Oregon vs. Texas Tech: Never-in-Doubt!

[Annie]

On 9/9/2023 at 8:46 PM, latracey said:

...

 

Players need to realize exactly what is going on in the game. When you intercept the ball with the lead and 30 seconds, take a knee. It’s hard to pass up a pick 6, but it’s the wise decision. The heart wrenching last possession by TT didn’t have to happen.

 

....

I don't remember know how much time was left on the clock when Kenny Wheaton made that interception against udub, but I do remember that the coaches were yelling to him to take a knee. Of course, as we all know, he didn't, and how much less exciting would it have been if he had taken a knee? We wouldn't have "Kenny Wheaton's gonna score, Kenny Wheaton's gonna score!"

[Desert Duck]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:29 AM, Annie said:

I don't remember know how much time was left on the clock when Kenny Wheaton made that interception against udub, but I do remember that the coaches were yelling to him to take a knee. Of course, as we all know, he didn't, and how much less exciting would it have been if he had taken a knee? We wouldn't have "Kenny Wheaton's gonna score, Kenny Wheaton's gonna score!"

I was thinking the exact same thing. 

[Mic]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:29 AM, Annie said:

I don't remember know how much time was left on the clock when Kenny Wheaton made that interception against udub, but I do remember that the coaches were yelling to him to take a knee. Of course, as we all know, he didn't, and how much less exciting would it have been if he had taken a knee? We wouldn't have "Kenny Wheaton's gonna score, Kenny Wheaton's gonna score!"

Good point, Annie.  Seeing Bassa (on replay) run that ball back all the way was almost the highlight of the night.  In the heat of battle like that, I could never fault a young man for doing what instinct was telling him and I, like you, am glad he got to do it.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Mic

[Solar]

Charles nailed the difference in this game was the havoc our defense created when Shough held the ball for more than 2.5 second.

 

Lanning needs to check up on his sports psychology. Confidence can overcome much of the "adversity" and our response to it in the first half. 

 

I still question Steins route trees that don't get rubs or overstress numbers very well to scheme people open. As others pointed out our run O was predictable, and there were very few audibles by Nix, and too many low percentage sideline deep balls.

 

This O seems more like Taggarts Gulf coast spread than what we saw from Dilly. Not good if this becomes a pattern.

[Mic]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:23 AM, VegasDuck said:

Lucky Ducks yesterday. I can't believe Tech went for it on 4th down deep in their own territory late in the game with the lead. Clean up the penalties and the O is fine, except for some questionable play calling. The defense is another story. One more game tuneup game till Colorado.  

It's "tune-up" games like PSU and Hawaii that I think might be hurting Oregon rather than helping them get ready for conference play.  What can they learn from Hawaii that will stand them in good stead with a team like a raging Colorado with a real grudge to bear?  And there is always the risk of injuries to key players despite the quality of opponent.  

 

The Ducks should be able to dominate H and get a nice win.   At least our hearts will get a break from the stress, hopefully.

[Triphibius]

Granted, Shough and Tech played well, the venue was loud, and it was hot. Perhaps the penalties can be cleaned up. Oregon did show grit in pulling out the victory despite everything that had gone wrong. The U of O is fortunate that Camden Lewis persevered through the trials early in his career. 

 

That said, two things concern me. I would welcome rebuttals or explanations from those with greater expertise. 

 

1. After the first few series, the offensive line was not effective in run blocking. It seemed as if Tech's linebackers were running free much of the game. It appeared that De Ruyter was outcoaching Stein during the middle of the game, but that Stein did eventually adapt by abandoning the run in favor of short passes to the backs. Does this indicate a problem with scheme or personnel? If Aguilar is not panning out, is it time to experiment with "Poncho" to get more push? If Oregon cannot run the ball against a mid-tier defense, it is worrisome. 

 

2. Thanks to Nevada Duck for his discussion of the receivers' routes. Honestly, I cannot see too much on TV with the restricted camera angles. My memory is that Bo attempted few intermediate passes. I would think that Franklin could get open on such routes. Where was Bryant? Why did Ferguson, who is such a weapon, receive so few targets? When the long passes misfire, and Oregon cannot rely more than a couple of yards running on second down, that puts us frequently in 3rd and long. 

[Solar]

On 9/10/2023 at 11:44 AM, Triphibius said:

Granted, Shough and Tech played well, the venue was loud, and it was hot. Perhaps the penalties can be cleaned up. Oregon did show grit in pulling out the victory despite everything that had gone wrong. The U of O is fortunate that Camden Lewis persevered through the trials early in his career. 

 

That said, two things concern me. I would welcome rebuttals or explanations from those with greater expertise. 

