Triphibius

Two thoughts: Perhaps Stein does not trust our tackles to provide enough protection for the additional time needed to throw downfield. They struggled at times yesterday. Geoff Schwarz asserted after the Indiana game that a more effective running game would enable downfield passing by forcing the opponent's defensive linemen to concentrate on the run and possibly encouraging their safeties to move closer to the line of scrimmage to provide run support. Both of these reactions would facilitate play action downfield passing.

The performance of the offense was disappointing. The defense was not outstanding, but possibly good enough for a win against a fine Indiana team if the offense had played better. Indiana's staff and players deserve much credit for their plan and execution, but I agree with many others that Stein was not at his best. Specific problems: Oregon had some success running the ball, especially with Jordan Davison between the guards. These kinds of plays featured our best two linemen and exploited their advantage against lighter defensive linemen. Many recall that Stein did not stick with this approach, for no apparent reason. I remarked in the thread that OBD ran the ball into a seven-man box on first down early in the game, which predictably put us behind the chains. DL seemed to think this was a more frequent problem. I do not recall this being a persistent issue. Erik Skopil stated that most of the sacks happened not because of our linemen lost one on one matchups, but when OBD were beaten by schemes that were not foreseen or not countered effectively. This issue was not fixed, but grew worse in the second half. I have not coached or played one down of organized football, but I would think that the issues with the running game ought to have been apparent on the field. I would think it might be easier to see what the pass rushers are doing from the box. However, Stein may find it easier to coach Dante and Poncho on the field, and clearly some of that was needed. To their credit, DL accepted responsibility rather than blame his players (unlike some other prominent coaches we have heard from recently), and Dante accepted blame rather than cast it on his teammates. I respect them for that, and hold out some hope for improvement because of it.

The U of O ran on first down into a seven-man box on first down. Adjustment?

My non-expert opinion is that their linebackers are better than he realized.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, staff and fans. Special kudos to those whose clutch plays preserved the victory: Dante Moore, Gary Bryant, Dillon Thieneman. Tip of the hat also to the opponent, who mounted a gallant comeback, and whose QB deserves more recognition and fewer catcalls. However, I could not escape the feeling that the Ducks had the game under control and nearly let PSU steal a victory after the U of O had outplayed them for three quarters. Thieneman accepted blame for the long pass play. I could not tell on TV, but it looked from the angle provided that he was still playing closer to the line of scrimmage than was prudent at that point in the game. The penalty for unsportmanslike conduct was inexcusable. I thought at the time that it would cost us the game. DL attributed PSU's late success running the ball to Xs and Os. He knows better than I, but it looked to me as if Oregon's defenders were getting blocked because they were tired. EAse to say, that more sbustitutions ought to have been made early, because Oregon was struggling on offense, but perhaps DL ought to have substituted more in the first half. Yes, there is reason to hope, but Oregon needs to learn how to finish games.

Would Florida choose Will Stein over Jedd Fisch, who is a Florida alumnus with P4 head coaching experience? Would they hop aboard the Lane Train if Fisch is available? If Florida were to hire Fisch, would the UW be interested in Stein, and vice versa?

What network is going to cover this game? ESPN The Ocho? The Pac-12 could raise their national visibility by introducing NCAA competition in dodgeball, with William Shatner as commissioner.

The contributors have underestimated the natural beauty of the state of Nebraska. When I was across the country in my youth, I noticed a sign along the freeway in eastern Nebraska. It informed drivers that they would notice driving westward across the state that the type of grass growing alongside the road changes. No disrespect to Coach Rhule, but if they want to return to national prominence, they must implement three changes this season: Replace the entire coaching staff with artificial intelligence. Change the too familiar red jerseys (such a cliche) to Pantone 448C, a color that I guarantee will set them apart. Replace their marching band with a marching opera company.

Football's value is a result of its scarcity. Games matter. The more they proliferate, the less they matter. They less they matter, the less we will watch. That proposal, even if offered for bargaining purposes, is like saying that because we like Christmas, it ought to last for six months.

I agree with Steven A. It made sense to take some chances in those years. One case in point: Onterrio Smith, of Whizzinator fame.

