Ducks Top Trojans On Sloppy Saturday

[FishDuck Article]

Let’s remove the questionable penalties from the equation, talking about them at this point isn’t useful, and I am tired after this game ended after midnight on Arizona time. Mr. FishDuck took some time away from his fun at Ohio sportsbooks to agree with me about how this game transpired. The drop-off from the first two cornerbacks to the second ...

 

Ducks Top Trojans On Sloppy Saturday

FISHDUCK.COM

---

Let's remove the questionable penalties from the equation, talking about them at this point isn't useful, and I am tired after this game ended...

[Charles Fischer]

Losing both starting corners in a game would normally have been a killer in the past--especially against a Caleb Williams.  But we have depth that survived it, and kept USC well below their 45 point average per game.  The problem was the Trojan defense playing inspired to hold Oregon 11 points below their average.

 

[Duck 68]

I thought this was the Ducks poorest performance since the Texas Tech game. Penalties, dropped passes, some errant throws; I believed we were improving. Last night was a step back and may cost us in the playoff rankings. Additionally, we need to fix our place kicking game as it could prove to be critical in our next two or four games.  

[Just Ducky]

 I can’t remove the penalties against the Ducks. They were way to important to the outcome of the game.

 

 Might be the worst offensive line performance I’ve seen from a Dan Lanning team. They didn’t allow a sack but made the Ducks task way harder than it should have been and they were playing at home. Most of those penalties have been the same problem in the red zone that’s been happening all season but way more than normal it seemed to me.

 

 If Dan wants to improve one percent each week then this was a big regression of maybe 5 %. 
 

 I sure hope this group can concentrate a lot better the next 2 games or there will be some disappointed fans very soon.

[Dr Hilarius]

U$C is a classic example of a team playing down to its competition.

 

They squeak by the bad teams, but they have talent that can be “turned on” when its inspired but doesn’t show up consistently.

 

So the fact that the reigning Heisman winner was able to score 2 TDs against our backups when the game was out of reach doesn’t bother me.

 

[Log Haulin]

Caleb got a lot of help on a phantom PI and a phantom hold.

 

Ducks O line gave up 2 tfl and no sacks. But the penalties were ridiculous and need to be fixed. 10 games have been played and they haven't been so probably won't be. 

 

Lack of discipline will probably be what keeps the Ducks out of a shot at the crown. 

[candyduck]

They need to figure it out quick.  ASU sould've beat dub in Seattle.  Taking the sundevils lightly scares the heck out of me.  Playing the desert teams on the road has always concerned me more than the LA schools.

 

Something tells me DL will get the O lines attention this week.  JPJ really struggled for some reason.  I certainly don't see that happening again.  He's too much of a competitor!  Guessing he follows up with his best game of the year in the desert.

[Just Ducky]

 IMHO a team that keeps winning with sloppy mistakes will continue to do so until they loose a close one to someone they should have beaten. Oh wait that already happened.

 

 I kept waiting for Dan to display some but chewing on the sidelines but maybe he saved it for the locker room.

[Just Ducky]

On 11/12/2023 at 9:00 AM, candyduck said:

They need to figure it out quick.  ASU sould've beat dub in Seattle.  Taking the sundevils lightly scares the heck out of me.  Playing the desert teams on the road has always concerned me more than the LA schools.

 

Something tells me DL will get the O lines attention this week.  JPJ really struggled for some reason.  I certainly don't see that happening again.  He's too much of a competitor!  Guessing he follows up with his best game of the year in the desert.

 I totally agree that was our centers worst game. Had a real problem just gettin the ball to Bo. 

[BigDog]

I had a thought come to mind this morning while contemplating last nights game. Could we have witnessed our OBD listening too the media hype this week and not taking the Trojans as seriously as they should?

 

Yes the questionable penalties and the injuries had an impact to the game, but the dropped passes, messed up snap, fumbled exchange and constant false starts is loss of focus leading to poor execution. 

 

Another I noticed, someone mentioned a couple weeks ago that it appeared the DL last some of his aggressiveness. While I think he did make a few poor calls in the game up north, it really seems like he is restraining himself to much and it's affecting his desire to step on the neck of the apposition. 

 

On that note it could be argued " just look at the last two game" as an argument against this thought, but I point to the same games, save thw cal gamae, and say you can see that they could have put up more points instead of running out the clock. 

 

Just some thoughts...

[Charles Fischer]

I really think that USC played like the team that we, and everyone else thought they would be at the beginning of the season. They played like a ranked team, and showed great improvement on defense as they had hoped for.

 

We did not catch them in a “show-up” mode, as they are for many games.  The Trojans played inspired against us, and is an example of how we will get everyone’s best shot.

 

You know, the way it used to be for them!

[Chas Man]

The sloppiness was a head scratcher. Definitely did not see that coming based on what we did the last couple of weeks.
 

Can we just chalk most of it up to kicking off at almost 8 o’clock?

 

Probably not. The silver lining is it’s hard to imagine this team with that performance going into Tempe with an over inflated sense of confidence!

 

Go ducks, make it work for you!

[Log Haulin]

On 11/12/2023 at 9:22 AM, BigDog said:

Another I noticed, someone mentioned a couple weeks ago that it appeared the DL last some of his aggressiveness.

You could see the switch flipped after the Fusky game. I think Lanning second guesses himself now and this waters the seed of insecurity and doubt.

 

Lanning got hammered on after the UW loss. I believe it has affected his coaching. The coaching decisions of that game are still being talked about.

 

This is a game measured by very thin margins. An 8-4 team might not be that far separated from 11-1. The slightes decisions can make all the difference. 