 

1. After the first few series, the offensive line was not effective in run blocking. It seemed as if Tech's linebackers were running free much of the game. It appeared that De Ruyter was outcoaching Stein during the middle of the game, but that Stein did eventually adapt by abandoning the run in favor of short passes to the backs. Does this indicate a problem with scheme or personnel? If Aguilar is not panning out, is it time to experiment with "Poncho" to get more push? If Oregon cannot run the ball against a mid-tier defense, it is worrisome. 

 

2. Thanks to Nevada Duck for his discussion of the receivers' routes. Honestly, I cannot see too much on TV with the restricted camera angles. My memory is that Bo attempted few intermediate passes. I would think that Franklin could get open on such routes. Where was Bryant? Why did Ferguson, who is such a weapon, receive so few targets? When the long passes misfire, and Oregon cannot rely more than a couple of yards running on second down, that puts us frequently in 3rd and long. 

I thought TT front 7 would be bad because they sent so many to the NFL last year. Based on what I saw last night I think they have reloaded. I would agree we were out coached at times.

 

I think Stein needs to change his mindset and guidance to Nix to consistently take what the defense gives you for 4 quarters. We are good enough to win that way every week because our offense is so complete.

[Mic]

On 9/10/2023 at 11:59 AM, Solar said:

I think Stein needs to change his mindset and guidance to Nix to consistently take what the defense gives you for 4 quarters. We are good enough to win that way every week because our offense is so complete.

I'm guessing they're trying to protect Nix and get him thru the season without another injury.  But there may be no other way to win the games coming up without him running the ball.

[CountryProf]

I wasn't paying attention at this level during the game, but it seems like a couple of posts on this thread state that Will Stein may not be giving Bo the same degree of leeway that Dillingham did for Bo to change the play at the line of scrimmage after he's seen the defensive formation.  Did it seem like Bo called significantly fewer audibles in this game as compared to your average challenging game last year?  Subjective call given just one game compared to many last year, especially if you haven't rewatched games and broken down the tape, but I'm curious.

[kirklandduck]

On 9/10/2023 at 12:04 PM, Mic said:

I'm guessing they're trying to protect Nix and get him thru the season without another injury.  But there may be no other way to win the games coming up without him running the ball.

Not allowing Nix to run the ball greatly limits the offense, making it much more predictable.  I know they're trying to protect Bo but they're not going to average 40+ a game without that crucial aspect to keep defenses honest.  Things completely opened up in that 4th quarter when he ran the ball a few times.

[Mic]

On 9/10/2023 at 12:10 PM, CountryProf said:

I wasn't paying attention at this level during the game, but it seems like a couple of posts on this thread state that Will Stein may not be giving Bo the same degree of leeway that Dillingham did for Bo to change the play at the line of scrimmage after he's seen the defensive formation.  Did it seem like Bo called significantly fewer audibles in this game as compared to your average challenging game last year?  Subjective call given just one game compared to many last year, especially if you haven't rewatched games and broken down the tape, but I'm curious.

I didn't, unfortunately, get to watch the game Live, but it's kinda what's been said by a few on the blog here.  I don't know but if I had to hazard a guess it might be to persevere Bo's health and his chances at the Heisman.  The problem with that as I see it, (besides running the risk of losing games) is the Heisman itself if Bo doesn't get a free rein to run.  It's what's made him a legitimate candidate in the 1st place, imo.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Mic

[Mic]

On 9/10/2023 at 12:47 PM, kirklandduck said:

Not allowing Nix to run the ball greatly limits the offense, making it much more predictable.  I know they're trying to protect Bo but they're not going to average 40+ a game without that crucial aspect to keep defenses honest.  Things completely opened up in that 4th quarter when he ran the ball a few times.

As you can see from my post just above this one I agree with you 100%.  It's a roll of the dice for Oregon and Bo Nix.  But, I think it should be his call.

[HDuck]

Interesting stat from the game

 

3rd Q - time of possession, points scored

Oregon:  11:48 - 0

Tex Tec:  03:12 - 14  (2 drives were 2:02 and 1:04)

 

4th Q

Oregon:  6:48 - 20

Tex Tec:  8:12 -  3

 

Though, Ducks ended 3rd Q deep in Tex Tech territory.

 

Shough:

1st half:  14-23, 101 yds

2nd half:  10-17-3, 181 yds

[Mike West]

On 9/9/2023 at 9:08 PM, cartm25 said:

My thoughts, positive, negative, and general musings:

 

- Got the W in a hostile environment.

- Defense created more havoc.

- I miss Kenny Dillingham already

- Offense seems lethargic and less multiple compared to last year.

- OL concerns?

- Bo Nix is not a pure pocket passer, as such, for the offense to be most effective, Bo Nix needs to be used in the run game.

- 2022 Oregon vs. WSU version 2.0?