Good discussion. I agree with much of what has been said. Helfrich was an excellent offensive coordinator and a good man. If I remember correctly, it was he who recruited Marcus Mariota. I hated to see him dismissed. However, that was probably the correct decision, not because the fans were restless, but because he had "lost the locker room." I recall a statement from Pharoah Brown,( who had been punished slightly for throwing a snowball at a car), that bordered on contempt for his coach. What they ought to have done after Chip left was to appoint Nick Alioti as head coach and keep Helfrich as OC. Alioti had the leadership ability to maintain the program. The defensive collapse that doomed Helfrich would not have happened on Nick's watch. Nick would have coached about five years, which would have provided Mark time to develop or to move on. I have always had the sense that, although Nick is too good a Duck to admit it publicly, he was deeply unhappy at being passed over in favor of a man who was much less experienced than he.

If he is half as good as Rich Brooks, he will be a great contributor. However, I am still disappointed that OBD could not convince Storm Duck to enroll.

The point I am making is that modern football schemes assign somewhat different roles to players, and individual players are better suited for some roles than others. At the website Football Advantage "Coach Martin" states that the split end or X receiver "will go up against man-to-man pass coverage a lot. Cornerbacks will often line up directly opposite them and try to jam them at the line of scrimmage. To be successful at the position, an X receiver has to be either (1) quick or (2) physical enough to break away from this jam consistently. The X's main role is to work the outside of the field, covering both the widest and deepest portion of the field. " Coach Martin speaks only of receiving, not blocking, by the way. Gresham, McClelland, and Lowe are all bout 6 feet tall and 190 pounds. I believe Lowe is thought to have good acceleration. Kasper is 6' 6" and 210; Dickey is 6' 2" and 205. Neither has been consistent up to this point, although both have suffered injuries that have impeded their development. If Kasper and Dickey disappoint, do OBD have anyone on the roster who is well-suited for the X role?

Tough break for Mr. Stewart. On the brighter side, Dillon Gresham looked good in the spring game. The word of mouth on Perry is also encouraging. One question for the cognoscenti.... We used to speak of split ends, flankers and slot guys. Now they use a confusing alphabet soup, which I cannot keep straight. My understanding is that the receiver on the line of scrimmage must be strong or large enough to deal with press coverage, if he is not so fast as to render it impractical. I am not sure who would be best suited for this among the current crop. I thought Lowe and Bryant were slot guys; Moore is not big; Kasper is tall and seems to get open, but does not seem to have reliable hands; Jurrion may not have recovered his burst after the injury. Two tight formations ends might alleviate this.

Judging by team goals, Slim Wintermute.

Bittle was ineffective during the five game losing streak, probably because he was limited by an injury. Fans were complaining on this site that he could not defend the pick and roll. Perhaps that influenced the perception on the part of those who select these honorary teams. In retrospect, I wonder whether it might not have been better to sit him down for a couple of games to enable his foot (or whatever it was) to heal.

The Dutchman.

Bittle was not himself. He looked like someone who had missed a night's sleep, or was under the weather. I thought Shelstad needed to take charge when it was clear that Bittle was off his game.

If I am interpreting Chip Kelly's convoluted insinuation correctly, it is he is implying that the UO won the first game by intentionally keeping12 men on the field. However, our DB deflected the pass on that play. If there had been no penalty, time would still have run off the clock and OSU would have been 5 yards farther back. DL's stratagem had little effect on the outcome that I can see, unless I am missing something. I take JJ's point, but I am still annoyed at Kelly.

It certainly looked to me that Oregon got OSU's A game, and Texas their C game. Some of the penalties were discipline penalties. I am not convinced that Texas's front is that much better than the UO's Harmon, Burch, and Uiagalelei, and hence puzzled by the difference in result. Perhaps O-lineman grab when faced with an opponent who is not necessarily more talented, but aggressive and motivated. I have entertained the hypothesis for a while that when a team expends a great deal of emotion on one game, they will naturally be a bit flat the next time out. Biologically, there is a parasympathetic backlash to the sympathetic system's adrenaline rush. Perhaps the effects last for days. I do not know if sports psychologists have investigated this. That said, Sawyer was great in both games. He changed the flow of the UO game by dominating our right tackle. His strip sack saved a game for OSU that they might have lost.

