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Half-hearted workouts, a lack of player leadership and a coach who could analyze the numbers, but couldn't lay down the law.

http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/01/how_the_oregon_ducks_football.html";>The Oregonian detailed the downfall of Mark Helfrich at Oregon today, a "perfect storm" of events that led to a 4-8 season and a coaching ouster only two years after playing in the national title game.

Ace reporter Andrew Greif gives a thoroughly reported and clear picture of what went wrong in Eugene:

At the heart of the unraveling was a void of leadership and commitment that fueled inconsistency and breakdowns at all levels, from players who brushed off teammates' critiques to coaches who failed to hold them accountable. Overseeing it all was Helfrich, a cerebral thinker without an iron fist.

Somewhere in its quest to "Win The Day," Oregon stopped heeding the details, said a dozen players, coaches, administrators and boosters in interviews with The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"The little things define you as a team," a third UO player said, "and we were missing a lot of things."

Oregon's new coach Willie Taggart was quotedhttp://www.si.com/college-football/2017/01/12/willie-taggart-oregon-ducks";> in a Sports Illustrated story today saying the program needs an overhaul. This story illustrates why.

More links:

• NFL Scouts seem to like Garett Bolles. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000772733/article/sources-tell-us-scout-says-team-will-overdraft-miami-qb-kaaya?campaign=tw-cf-sf50522172-sf50522172";>NFL.com cites an NFC scout who called Bolles "most athletic offensive lineman I've scouted since I took over this area of the country." He adds that Bolles, given time in an NFL strength and conditioning program, could vastly improve.

• As usual, Jon Wilner is on top of Cal's opening. He writes that Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox (who coached at USC) and Cal's offensive coordinator from last year Jake Spavital are finalists, http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/12/cal-coaching-search-nears-conclusion-with-justin-wilcox-jake-spavital-as-finalists/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1484262728";>and the hire should be made by the weekend.

• A bad season continues to get worse for Oregon State basketball. The Oregonian reports that http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2017/01/beavers_forward_tres_tinkle_ou.html";>Tres Tinkle is out for longer with a wrist injury after doctors didn't see sufficient healing in his last check-up. The team is 4-13 overall and winless in the Pac-12.

• From the Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/ncaab/asu/2017/01/11/asu-coach-bobby-hurley-back-villains-role/96445270/";>a column on Bobby Hurley playing his natural role: villain. The ASU coach made waves last week when video emerged of him saying if visiting teams wanted to get a win on the Arizona road trip, "they better go to [expletive] Tucson."http://bit.ly/2iSAUCh";> In their next game, the Sun Devils were beaten by Utah at home.

APROPOS OF NOTHING • I'm biased: I'm a huge Bill Plaschke fan.

Certainly there's arguments on both sides of the Chargers' move from San Diego to Los Angeles, but the veteran L.A. Times columnist ishttp://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-chargers-to-la-plaschke-20170111-story.html";> in tip-top form in this takedown of Dean Spanos' decision to move north:

"The good news about the Chargers' move is that nobody will have to spend much money on a welcome parade. It will be a short one. There will be one limo carrying Spanos and one Brink's truck carrying his loot, both moving hurriedly up that freeway ahead of the muffled San Diego cries, all of Los Angeles peering briefly out the windows before closing their blinds."

Talk about your icy receptions.

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon