Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews is doing the math in his head, setting up the equation for how disrespected he and the Ducks feel.

Last weekend, Oregon won its second in a row after losing at Boise State, ending No. 18 Utah's 16-game winning streak.

Yet no return to the national ranking for the Ducks.

Ten teams ranked in the AP Top 25 have one loss. Eight of them lost to a team ranked lower than No. 8 Boise State. Three of them started off ranked lower than the Ducks, who were tapped 16th in the preseason. Four teams with one loss haven't beaten a ranked team this year.

But the Ducks, who finished ranked 10th in 2008, measured only at No. 32 among the teams getting just a handful of votes.

"We can't control that," Matthews said. "And we like being the underdogs."

The UnderDucks!

Oregon's players and coaches feel they have traveled a great distance since the embarrassing debacle in Boise. They're not there yet -- see the struggling passing offense -- but a win over No. 6 California in Autzen Stadium on Saturday likely would go a long way toward healing the wounds sustained on the Broncos' blue turf.

"It's pretty much us against the world right now," cornerback Walter Thurmond said. "We've just got to keep playing and proving guys wrong."

As for the passing woes, much of that has fallen on quarterback Jeremiah Masoli's disappointing start. Masoli has completed just 45 percent of his passes, with two picks with no touchdowns. He's also fumbled three times, including one that was returned for a score.

This is the same guy who was the nation's best pass-run quarterback over the final three games of the 2008 season, when he completed 66 percent of his throws with six touchdowns and just one interception and rushed for 248 yards and seven touchdowns.

Coach Chip Kelly stood by his quarterback this week while some wondered if it was time to give backup Nate Costa a chance. He pointed out the youth at receiver and on the offensive line as well as the backfield shakeup with the season-long suspension of LeGarrette Blount.

"It's not just Jeremiah," Kelly said. "It's the entire offense, getting them on track. If it were just one guy, it would be an easy thing to fix. But it's not just one guy."

Asked if Masoli was pressing, Kelly simply said, "No."

"Jeremiah is as strong a kid mentally as I've ever been around," Kelly said. "He's been through it before. I've got all the faith in the world in him."

Kelly's players gave him high grades for how he pushed the team past the dispiriting Boise experience.

"Right after the game, some people were pointing fingers at other people, but we couldn't have that," Matthews said. "He kept us under control and made some changes. We're on the right foot again."

Matthews, Thurmond and company obviously will have to find a way to slow down Cal running back Jahvid Best, but Matthews was quick to point out that the Bears are hardly one-dimensional on offense. Quarterback Kevin Riley, who was knocked out of last year's Cal win in Berkeley with a concussion, ranks sixth in the nation in passing efficiency.

"He can probably throw the best deep ball in the Pac-10 right now," Matthews said.

While the Ducks passing game is struggling, the ground attack found its rhythm against Utah. The Ducks rushed for 217 yards, with redshirt freshman LaMichael James leading the way with 152 yards on 27 carries. Masoli has 47 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the defense, the numbers haven't been outstanding, but Kelly said the unit is playing well.

In other words, if the passing offense gets back in sync, Oregon could become dangerous and again a factor in the Pac-10 race.

The UnderDucks sense they have an opportunity to make a statement when Cal visits raucous Autzen Stadium.

"That's what we plan to do," Matthews said. "We hope we can shock the world."