What We Learned: Washington at Oregon
Monday, October 20, 2014
Photo Credit: Monica's Dad via Compfight cc
Continuity on the offensive line is an actual thing, huh? For the second consecutive game, Jake Fisher helped stabilize the crew upfront and go figure - freshman Royce Freeman eclipses 100 yards for the second consecutive game. And if we learned anything from Chip Kelly and now Mark Helfrich, the blur offense is only effective when the running backs are maintaining balance.
“When you can run the ball, you can do anything,” Helfrich said Saturday.
Look, Marcus Mariota is a wizard, but he’s all but a luxury in this offense. He’s probably the best player in the country, but he has the Ducks in familiar territory - once again in the national playoff and title conversation. His talent is transcendent, but his presence hasn’t been - no undefeated season, only a chance to match what some of his predecessors at the position have done in terms of wins and losses.
The point?
With Freeman around for a couple more seasons, and Thomas Tyner as well, the basis for a stellar running game will be in place. By utilizing an offensive line rotation featuring as many as eight players Saturday against the Huskies, depth is being built with an eye towards the future.
In this offense, the running game will always make the quarterback’s job easier. And at Oregon, the offense is the main attraction.
The other side of the ball? Just realize...
This isn’t a great defense, but there has been progress.
Pride matters, and no unit wants to get gashed. But realistically, how good do the Ducks have to be at stopping the opposition when you’re scoring nearly 44 points a game?
Still, it’s apparent UO has improved on defense. Defensive coordinator Don Pellum has stressed communication during practice, and it seems to be working - on Saturday, the visiting Huskies ran for just 27 yards in the first half.
“We are just doing our jobs,” senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said. “The first couple of weeks, we weren’t doing our assignments. Now we are just trying to simplify everything and making sure that everyone is on the same page every play.”
Lots of Ducks are producing - Erick Dargan continues to intercept passes, notching his team-high fourth. Christian French had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.
Really, what more do you need from this unit? So...
Is it fair to nitpick this team?
Since losing to Arizona, the Ducks have outscored two quality conference foes, 87-50. And the truth is, the margin could be far worse.
At the halfway point of the season, Oregon is 6-1, ranked sixth in the country. The Ducks again appear to be the class of the Pac-12.
The sky is blue, water is wet.Rinse and repeat.
Losing to the Wildcats wasn’t beneficial for UO, but getting healthier was.
If you have a gripe, what could it possibly be?
Coaching? Helfrich is 17-3 as a head coach, 10-3 in conference.
Some fan bases would kill for such results.
You’re better than this, Duck fans.
Banner Photo Credit: Monica's Dad via Compfight cc
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