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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland moves forward on railroad property cleanup ... Ashland nonprofit interns help keep trails clear ... Schneider Museum to host lecture by artist McAdams ... Ashland moves forward on railroad property cleanup ... Ashland nonprofit interns help keep trails clear ... Schneider Museum to host lecture by artist McAdams ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Collapse puts Ducks' Pellum under fire Oregon defense falls apart in Alamo Bowl loss Comment By Austin Meek Eugene Register-Guard DailyTidings.com By Austin Meek Eugene Register-Guard Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 3:27 PM By Austin Meek Eugene Register-Guard Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 3:27 PM » Social News SAN ANTONIO — If Don Pellum didn’t know he was under the microscope, he should realize it now. After Oregon’s stunning Alamo Bowl collapse, a 47-41 loss to TCU in triple overtime, the Ducks’ defensive coordinator was asked about comments from coach Mark Helfrich the day before. Helfrich, given the chance to extend a vote of confidence, didn’t commit to Pellum returning as defensive coordinator next season when asked at a pre-Alamo Bowl news conference. “I didn’t even know that happened,” Pellum said Saturday. “That’s news to me.” Oregon’s Alamo Bowl loss won’t help Pellum’s case. Leading 31-0 at halftime, the Ducks allowed 31 second-half points and 545 total yards to a TCU team playing without its starting quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver. Pellum said he’s had no conversations with Helfrich about his future. When asked Friday about his defensive coordinator, Helfrich cited the need for across-the-board improvement in all areas, including Oregon’s defense. “Everybody has to get better,” Helfrich said Friday. “I’m never going to ... I could get fired tomorrow. My boss is right over there. He might fire me right after this press conference. “We all have to improve. Every single one of us.” Saturday’s collapse was the opposite of improvement for a defense that struggled throughout the season but seemed to stabilize during the Ducks’ six-game winning streak. Helfrich, revisiting his comments from the day before, shouldered responsibility for the Ducks’ second-half collapse against TCU. “Every single person needs to improve,” Helfrich said. “This kind of game, there were so many odd things that happened, so many guys ... not available. “Our guys battled, and they believed until the end. There’s a ton to be said for that.” The Oregon defense got little help from its offense, which ran 18 plays for 18 yards in the third and fourth quarters. The Ducks defended 51 plays in the same span, though Pellum didn’t cite that as an excuse. “We don’t focus on that,” he said. “Our deal is, whenever they call our number, we have to go out there and try to get it done. “I think momentum is tough. When momentum swings in any sport, especially football, you’ve got to fight back.” Oregon finished the season allowing 485.3 yards and 37.5 points per game, both all-time highs in the history of the program. That was after the Ducks allowed 430 yards per game in Pellum’s first season as defensive coordinator, an increase of 60 yards from the year before. Earlier this week, Pellum said he wasn’t losing sleep over his job security. “I don’t think that way,” he said. “The only thing I was worried about, and am still worried about, is getting players better. Progress. There’s only so much time and so much mind space.” Meanwhile, the outside noise is bound to intensify after Saturday’s second-half collapse. Pellum said he doesn’t pay attention, but TCU’s comeback will make it harder to ignore. “We didn’t finish,” he said. “We just needed to make a play. At the end day, we needed to make one play, and we weren’t able to do it.” By Austin Meek Eugene Register-Guard DailyTidings.com By Austin Meek Eugene Register-Guard Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 3:27 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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