Kelly displays some of his high-powered offense at Fiesta

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Chip Kelly apparently likes surprises.

The Oregon coach said he will now talk to his agent, David Dunn, about NFL teams that might be interested in his services. After defeating Kansas State, 35-17, in the Fiesta Bowl Thursday night, with many thousands of Ducks fans standing at their seats in the University of Phoenix Stadium long after time expired to plead with him to stay in Eugene, Kelly stopped well short of reassuring them. But he also continued to insist that the NFL has really been the last thing on his mind.

"I was getting a haircut on Wednesday and I saw my name at the bottom of the ESPN crawl, which I thought was kind of funny, because I haven't talked to anybody," Kelly said. "I'll sit down and talk to Dave. I've said I'll always listen, and that's what I'll do."

Miraculously, considering he hasn't even spoken with his agent about it, Kelly is expected to interview with the Browns, Eagles and Bills this weekend, Kelly presumably staying in Arizona for those sessions. Lots of NFL people think Kelly is the Eagles' first choice.

Kelly reportedly agreed to coach the Tampa Bay Bucs last January, then changed his mind. Thursday night he portrayed himself as an NFL neophyte, who has just had that one interview and now will embark on a "fact-finding mission."

But he also said he wants to wrap up the process quickly.

Asked by the Daily News if he has an impression of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, from Roseman's scouting trips to Oregon, Kelly said: "I can't do an impression of him. I've met Howie twice. He was here a couple of years ago and I think he was here in September — my interaction with those guys is really, 5, 10 minutes - 'these are the players you might want to look at.' "

An Inquirer reporter tried to nail down whether Kelly has an interview scheduled with the Eagles. Kelly said Dunn does an "outstanding" job of keeping distractions away from him when he's preparing for a game. "I'll talk to Dave either tonight or tomorrow and see what he's done on my behalf," Kelly said.

Kelly said he hasn't addressed the matter with his team.

"Our players, we have a great relationship. I want what's best for them and I think they want what's best for me," Kelly said. "I really haven't had a conversation with them. We were just in the locker room a brief amount of time, and then we had to hustle out here to this press conference."

If NFL teams were judging Kelly solely off Thursday night — which they most surely weren't — Kelly's reputation as an offensive genius might have flickered there for a while.

After scoring 15 points in the first 11:14, the first eight on a 94-yard De'Anthony Thomas runback of the opening kickoff, plus a two-point conversion, Kelly's high octane, run-based spread offense, which averaged 50 points per game this season, was repeatedly shut down by the Wildcats' active, aggressive defensive front and linebackers. The Ducks went from 3:46 left in the first quarter to the final minute of the second quarter without managing a first down, let alone scoring. This is what some people think will happen in the pros, if Kelly tries to transplant his scheme. Other people think Kelly will do something at least slightly different in the pass-happy NFL.

In any case, Kelly has repeatedly said, "Jonas Salk was a genius. I coach football."

After the game, senior linebacker Kiko Alonso confirmed what Kelly said, that he has given his team no idea what he might do.

"He'll be successful no matter what he does," Alonso said.

"Sitting in a meeting room with him is a lot different than sitting in a meeting room with anybody I've ever sat with, because it's not just about football, it's about life," said running back Kenjon Barner, who slashed the Wildcats for 143 yards on 31 carries. Barner gained 126 of those yards on 27 second-half carries. "He teaches you life lessons."

USAToday reported Thursday that Oregon has already decided to promote offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich if (when?) Kelly decides to leave.

Though Thursday's game certainly doesn't represent the totality of Kelly's four-year head coaching career at Oregon, some of his primary traits were on display. A profile in The Oregonian in July said he has the nickname "Big Balls Chip," for his love of going for it on fourth down, trying for two after touchdowns, and running trick plays. In addition to the early two-pointer, Kelly courted disaster in the second quarter Thursday by calling for a fake punt that didn't get the first down, and set up Kansas State at midfield, down 15-10. The Wildcats missed a 40-yard field goal, and Oregon was able to reestablish momentum by throwing the ball, oddly enough, moving 77 yards in six plays in the final minute of the half for a 22-10 halftime lead.

Sean McDonnell, head coach at Kelly's alma mater, the University of New Hampshire, where Kelly was an assistant from 1994-2006, talked at length to the Oregonian about that gambling mindset.

"What I love about him is — I compare it to a quarterback," McDermott said. "There are two types. Both have the 'it' factor. But one will go for it, and the other won't. One is an 'Xs and Os' type, while the other is instinctual combined with the 'Xs and Os.' He's that. He's the guy you know in certain plays, it's not even in the read but he's going to go for it ...

"He's Brett Favre. I want that in a coach. I want someone who is playing every game to win, even if it costs him a few. That's what I want. I'm sure he sleeps pretty well at night knowing that he goes and believes in what he does."

McDonnell - part of a very small circle of people who are close to Kelly, 49, who is unmarried — told The Boston Globe that Kelly "never met a fourth down he didn't like. If we had a fourth-and-7 and were trying to kick a field goal or send the punt team out, he would say, 'Sean, come on, I know we can make this.' "

Kelly's team is known for its furious, no-huddle pace, which wears down defenses. Kelly told a sideline reporter at halftime Thursday that he hadn't been quick enough, that he would go faster in the second half, which is what the Ducks have tended to do during his 46-7 tenure. They finished 12-1 this season, losing only to Stanford.

The Ducks rambled to a field goal and a touchdown on their first two third-quarter possessions, taking a 32-10 lead, after Kansas State blocked an extra point and carried into their own end zone for a rare one-point safety.