Neuigkeiten » raging 18.5 coming in, had three on 1-f

EUGENE, Ore. -- This much is clear: Oregons slide this season can no longer be looked at as a mere stumble.With a four-game losing streak, the Ducks are in a hole that has put an 11-year run in the postseason in distinct jeopardy. The Ducks are 2-4 overall and sit at the bottom of the Pac-12 North.Some fans are calling for head coach Mark Helfrich to be fired. Others are questioning the wisdom of new assistant Brady Hokes defensive changes, and even the use of graduate transfers at quarterback for the past two seasons rather than fostering long-term player development.Whatever the reason, Oregons slide is a reminder of how hard it is to get good. And stay good.When Helfrich took the job at the start of 2013, he had the daunting job of replacing coach Chip Kelly, who orchestrated Oregons hyperdrive spread-option offense and led the Ducks to their first national championship game.Then he had the daunting task of replacing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota. Oregon lured a pair of graduate transfers, first Vernon Adams and then this year Dakota Prukop. Adams struggled with injury his lone season with the Ducks, and Prukop lost the starting job after five starts this season to freshman Justin Herbert.Helfrich led the Ducks to the first College Football Playoff championship game just two seasons ago. But the cracks started showing last year when the Ducks went 9-4, their first season with fewer than 10 wins since 2007. Losses to Michigan State, then at home to Utah and Washington State pushed Oregon out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009.The ultimate embarrassment came in the Alamo Bowl, when the Ducks surrendered a 31-0 lead and TCU staged the biggest comeback in bowl history to win 47-41 in triple overtime.This season the shortfalls have been amplified. Heres a look at whats going on for Oregon on both sides of the ball:OFFENSE: As demonstrated by the Ducks 70-21 loss to No. 5 Washington last weekend, Oregons once-dominant high-speed offense appears to have lost a step.The Ducks led the Pac-12 in total offense last season with an average of 538.2 yards a game. They also led the league in rushing offense with an average of 279.9 yards a game. They averaged a conference-best 43 points a game.Oregon still leads the league in rushing with an average of 257.8 yards a game, but in scoring theyve dropped to sixth with an average of 36.8 points per game. Total offense has dropped to 494.8 yards a game, fourth in the league.Oregon made a big change last weeked at quarterback, replacing Prukop with Herbert. The first true freshman to start for the Ducks since 1983, Herbert threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Huskies.Helfrich said after the game that the Ducks would be staying with Herbert.Another issue to consider: Running back Royce Freeman was absent for half of the game against Washington, and the reason is unclear because Oregon doesnt discuss injuries. He also missed part of Oregons loss at Nebraska and the loss to Colorado the following week.DEFENSE: The struggles of last season have been amplified as Hoke has tried to install a new defensive scheme -- no easy task.Oregon ranked last in scoring defense last season, allowing 37.5 points a game, and in total defense, with 485.5 yards allowed a game. The Ducks hired Hoke, the former Michigan coach, as defensive coordinator. Hes tried to transition the defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme.The results so far have been pretty dismal. Oregon is ranked 126th out of 128 FBS schools in total defense, allowing just over 522 yards a game. The Ducks are 125th in scoring defense, allowing 41.8 points.Athletic director Rob Mullens spoke this week to Duck Insider, a sports radio show produced in part by Oregon, and said hes standing by the coaches.Were six games into the season and not where anyone wants to be, but there still is an opportunity to turn this a little bit and start to see some positive results, Mullens said. As I talk to Mark, they go back to work and get back in it. We have a wonderful group of student-athletes and we need to do everything we can to support the coaches and the student-athletes, especially the seniors as they go this last go-round.Oregon has a bye this week to work through some of its issues. Darryl Dawkins Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Kerry Kittles Jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. https://www.cheapnetsonline.com/ . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Bernard King Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Julius Erving Jersey . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia fans looking for assurances that they could still have high expectations despite the dismissal from the team of expected offensive stalwart Austin Nichols got plenty to feel good about Sunday in the No. 8 Cavaliers 62-38 victory against Yale.Marial Shayok scored 15 points, freshman Kyle Guy had 12 and Darius Thompson 11 in a balanced offensive display that complemented a Virginia staple: defense. The Cavaliers (3-0) held Yale scoreless for a stretch of nearly nine minutes in the second half, making it look easy.To be able to have them coming off the bench for us is huge, senior London Perrantes said of Shayok and Guy, who scored all but two points in a 16-0 run that turned a 37-33 lead into a runaway.Guy, former Mr. Basketball in Indiana, scored eight in the blitz, hitting a pair of catch-and-shoot 3-pointers that drew roars.It was surreal when the crowd erupted after we hit a shot or got a stop, he said.Blake Reynolds led Yale (2-1) with 10 points. The Bulldogs arrived averaging 93.5 points, had an early 8-0 burst and then never found any rhythm again. They made only 16 of 48 field goal tries (33 percent).Virginia had a lot to do with that. The Cavaliers had scoring runs of 22-0 in their opener against UNCG and 20-0 against St. Francis Brooklyn, and nearly matched that after Shayok scored off a feed from Perrantes to make it 39-33 and start the run with 15 minutes left.And while pulling away on offense, they never lost sight of their need to attend to the defensive side.They did a great job limited opportunities tonight, Bulldogs coach James Jones said.BIG PICTUREYale: The Bulldogs, who won their first NCAA Tournament game last season, will win plenty because they can score. They arrived at John Paul Jones Arena with five players averaging 12 points or better, including Downey (19.5 after averaging 5.7 last year) and Copeland (17 after averaging 2.3 last year). They also had 41 assistss and just 17 turnovers coming in, but finished with 14 miscues and seven assists.ddddddddddddAveraging 94 points a game, thats not us, Jones said.Virginia: The Cavaliers were somewhat stagnant early on offensively, which probably was to be expected after Nichols was kicked off the team on Friday for an unspecified violation of team rules . Nichols was with the team all last season as a transfer and much of the offense was expected to be inside-out. The adjustment may take several games, making a game against Iowa on Friday night loom as a stiffer test.That was something we thought we had, and now we dont, Bennett said of Nichols offense. We just have to adjust.WHERED THEY GO?Downey finished with just four points on 2-for-10 shooting, and Miye Oni, averaging 18.5 coming in, had three on 1-for-8 shooting.BLOCK PARTYRedshirt freshman is another Cavaliers player that will look to pick up the slack left by Nichols absence, and he is already becoming a fan favorite for his shot-blocking ability and incredible athleticism, which Perrantes compared to former Virginia star Justin Anderson, now making highlight reel plays for the NBAs Dallas Mavericks. Diakite had four blocks against the Bulldogs, giving him five in two games.STRUGGLING HALLDevon Hall has started all three games for Virginia as an off-guard, and off also has described his shot thus far.Through three games, hes just 3-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3-point territory.UP NEXTThe Bulldogs stay on the road, and against ACC competition, as they play at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.The Cavaliers face Grambling State in the second round of the Emerald Coast Classic before moving to Florida for Round 3 against Iowa.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjr ' ' '