Though Matayo's sacks are down from last year, I believe his TFL's are on par. For PFF fans, he actually grades higher this season.

The pass rush this year seems to be better at creating a cage and squeezing in than last year's team. Last year, we saw edge rushers often get too far upfield and allow the QB to leak out of pressure laterally. While that may mean fewer sacks, it is also true that most teams are trying to release the ball before the sack gets home.

Better to contain and get hands up to tip passes than to over pursue and leave escape lanes.

ESPN jumped the shark about 15 years ago. They should go back to showing darts and billiards and drop every talking head opinion shoutdown show.

More ESPN Ocho!

Joey Galloway's number of poor Duck takes over the decades is a staggering amount.

Canzano is to journalism as Spam is to charcuterie.

FWIW, my impression:

Novo was warming up and looked to be entering the game. But then his last warm-up throw was a bit awkward....TV goes to timeout and comes back with Thomas lined up behind center.

Bill Walton and Jerry Garcia are havin' a High Time in the Promised Land today.

17 minutes ago, AnotherOD said:

I don't know, do we know this? He had a nice run in one of the spring games (plus some further flashes), and 5 passes and 3 rushes combined at the ends of the first 3 games. As a QB outside the top 30 national prospects as a HS senior, I don't know how many FBS program (P4 or otherwise) would know enough to strongly recruit him for anything more than the position he already has at Oregon (most likely number 3 or 4 QB with an outside shot at 1 or 2).

Recruit him because he went to Oregon? Oregon spits out its share of Ty Thompsons, Braxton Burmeisters, and Jeff Lockies. He could transfer to a place and get in the mix for a starting job, but I don't know if even much of FCS is even a complete lock. Montana State's QB was a transfer from Stanford. Tradition powers North Dakota State and South Dakota State both plugged in 5th year seniors from inside their program into open starting spots.

There would seem to be plenty of benefit to playing him now. There have been like 5 games where there have been whole forth quarters for a backup to show (to a degree) how his skills look against FBS teams still playing a lot of starters (he might even be so good, you have confidence to add 1-2 plays outside of "garbage time" using him).

Two Duck coaches and one Tulane coach (through a fall camp) thought Ty Thompson was a #2 who might be capable of being a #1 someday watching him in practice. It was through stepping on the field they all realized they were playing a future back-up TE at QB.

I just don't see how a guy with 5 career passes and 3 career rushes would receive "limited benefit" from playing?

I guess the other options are injuries or bad coaching?

I'll add my meandering thoughts to this topic......the modern era of portal/NIL complicates traditional reason in this situation. Risk aversion has elevated in primacy. So has program narrative (team brand) to attract recruits/transfers.

Novosad: has expressed his intention to stay and be developed. He is probably getting ample reps in practice to stay sharp and manage his health. If Dante can't play for an extended period of time, we could see him play and he is ready. Playing him in backup with a huge lead doesn't advance this strategy and would only attract NIL competition for him and build tape for opponents to study.

Moga: somewhat likely to transfer. He can play as a starter somewhere next Fall but is unlikely to supplant Novo. Again if Dante is long term unavailable he elevates to 2nd string behind Novo and is available. Playing him in blowouts is of limited value.

Thomas: most likely to transfer. Capable but undersized for P4. Local kid, loyal to the program and helps build the culture narrative. The program wants to elevate him as payback for walking on and contributing. Mop up duty helps him promote himself for transfer, communicates brand values. Low risk great story.

The message is we value you as an individual talent and will help drive with your brand mission so long as it aligns with the team's. Or, I have deluded myself into this pretzel logic because I am a huge Duck homer.

Many of you probably noticed this in earlier games, but I am not real swift.....Genorris Wilson playing right tackle with Harkey at right guard seems like a positive experiment

I saw the Grateful Dead more times than I can remember in different towns and venues....but the best shows were always in Eugene. Even when the show itself wasn't an all timer, the town before and after the show was turned on, tuned in and in-flow.

Keep on dancin' through the daylight (daylight)
Greet the mornin' air with song (greet the mornin' air with song)
No one's noticed, but the band's all packed and gone (packed and gone)
Was it ever here at all? (Was it ever here at all?)
But they keep on dancin'

I wish I was Pat McAfee's hair product salesman. Kaitlyn Olson was right when she referred to him as an "oaf' on the Gameday set last season.

I think Mario's coordinators are first or second year guys....you have to think that Troika will shoot the pooch at some point, no?

Have to say, this one surprised me....great get by Coach Altman and crew

I'm not holding my breath on this one.

My favorite element was the US Army officer bar on the back of the helmet representing Major Bill Bowerman's heroic service in the 10th Mountain Division in Italy WWII

I expected to see the betting line move from OBD +3.5 closer to +7.5 throughout the week. It hasn't budged.

Given Beaver Stadium and Whiteout, 3.5 points indicates most think this baby is a toss-up on a neutral field. If this game were in Autzen, I think the Ducks could beat a 7.5 point spread.

So, can our young guns handle the environment? All of the pressure is on PSU..... Bye week before the game to prepare. Home Field Advantage. Whiteout. If PSU loses, the narratives get ugly for Franklin. If the Ducks lose and stay close, we come out with head held high and live for another day.

Franklin puckers in big games, Dan is a riverboat gambler. I think we start a little slow, adjust and take control at the start of the 4th quarter. Ducks run out the clock to preserve a 5 point win. Special teams will play a role. Thieneman balls out.

In listening to some podcasts this week, Allar's stats don't blow people away. He's usually a 200-yard per game guy with few throws over 20 yds.

I think Thieneman has a big day in the box both run support and disrupting short crossing routes.

Make Allar beat us...if he does, he's the Heisman frontrunner and you tip your hat to him.

I never wanted to play these rodent varmints again, but since Dan sees it as an extra scrimmage that helps us to overcome the wear and tear of the B1G travel schedule, I am reconciled to what appears to be a future schedule of Civil Wars.

But, we should have never agreed to play them in Reser again. Screw their amateur franchise

What I have learned from this thread is that the talking head experts know just about as much, or less, than anyone else.

I have to admit this is news to me......his former commitment, I mean.

Next man up.

John Canzano....leading from behind since forever.

Imagine being replaced by Aaron Fentress.

Disciplined execution.

I expect a base gameplay with Dan challenging the team to beat the Beavs in the trenches straight up with power and speed.

No need to get fancy. Basic blocking and tackling to wilt an inferior opponent over time.

FWIW CBS Sports Matt Zenitz named Tosh Lupoi as DC of the week so we must be doing something right.

Against our first unit NW had 170 yards and 0 points.

https://x.com/mzenitz/status/1967601465876467854?s=46&t=xjCowF6XwCIg-xuLARP-5A

1 hour ago, Desert Duck said:

I just knew that Dante & I had a lot in common 😆.

He certainly seems like a fine young man. However, I'm never going to be overly fond of seeing any QB throwing into quadruple coverage. But, even with that being said, if he had a little bit more air under that pass, I think he might just have dropped it in there.

I think the Lake Michigan wind was the 5th defender on that pass.....it just died at the end but the receiver had a step.