What We Learned: Oregon vs. Wyoming
Monday, September 15, 2014
Photo Credit: Bobak Ha'Eri
The Ducks remain on a mission.
Photo Credit: Bobak Ha'Eri
Doesn’t seem like much will upset or derail what Oregon is attempting to do this season. Where some teams followed up huge victories with disappointing efforts Saturday (hi, USC), the Ducks handled adversity in the form of a 7-0 deficit at Autzen Stadium by ripping off the game’s next 41 points.
The opponent doesn’t - and shouldn’t - matter.
But, as some of Saturday’s results suggest, that’s not the easiest sales job to a group of 18- to 22-year-olds, so Mark Helfrich and his staff deserve a healthy heaping of credit for what has transpired through the first three weeks of the season.
And while nothing is clear from a national standpoint at the moment, doesn’t it just feel as if Oregon is truly one of the top four teams in the country, if not the top two? The other supposed contenders have easily identifiable flaws - Florida State seems to be struggling with the hangover from last year’s national title, Alabama has to settle on a starting quarterback and its typically strong secondary (personally coached by Nick Saban) is suddenly suspect, and Oklahoma might not be tested in the Big 12.
So, do the Ducks have a weakness? Maybe the Pac-12 schedule itself, which, by nature, is treacherous even though the league might not be as strong as once considered.
If so, maybe it’s...
The offensive line depth is perilous.
Another game, another offensive lineman felled by injury.
This time, it was senior left tackle Jake Fisher, who left Saturday on a cart. And it was stunning - the Ducks played most of Saturday with a true freshman (Tyrell Crosby) and a junior walk-on (Matt Pierson) at tackle.
As Pac-12 Network analyst Glenn Parker pointed out to GoLocalPDX last week, it’s become a legitimate concern. It hardly mattered against the Cowboys, but remember, Pac-12 play begins this week at Washington State.
It’s a completely different ballgame.
“First, it was Tyler Johnstone, then Andre Yruetagoyena, and now you have a freshman (Crosby) in there and that worries me,” Parker said. “Only because as things get more important, you worry about a freshman’s mentality and ability to handle the stress that comes with it.”
Maybe. Or maybe there’s a transcendent talent in Mariota who will ensure the offense does just enough until the fateful day the other side of the ball must respond - or was that what happened against the Spartans?
Which reminds us...
Is there a new playmaker on defense?
Former defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti singled out Erick Dargan in particular prior to the season as one of several Ducks with significant experience in position to break out this season. Let’s call that what it is - spot on. A senior defensive back, Dargan has arguably been, with all due respect to All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, the best playmaker in Oregon’s secondary.
His interception last week turned the momentum against Michigan State, and all he did Saturday against the Cowboys was add a couple more, bringing his season total to three. And it’s not just the takeaways themselves - it’s the timeliness.
Every time the Ducks have needed a spark, Dargan has provided one.
Homepage Photo Credit: Bobak Ha'Eri cc
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