I beg readers' patience for yet another submission. I would like to turn to the offense. I have read ATQ's analysis, but this is not a verbatim restatement of their conclusions. The UO caught a bad break. Evan Stewart was not available, and Will Stein chose test OSU with a deep pass only once. Possible consequences: 1. Their fine safeties could commit more to run defense, which stymied our rushing attack. 2. Tez had less room to operate underneath, and was less effective than expected. Ferguson did have some opportunities, but mostly after the game was out of hand. 3. The inability to run allowed their pass rushers to anticipate the pass---perhaps contributing to the woeful pass protection. The most striking thing to me was how ineffective the UO offensive line was in pass protection, especially in contrast to their excellent performance in the previous game. It looked like Sawyer manhandled his blocker most of the game. I believe OSU got pressure from other points as well, but that looked like the worst matchup. Why was this? 1. ATQ stated that OSU's DC simplified their system, abandoning blitzes and telling their ends to rely on their athleticism to defeat tackles one on one. The sight of Sawyer pushing our 300 pound tackle back into DG was impressive yet alarming. Is Sawyer that much better? If so, why did this not happen in October? 2. Possibly the layoff or the view expressed by one UO player that the Rose Bowl was a "business trip" contributed to this. Or perhaps some of our guys were sick, as reported. OSU seemed to play with more emotion, but I cannot say whether this was a cause or consequence of their performance. The failure of the UO offense is a bigger puzzle than the struggles of the defense.

Thanks to Intravenous for his explanation. Also, credit to Kelly (not just blame to Lupoi and the UO secondary) for good play design. Regarding run defense, I reviewed some of the tape at ATQ. On the plays available there, the UO had four men at the line of scrimmage and 2 LBs, for a box count of 6, against the standard formation of 1 RB and 1 Tight end. They brough a safety up only when OSU added a RB or an H-back. I thought the right strategy before the game was to play with a six-man box and live with whatever success they had running the ball. I did not see much evidence that Oregon over-committed to the run, but ATQ does not provide the entire game, just plays to illustrate the points their analyst is making. Hint to Fishduck: It would be good to read more analysis of this, if anyone can tolerate studying a decisive defeat.

I get that many just want to forget, but I want to understand. I am sure DL and Tosh think the same. OSU has some fine athletes. But they were the same athletes the UO defeated in October. Why was the result so much worse this time? I just watched the game clips at ATQ. On both of Jeremiah Smith's TDs, he was wide open, not because he beat an overmatched defender, but because there was no one in the vicinity who was unblocked. These two TDs look like failures of scheme or execution. I believe that in both cases, #4 was positioned inside not outside. On another of those clips, Dontae Manning runs stride for stride with Smith for thirty yards. Smith gains separation at the end by pushing Manning. Howard does make a good throw. I am not making excuses, I am just reporting what I see on the tape. On the run play clips on ATQ, the UO often has a DB facing Smith on the line of scrimmage, but also has a safety behind. I am not sure this is a bad strategy. Yes, #4 is big, but if our smaller DB disrupts his route a bit, it might give our pass rushers time to get to Howard. They would get some completions regardless what we tried, given the quality of their players. Sorry for the unintended font size.

I understand that DL does not want to provide excuses, but biology sets some limits on human performance. Yes, I recall Kareem scoring 35 points when he had a headache or some other malady. Or course there is Willis Reed's dramatic entry into the Knick's championship game. The sympathetic nervous system can mask pain to a great extent, but there are limits. Stomach problems are different, however Mr. Marsh is correct. Stomach viruses are not only distracting but weaken the patient--for days. (BTW, my best wishes to him and all infected for a swift recovery.) This could explain why our players fared so poorly at the line of scrimmage, especially the tackle protecting DG's blindside. The biggest surprise of the game for me was the Ducks lack of success at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. My best guess was that the layoff and the sports psychology were the explanation. This may be a simpler and more convincing one.

He left before I learned to pronounce his name. Oh well.