The Oregon Ducks were victorious in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night, but the team's success may cost the program its head coach.
Chip Kelly has long been coveted by NFL teams and with seven jobs open after a brutal Black Monday this past week, it is likely that he will be moving on to the big leagues. Kelly reportedly is being targeted by the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles and he also has a scheduled interview with the Buffalo Bills on Friday, according to USA Today.
If Kelly does leave, his final impression will be the 35-17 victory over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens has already confirmed that at least one NFL team has asked to speak to Kelly, although he said he is still hoping to keep the coach, saying "our first priority is obviously to retain Chip."
Over his four season at Oregon, Kelly has been wildly successful, going 45-7 with two straight BCS victories after winning the Rose Bowl in 2012. Kelly has been successful with a high-scoring and fast-moving offense and is considered to be the top coaching candidate among the college ranks.
Many in football have wondered if his system can work in the NFL. This past offseason Kelly met with New England coach Bill Belichick and helped add some facets of his offense to the Patriots' system, which has paid off greatly as the team is ranked first in the league in scoring with 34 points per game.
"I don't think anybody knows any answers until somebody does it," Kelly said, when asked of his offense could be used successfully in the NFL.
The offense sure worked on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Ducks got off to a fast start with speedster De'Anthony Thomas, who took the opening kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown to give Oregon an early 7-0 lead. The sophomore is one of the fastest players in college football and scored 11 rushing touchdowns on just 92 attempts this season. He averaged a staggering 7.6 yards per carry while gaining 701 rushing yards.
"I felt like my role in this game was to be a momentum-builder and a game-changer," Thomas said to the Associated Press. "Once I saw that edge, I wanted to get to the end zone as fast as I could so I could celebrate with my teammates."
Oregon and Kansas State were on a collision course for the national championship with two weeks left in the college football season, but both teams were upset, opening the gates for Notre Dame and Alabama. Instead, the Ducks took on the Wildcats in the Fiesta, knowing that it likely would be Kelly's final game with the team.
"Our focus was on this game tonight," Kelly said to the Associated Press after the win. "If for some reason, someone wanted to talk to me, it's because of those players over there. We have an unbelievable team, an unbelievable program and any success is because of those guys."
The Ducks added a two-point conversion after the kickoff and then scored again late in the quarter on a 23-yard pass to Thomas from quarterback Marcus Mariota to take a 15-0 lead. The Wildcats made a comeback in the second quarter, adding a touchdown run from Collin Klein and a field goal to bring the score to 15-10.
But the Wildcats couldn't stop Oregon at the end of the half, allowing a 24-yard touchdown to Kenjon Barner on a pass from Mariota to take a 22-10 lead. The freshman quarterback was excellent throughout the game, scoring three times while throwing for 166 yards and rushing for another 62.
The Ducks took a 32-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter after a touchdown run by Mariota, but the Wildcats couldn't catch up. Klein threw for another touchdown pass to cut the lead to 32-17 with 11 minutes to play, but Kansas State couldn't muster a comeback.
"We got beat by a better team tonight, combined by the fact that we let down from time to time," coach Bill Snyder said after Kansas State's fifth straight bowl loss.
Oregon was fast-paced throughout the game, scoring all three offensive touchdowns on drives of in two minutes 30 seconds or less, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Barner was excellent once again, rushing for 143 yards and catching one touchdown score.
Fans were chanting Kelly's name following the win, but based on his success at Oregon already, there isn't much left to prove, apart from winning a national championship. Reports have said that the school would replace Kelly if he left with offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, who is known to have great relationships with the players on the roster and has a philosophy similar to Kelly's.
"If that does happen, expect the same," Barner said to ESPN.com. "Nothing will change."
Offensive lineman Kyle Long echoed that sentiment.
"Seamless transition. They're cut from the same tree. I'll tell Duck Nation right now, Coach Helfrich is a brilliant coach. Great relationships with his players and other staff members. We all love Helf."
Kelly helped bring Oregon its first Rose Bowl win in 95 years and made the team into a national powerhouse. Whether he stays or goes, Kelly's impact on the Ducks will be felt for many years.
