only his 2^nd stint of significant playing time, and his first start. Revealing more than the flashes we saw against Purdue, he appears to be everything his billings claim; small yet strong, quick, and fast.

Oregon's passing game left much on the table, completing only 4 passes for a total of 95 yards, 58 of which came on the pass to Jeff Maehl. There is a small controversy brewing among fans about inserting back up Nate Costa. So let's take an in depth look at this situation.

Only two weeks ago, I wrote in the Boise State column that Chip Kelly should have replaced Jeremiah Masoli with Nate Costa. My words were meant to give Jeremiah a chance to see the game from the sidelines, a necessary step at times when the player is not analyzing things on the field in real time. Naturally, the replacement can catch fire too and take the team from there. Most times, it is temporary, with the starter returning to duty after a couple of series.

I see two things that impact this situation and maybe these haven't been addressed, so let's examine them.

One, Jeremiah Masoli is now going through the sophomore jinx. Yes, he's a junior but only a soph in D 1 football. Last year he faced many ups and downs before finishing the season very strongly in the Arizona, Oregon State, and Oklahoma State games. I think this year he's trying to be too selfless, getting the other players involved when he should detach himself from his altruistic feelings and just take what the defense offers. He may be feeling some pressure since some of the throws have been poor, some of the pass protection has been lacking, and sometimes the receivers are dropping balls. From  "I have nothing to lose" attitude from last year, he now feels pressure as "the guy" and that different approach can be telling.

The second thought involves multiple factors. Chip Kelly saw what Jeremiah did last year and has confidence in him. By removing him, he senses the potential to damage his confidence level and doesn't want to accept a risk that outweighs the potential reward. It's not pie in the sky either, as the proof of the reward was on display for all to see last year.

And the last piece of the puzzle is LaGarrette Blount. How, you ask? Consider this: with Blount gone for the season and Chip Kelly using two rookie running backs, one a converted defensive back at that, he doesn't want to risk losing any more of the foundation this team was built upon, the running game. How would playing in an untested (though talented and skilled) Nate Costa, reflect on the new running backs confidence, not to mention timing with the handoffs on the option? Would this send the wrong signal to the team that has endured a significant controversy to start the season? I think Coach Kelly wants to keep the "head" of the organization intact at this point and display confidence in his players so they don't start looking over their shoulders. Recall in his first year, Coach Kelly took Dennis Dixon from a self doubter to a very confident and successful quarterback that was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

This is also another way of saying I think Coach Kelly would have been more open to using two different quarterbacks in certain situations had Blount stayed on the active roster as the starting tailback.

Faced with all the controversy and dilemmas Oregon faced in the first 48 hours of the season, Chip Kelly analyzed the situation and developed a plan to deal with those issues and tried to move forward. Undoubtedly, he made choices he didn't want to make and couldn't anticipate those choices when the first whistle blew. But step back and take another look. And, after this week's Cal game, he may be proved correct in his assessments, or, he may think that tactic has run its course.

Cal is a huge game for Oregon, much more so than for Cal. Even if the Ducks lose, if they play well and improve once again, they are on the right track to a successful season. If they improve enough to win - and make no mistake Cal is beatable - this may be the springboard back towards the top of the conference.

Just a post script: Despite beating the 18^th ranked team in the nation, Oregon did not return to the Top 25. I guess when your only loss is to the 8^th ranked team in the country, and by 11 points on the road, it doesn't count as much as say, Florida's victories over Charleston Southern, Troy, and the mighty Tennessee. Though Tennessee does have a deep football pedigree, they did lose to UCLA - for the second year in a row - the previous week.