- Even the best years have a game or two like this.

- Dorlus + Bassa = Awesome pick 6

- Colorado, Deion, and DL’s comments are looming large; I think Colorado is better than Texas Tech.

Very good assessment.  Though I don't believe Colorado is better than Texas Tech, they just make fewer mistakes.

[Log Haulin]

Had a case of the dropseys yesterday also. Kinda overlooked but was pretty costly. Didn't have that issue last year. Hope its not an on going concern.

[DucksWinTheDay]

Opening kickoff we have two #0 on the field.  Who is the special teams coach?  5 illegal procedure penalties on the OL.  DL was slow and tired (never chased the ball).  Dropped passes by WRs early. Transfer from Ole Miss  #0 on defense is terrible.  Bo Nix is a gamer.  Tech offensive coaches did a great job scheming the Ducks all night.  Joey McGuire made a horrible call going on 4th down with a 2 point lead.  Ducks won the game.  Lots to improve on.

[David Marsh]

On 9/10/2023 at 4:56 PM, Log Haulin said:

Had a case of the dropseys yesterday also. Kinda overlooked but was pretty costly. Didn't have that issue last year. Hope its not an on going concern.

Those dropped passes killed at least one maybe two drives. Add that to the dumb false start penalties and that's two -  four drives toast from self imposed mistakes. 

[David Marsh]

On 9/10/2023 at 5:49 PM, DucksWinTheDay said:

DL was slow and tired (never chased the ball).

Plenty of chasing the ball... a bunch of missed tackles that should have stopped the play for little or no gain... some mistakes should have resulted in a tackle for loss of a sack. 

 

Could the heat have played a bigger factor in that? Maybe... 

 

But they'll need to clean up the tackling big time. 

[Duckhart]

Maybe it's just me but I thought our D line looked slow most of the night. I know we are bigger and more talented but they seem slower. Like the outcome of the game and hope for a solid year!

[Jon Joseph]

Amazing! In 6 out of 10 remaining regular season games, the Ducks play ranked football teams. Move over SEC.

 

How about a reevaluation in regards to the Ducks SOS? And I think that Texas Tech will win a bunch of football games. 

[Solar]

On 9/10/2023 at 4:56 PM, Log Haulin said:

Had a case of the dropseys yesterday also. Kinda overlooked but was pretty costly. Didn't have that issue last year. Hope its not an on going concern.

Same in the spring game. Also mentioned as an issue by Lanning in Fall camp.

 

Our WR position coach can recruit like nobody's business, but is he failing at helping his WRs to catch the ball? Are some actually getting worse at catching? Hope not.

[Log Haulin]

On 9/11/2023 at 11:49 AM, Solar said:

Same in the spring game. Also mentioned as an issue by Lanning in Fall camp.

 

Our WR position coach can recruit like nobody's business, but is he failing at helping his WRs to catch the ball? Are some actually getting worse at catching? Hope not.

It's a wait and see deal. 

[Charles Fischer]

On 9/11/2023 at 11:49 AM, Solar said:

Our WR position coach can recruit like nobody's business, but is he failing at helping his WRs to catch the ball? Are some actually getting worse at catching? Hope not.

Bird Bomb Dropped...  (One of two--ya think they might have changed the game?)

[Wrathis]

The intial bomb dropped by Franklin (if that's the one you're referring to) was most likely lost in the sun. We were seated on that side of the field and I lost it in the sun as well. Just saying that considering the blazing ball of fire in the sky, anyone catching that would most likely have been luck lol

[Smith72]

Sometimes no matter how good you are or how well you practice you have a game where things go bad.

 

To be able to still win the game means your team and season is special!  Go Ducks!

[mikethehiker]

Great, great thoughts on the game.  I watched the game over a day late, because I was enjoying beautiful alpine lakes.  Major kudos to TT for fighting extremely hard after a demoralizing loss to Wyoming.  Major kudos to Oregon for winning essentially their first real game in an extremely hostile environment making far too many mistakes.  A few thoughts and silver linings:

 

-Oregon lost this game without losing this game.  We were blessed with an enormous amount of learnings without paying the price of an actual loss.  We now have experience that Washington, USC, UCLA, and Oregon St. don't have this year.

 

-Do you think Dan Lanning made a mental note of TT going for it on 4th and 2 from inside their own 35?

 

-TT front seven resembled Georgia from a year ago.  They were fast and left everything out on that field.  I felt they did a great job disguising what they wanted to do on D.  Nix rarely ever had time and was scrambling far too much.  Our O-Line did not have a great day and will be blessed with a long, hard look in the mirror.

