Oregon Ducks News: The day Ducks became a national power, Klatt ranks, Hocker kicks

Joel Klatt lays out the daunting challenge for the Ducks

Fox college football color analyst and host of the "Joel Klatt Show" Joel Klatt revealed his Top 25 Monday, and he slots Oregon as No. 5 in the country, a pretty bullish ranking from the former Buffalo.

"They've got a team that is replacing a lot," Klatt said, noting that Dan Lanning will have 18 new starters on offense and defense, though they have plenty of talent coming in from high school recruiting and the portal.

"They were 13-1 last year. Their only loss was to the death star super nova Ohio State Buckeyes once they realized that throwing to Jeremiah Smith was like, really smart."

Klatt called the Ducks "one of the most talented rosters in the sport. It's an elite-level roster." He suggests Dante Moore's talent will make up for his lack of experience. "Now he's got to sit there and learn under Dillon Gabriel, under Will Stein."

"The one thing I don't love and the reason I put them on the back side of this tier of teams is that they lost Evan Stewart," Klatt said. Stein and Lanning have to rely on super-freshman Dakorien Moore to be good right away, or get a couple of receivers to emerge from a group with talent but a lack of high-level production.

Of Dakorien, Klatt says, "He's going to have to be really good, early on."

Depth on the D-line inspires confidence, however. "Oregon, they're not going anywhere. Can't wait for them this year."

The day Oregon football was born as a national power

Though they had some big wins in the '90s, Duck football seized the nation's attention on January 1, 2002 with a win in the Fiesta Bowl over No. 3 Colorado, 38-16.

Joey Harrington threw for four touchdowns and 350 yards as Mike Bellotti's squad completed an 11-1 season. Despite being ranked No. 2 in both the AP and the Coaches Poll the Ducks were passed over for the BCS National Championship Game that year, snubbed in favor of No. 4 Nebraska, who wound up getting shelled by the Miami Hurricanes, 37-14.

Cornerback Steve Smith intercepted three passes in the game, a Fiesta Bowl record, and Maurice Morris made a sensational 49-yard touchdown run where he rolled over the back of a defender. But the biggest strike came early, a 79-yard touchdown pass from Harrington to Samie Parker in the second quarter.

Over the next 23 seasons the Ducks would finished ranked in the AP Top Ten nine times and win seven conference titles.

Duck gold medalist Cole Hocker wins the 5000 with stunning kick

At the USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field this weekend 2024 Olympic Champion in the 1500 meters Cole Hocker outdueled the field with a ferocious 51.76 last 400 meters to win the 5000 meters over a stellar field, earning a berth on Team USA for the World Championships in Tokoyo.

In the 800 meters, high school junior Cooper Lutkenhaus stunned the crowd with a blazing time of 1:42:27, finishing second and setting a world record for runners under 18.

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