2013 Oregon Ducks football team

The 2013 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by first year head coach Mark Helfrich and played their home games at Autzen Stadium for the 47th consecutive year. They were a member of the Pac-12 Conference in the North Division.

The Ducks had high hopes coming off of a 12–1 (8–1) season a victory in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl; many considered them a contender for the BCS national championship game the following year. However, these hopes were thrown into question shortly after their Fiesta Bowl victory, on January 16, 2013. Head coach Chip Kelly announced that he had agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles to become their new head coach after several disappointing seasons under Andy Reid; Kelly brought Oregon defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro along with him to Philadelphia.

As they have done in every case of hiring a new head coach since 1995, the Ducks hired from within and promoted fourth-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich to the head coach position. Along with the head coach change, wide receivers coach Scott Frost was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and Duke wide receivers coach Matt Lubick and Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Ron Aiken were hired to fill their respective positions on Oregon's staff.

Oregon started the season ranked third behind Ohio State and Alabama, and rose to second after their first game, a 66–3 win over Nicholls State in Week 1. They continued their winning ways, posting double-digit wins over Virginia, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Washington, Washington State and UCLA, and eventually found themselves in a duel with Florida State over the number 2 spot in the BCS poll, with Alabama at number 1. The wheels came off though, as they did the year previously, against Stanford, losing 26–20 on the road. The Ducks would rebound with a home win over Utah, but lose again at home to Arizona, the Ducks’ first loss to an unranked foe since 2009.

Sitting at 9–2 (7–2) and out of the BCS bowl picture for the first time in four years, Oregon had the Civil War left to play. Both Oregon and Oregon State were coming off of losses and had no major spoils to play for. Oregon came from behind in a back-and-forth fourth quarter and scored a touchdown (and failed to convert the two-point attempt) with 29 seconds left to win, 36–35.

Finishing the regular season at 10–2 (7–2) Oregon had extended winning streaks in two major rivalries, making it 10 years in a row against Washington, and six years in a row against Oregon State, as well as achieving a sixth consecutive 10-win season and an undefeated season at home for the first time in three years.

On December 8, 2013, the Ducks were invited to play in the Alamo Bowl against Texas in what would be Texas head coach Mack Brown and Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti's last games before retiring. Oregon won the Alamo bowl 30–7, tying a school record set from 1999 to 2001 for consecutive bowl wins at three, with rookie head coach Mark Helfrich becoming the first Oregon head coach to go to and win a bowl game in his rookie year (Rich Brooks won his first bowl game, after 12 years as head coach at Oregon, Mike Belloti and Chip Kelly each went to and lost a bowl game in their first years). Oregon finished the season at 11–2, only their fifth season with 11 or more wins in 118 years of football.

Departing players
No juniors or redshirt sophomores declared early eligibility for the 2013 NFL Draft.

Awards watch lists
The following Oregon players appeared on preseason award watch lists

Maxwell Award – College Football Player of the Year
 * Marcus Mariota
 * De'Anthony Thomas

Walter Camp Award – Player of the Year
 * Marcus Mariota
 * De'Anthony Thomas

Davey O'Brien Award – Best Quarterback
 * Marcus Mariota

Doak Walker Award – Best Runningback
 * De'Anthony Thomas

Biletnikoff Award – Best Receiver
 * Josh Huff

Mackey Award – Most Outstanding Collegiate Tight End
 * Colt Lyerla

Rimington Trophy – Most Outstanding Collegiate Center
 * Hroniss Grasu

Outland Trophy – Best Interior Lineman in College Football
 * Hroniss Grasu
 * Tyler Johnstone

Lombardi Award – Best Lineman
 * Hroniss Grasu
 * Tyler Johnstone

Bednarik Award – Defensive Player of the Year
 * Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

Bronko Nagurski Trophy – Most Outstanding Defensive Player
 * Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
 * Terrence Mitchell

Jim Thorpe Award – Best Defensive Back
 * Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
 * Terrence Mitchell

Butkus Award – Best Linebacker
 * Boseko Lokombo

Spring football
On April 27, 2013 the Oregon Ducks capped off their spring football practices with the traditional Spring Football Game, open to the public held at Autzen Stadium. As has been the practice for many years, in order to gain admission to the game each fan must donate at least three non-perishable food items to Food for Lane County on their way in the stadium. Following a record donation year in 2012, Oregon fans again donated over 70,000 pounds of food to the charity.

Donating food is not the only non-football activity for a good cause that is associated with the Oregon Spring Game, the game is played in honor of the United States Armed Forces and specifically the several reserve and guard units stationed close to Eugene. The football players will wear special made Nike uniforms that have "Support Our Troops" on the back where the player's last name is usually found, along with American Flags on the sleeves. During half-time a group of Marine Corps enlistees took the oath of enlistment on the field. Following the game the players line up on the north sideline, with an equal number of service-members from each branch of the military lining up on the south sideline. The two groups meet in the middle of the field where the players then remove their jersey and give it to a service-member, the service-member in turns presents the football player with a challenge coin. The tradition of the Spring Game being dedicated to supporting the military is part of the legacy of former head coach Chip Kelly, following the funeral of a local soldier in 2010, which he attended.

The 2013 iteration of the game was the first under new head coach Mark Helfrich and it also implemented a new scoring system for the first time in several years. Traditionally the offensive and defensive coordinators act as head coaches of two different teams, which are selected via a draft, the two teams then face off in a normally scored exhibition game. Due to a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball the format was tweaked so that it was simply the offense versus the defense, with a modified points system. The offense would score normally, with six points for touchdowns with the opportunity for point after attempts, and three points for field goals. The defense would follow normal rules for touchdowns as well, but would also gain three points for turnovers and one point every time that they kept the offense from scoring. The points system led to a lopsided victory by the offense, 65–0.

Team records broken
 Total offense – Team

Total offense – Single Season

Receiving Yards – Single Season

Kickoff Return Yards – Career

Players drafted
The following Oregon players were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft.

All-Americans

 * Hroniss Grasu, Junior, Center (SI, Athlon)
 * Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Junior, Cornerback (ESPN)

Defense
Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FF: Forced Fumbles, FR: Fumbles Recovered, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties