It’s always a good sign when these articles start coming out: Pac-10 Football team by team preview.

Oregon

Storyline: Ex-BYU head coach Gary Crowton arrived to infuse some of the Utah-style offense into the Ducks’ attack.

New doin’s: Ducks, who essentially did away with the fullback in their new offense, had sporadic success and will now decide what to retain.

What happened: JC WR James Finley was a standout in an area that could return to high level of some previous years. … JC OL Palauni Ma Sun, 365 pounds’ worth, looked good. … Nobody could block DT Haloti Ngata, who must stay healthy to fulfill vast promise. … DE Devan Long missed most of spring with hamstring problem. … Secondary finally seems shored up, with three starters back. … Kickers, including coach Mike Bellotti’s son Luke, were inconsistent. … Two ex-Ducks will now coach the lines — Steve Greatwood moves from defense to offense, while Michael Gray returns from Rich Brooks’ Kentucky staff to coach DL.

Fun fact: Another Leaf, Ryan’s younger brother Brady, figures in the QB picture for the future. A rising sophomore, he’s third team.

Fall call: Ducks’ league opener at home against USC on Sept. 24 might dictate season for both. But then Oregon must go to Stanford and ASU in consecutive weeks.

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