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To USC cornerback Shareece Wright, the most stunning aspect of No. 1 Oregon's offense isn't its speed or its sophistication, or even the Ducks' standout skill players.
No, Wright and the Trojans were bowled over by Oregon's elegant simplicity.
''They didn't even run a lot of plays,'' Wright said after the Ducks' 53-32 win at the Coliseum. ''They just run them to perfection and wait until the defense breaks down.''
Oregon (8-0, 5-0 Pac-10) makes it look easy to be this good.
With a dominant win over the Pac-10's longtime power, the Ducks maintained their unbeaten season and tightened their hold on the top spot in the AP poll for the third straight week, moving within four games of a perfect season and a likely spot in the national title game.
Two-thirds through what's shaping up as an historic offensive season, just how good are the Ducks? USC coach Lane Kiffin actually thought his defense played fairly well while surrendering 599 yards and the most points Oregon had ever scored in 57 games against USC (5-3, 2-3).
Kiffin also had words of warning for Washington, California, Arizona and Oregon State - the only stops remaining on the Ducks' demolition tour of the Pac-10.
''I don't care if you try to slow the game down or speed the game up, but you better score touchdowns against them,'' Kiffin said. ''It doesn't do you any good to slow down the clock.''
Oregon is inspiring awe in every opponent it faces and every first-time observer on television around the country, and not because coach Chip Kelly has concocted any complicated plays that confuse opponents.
For much of the second half, the Ducks' offense largely consisted of repeated quick snaps followed by handoffs to LaMichael James, who almost always ran between the tackles on the way to 239 yards rushing, the second-most ever allowed to one player by a USC defense.
Quarterback Darron Thomas gave another efficient performance, passing for 288 yards and four touchdowns - matching the most ever thrown against USC.
''I was thinking I would feel like we couldn't even breathe or line up with their tempo, but we lined up well,'' Kiffin said. ''But those are two great players. Their quarterback and their tailback has career days today.''
Actually, James and Thomas were close to business as usual for the Ducks.
Oregon's defense was barely adequate against USC by most football standards, surrendering 32 points, 377 yards and 27 first downs. Yet normal standards simply don't apply to the Ducks, whose offense's speed and effectiveness all but guarantees a half-dozen touchdowns in each game.
The defense again got plenty of work because Oregon's offense made three touchdown drives that lasted less than a minute.
''Our guys are playing hard, but they don't show the signs of being tired,'' Kelly said. ''I know they're not out there whistling. They're working their tails off, and I just think they've got a mindset that the guy they're playing against is a little more tired than they are.''
Oregon has scored at least 42 points in every game this season, and USC's 32 points were the most the Ducks have allowed.
Just four games remain in the Ducks' quest for the ultimate prize, and the doubters are shrinking with each weekly performance.
''We know that every week is going to be our biggest week from here on out,'' said receiver Jeff Maehl, who caught three touchdown passes at USC. ''If we come out and lose a game, our shot at the national championship is totally out the door. We keep that in mind, and we know we've got to match the other team's intensity.''
