Conference Pacific-10 Conference AP No. 11 Head coach Chip Kelly (1st year) | Coaches No. 11 2009 record 10–3 (8–1 Pac-10) | |
Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich (1st year) | ||
The 2009 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by head coach Chip Kelly in his first season as a head coach at the Division I FBS level. Kelly was only the third Ducks head coach since 1977 and led the Ducks to a Pac-10 Championship and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. He took over for Mike Bellotti.
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The Ducks finished the season 10–3, 8–1 in Pac-10 to claim the Pac-10 championship and earn the conference's automatic BCS berth where they were invited to the Rose Bowl, the schools fifth Rose Bowl and first since the 1994 season. They were defeated by Ohio State 26-17.
Previous season
The 2008 Oregon Ducks football team entered the season ranked 21st in the AP Poll, after finishing the 2007 season ranked 23rd. The major question going into the season concerned the position of quarterback. Oregon's top two quarterbacks, Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf, had graduated the year before, with Dixon being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Sophomore Justin Roper was named the starter after Nate Costa suffered a season-ending injury before the season began. As a freshman, Roper had led the Ducks to a Sun Bowl win over South Florida in 2007. He was injured in the third game at Purdue, and was replaced by junior college transfer Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli had led his junior college team to a national championship the year before. Masoli was inconsistent in his first few games, as he put up good rushing numbers but shaky passing stats. But he came on strong the last three games of the regular season and led the Ducks to a 9–3 regular season record and a victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Holiday Bowl.
Senior Jeremiah Johnson led Oregon in rushing with 1,201 yards while LeGarrette Blount record 1,002 yards and set a school record with 17 rushing touchdowns. Oregon scored over 500 points for the second straight season, and finished the season being ranked 10th in the AP Poll.
Pre-season
July 29 – Senior Ed Dickson is named to the Mackey Award watchlist, given out to the nation's best tight end.
August 4 – Junior Jeremiah Masoli is named to the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award.
August 8 – Senior LeGarrette Blount is named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Award.
Pre-season departures
Quarterback and wide receiver Chris Harper, quarterback Justin Roper, and wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad all decided to transfer from the team before the 2009 season.
Schedule
University of Oregon official schedule