 

-However, it was clear that TT was selling out against the run and bringing extra defenders.  Our coaches needed to make adjustments and shorten up the routes.  I know Stein loves to have all 3 wideouts on the field and get the ball to the playmakers, but we should have seen more 2 tight end sets to get hat on hats instead of the confusion on blocks we saw.  It would have given us bigger bodies out there and caused TT to hesitate more when your blockers are also receivers.

 

-I wish TT nothing but the best for the rest of the year and hope they win the Big12 title.  I really like Shough and the humility he brings to the game.  Hope he crushes it the rest of the year.

[Solar]

With regards to the OL play, I thought they were dominant early in the game on a physical level, but the environment combined with the DL stemming and cadence got our OL flustered which quickly caused havoc making the OL indecisive when the ball is snapped.

 

Lanning mentioned this post game as an area they would work on going forward. This may be the biggest opportunity to improve coming out of the game for any position group.

 

Lastly, I'm not sure Bo's poor footwork when on the road with tight DB coverage is solvable after 5 years of playing. If Stein is a true QB whisperer maybe he can get through to Bo's subconscious state and fix it. He did settle down in the 4th quarter finally.

[Mic]

On 9/11/2023 at 5:20 PM, mikethehiker said:

Great, great thoughts on the game.  I watched the game over a day late, because I was enjoying beautiful alpine lakes.

Lake in the Cascades? Loos like a cirque lake (waterfall in, water fall out).  I've been to a couple.  Nice way to spend a lovely Fall day.

[Wrathis]

So I figured I'd share what I learned/saw while at this game. This was my first Duck game to attend in person with my only previous games being Texas A&M vs a baby seal at College Station and Air Force vs UNLV while stationed in Vegas. 

 

First off, it was HOT! We drove from the Dallas area and saw 115 on the way up to Lubbock (5+ hour drive). Our time there Friday was nice, with many residents welcoming us to the area and showing genuine respect and that southern hospitality Texas is known for.

 

Game day on the other hand was something entirely different. Saturday morning was warm and upper 90's by kickoff. We tailgated with the Oregon Alumni Association who had their festivities in a fenced-off area in the middle of the Tech campus. We had to walk through student housing to get there and that was ROUGH. I assume the students had all been drinking fairly heavily all day, and while the vulgarity and insults lacked creativity (Nix only rhymes with so many other things) they were not in short supply.  I'm not a small guy by any means at 6'1" 250lbs, but that didn't stop groups of 5-6 students from heckling and berating us the entire 20 minute hike. I will say the one positive thing we heard though was how surprised everyone was at how well the Ducks travel. 

 

I'm thinking there's only 2 entrances for the students to get through, so we had to walk through a large line where I'm guessing they had been waiting for quite a while. More jeers and insults followed. We finally get to our seats (45 yard line, row 2) and were thankfully among a large contingent of Duck fans that are visible on most of the videos.  There was some good-natured ribbing going on there from nearby Tech fans prior to kickoff that would continue throughout the game. At kickoff it literally rained tortillas, but that was expected. What was interesting was that it continued essentially through the rest of the game. There were 2 kids about 7-8 years old at the railing in front of us that had a stack of about 20 that they continued to throw at the players for the first 2 quarters until security finally came and took the tortillas away from them. That didn't stop them from raining down throughout the rest of the game though. That being said, the Tech fans in our area were knowledgeable and fun. We were invited to many tailgates in the future if we come back and the adults there were respectful and friendly in spite of the excitement of the game.

 

I can say I was sorely disappointed from what I saw of our defense from watching at field level. It seemed Shough had all day to throw despite the 4 sacks. The pass interference penalties were blatant and egregious...and we left glad to have the win but very unhappy with the performance. I will say exiting the stadium was less eventful than our entrance, with a few students mockingly muttering about becoming Beaver fans as it seems the defeat took the wind out of their sails. We drove back to our Air B-n-B without incident. My girlfriend is an OU fan (I just tell people she's dyslexic and red/green color-blind) and has been to numerous venues and she said Tech was unequivocally the most hostile place she's visited. Take that for what it's worth... 

 

Upon arriving home I decided to watch the game again but with the overhead perspective provided by television. This softened my previously harsh critique of our performance as we did get considerably more pressure on Shough that I realized watching at field level. I since have decided that we took the absolute best punch Tech had to offer (while not playing to our ability) and were lucky to get away with the win. I'm hopeful for what the rest of the season has to offer and am anxiously awaiting our date with Dieon 10 days from now. Go DUCKS!

 

 

[mikethehiker]

On 9/12/2023 at 2:16 PM, Mic said:

Lake in the Cascades?

These are the Enchantment Mountains outside Leavenworth.  A 20 mile circuit with 5000ft of climbing and 7000ft descending all in one day.  All 16 lakes along the way were picture perfect!  And the whole time I couldn't wait to watch the Duck game (I don't look at the scoreboard until I watch recorded games).