[DUCKED]

On 11/12/2023 at 8:28 AM, Duck 68 said:

I thought this was the Ducks poorest performance since the Texas Tech game. Penalties, dropped passes, some errant throws; I believed we were improving. Last night was a step back and may cost us in the playoff rankings. Additionally, we need to fix our place kicking game as it could prove to be critical in our next two or four games.  

If you ignore the penalties, you’re ignoring the elephant in the room. This needs to be fixed.

 

A very uneven performance by the Ducks.

 

Hopefully it won’t happen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ducks take a dip in the rankings.

 

At this point in the season it’s a beauty contest, and the Ducks don’t want to end up being Miss Congeniality.

 

Very fortunate that Bucky is fine, and we have Bo, who is inching closer to the Heisman. What a fabulous pickup up he has been.

[Jon Joseph]

Where have you gone Reggie, Lendale, OJ, Marcus, Anthony?

 

73 Troy rush yards. Michigan ran the ball 32 straight plays against Penn State and Michigan QB JJ McCarthy was 7-8 passing. (Was that the ghost of Woody Hayes taking Kaptain Khaki's place?)

 

I'm not sure that the Air Raid is a fit for the B1G. I am sure that I'd rather be Riley than Chip Kelly. The ASU D is no joke but 7 points at home vs. the Dillies? Chip can recruit the portal. But not recruiting HS players is not going to do the job. 

 

IF Oregon sees UW again this season, it will need a complete Utah-like game to win the title and advance to the playoffs. 

 

I agree with other commentators. The Ducks OL played a B- game. 

 

Oregon is now 5-1 in the last 6 games vs Troy. There are Michigan and Ohio State in the B1G, both on the 2024 schedule, and then a B1G drop off to O-challenged PSU.

 

Please, do not screw around in Tempe. I am very happy that Oregon gets Oregon State in Autzen and I think OSU will give UW all it can handle next Saturday, even without OSU's buddy Pat McAfee in attendance.

 

Thanks, Ryan, and GO DUCKS!

[Charles Fischer]

It is like every 4-5 games...the Ducks need a wake-up call to remind them that progress is not automatic. This is the biggest alert since the UW game, and it came at a good time.  We won the game, but are better prepared for our final three contests.

 

And we have to remember that human behavior, like the stock market, do not go up as a steady graph.  You will have some dips downward, while the overall trend is upward. (It makes sense to call USC the dip...)

 

[Steven A]

I will not ignore the phantom PI on 4th and whatever.

 

Without that call, a 14 pt swing and 43 - 21 looks about right.

 

So, lots to fix and hopefully little back slapping on the sloppy W.

[Mic]

Penalties, imo, will be the Duck's un-doing when they get to the post-season.  

 

And if they don't reign them in, maybe against the Beavers which will severely impact what that post-season looks like.  I know a few were "bad calls" but many were not.  For some reason, this is becoming an alarming trend.  One game: few penalties.  The next game: too many.  Just my opinion.  Happy for the win.

[OregonDucks]

Penalties kept USC in the game. 

[FanGirlDuck]

Speaking of penalties, later in the game USC was penalized for mimicking OBD's offensive calls. Was that part of the OL's issues in the game? Ponderings on a Sunday morning...

[Sandy Rocks]

I think that the Ducks did take USC for granted and it did lead to a lack of focus. They started out strong with two big plays, I think that also lead to a lack of focus. I have never played football but I can imagine that it's not easy to turn things around once something starts. I also think they will play much better next week, that has always been their pattern. I am most concerned about OSU, they are really good and if they lose to Wash., watch out. I am more worried about them than Wash.

[Log Haulin]

On 11/12/2023 at 11:36 AM, FanGirlDuck said:

Speaking of penalties, later in the game USC was penalized for mimicking OBD's offensive calls. Was that part of the OL's issues in the game? Ponderings on a Sunday morning...

I am sure it was a thing all game. Refs ignored it. Either way, tou can't let it or the officials beat you and Ducks didn't. 

[Solar]

If someone would have told me at the beginning of the season we would be running the clock out with a 35-26 lead and sideline shots would show USC feeling good about how they played and Oregon would be feeling and talking bad about how we played, I would have thought they were nuts.

 

I'm going to enjoy the win. Yeah, playing like this will allow Texas and Bama to pass us like two drafting cars on a racetrack, but I'm not going to get upset about a stupid 4 team playoff. It's unfathomably restrictive for a 130 team league. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Solar

[HappyToBeADuck]

The game was simply a mixed bag for me. Just when the Ducks should have crushed the trojans, well they lacked focus and discipline That is definitely a red flag.....sloppy for sure 

 

But they play the games for a reason and after this game was played our OBD's had a critical WIN.... a big WIN.......

 

The Ducks did not bring their A+ game and they handled the 2nd highest scoring team with the best QB in college football.  That is all the scoreboard that matters.

 

Now with a win over ASU and a husky win over the beavers (not a sure thing for uw),the Ducks will be in the drivers seat for a trip to Vegas.

 

That is exciting....sure there's stuff to work on but the Duck's are 9-1. They are 9-1 and in the thick of everything.

 

What excited me more than the win was DL and Bo's comments on the field after the game...both were not happy or satified with the performance. They both talked of improving and cleaning things up.

 

That is real leadership we can count on as a fan! And as stated on OBDF many times before: only the Ducks can beat the Ducks.

 

Go Ducks beat Dilly and ASU. It's all that matters on the journey to Vegas.

[Triphibius]

I am grateful for the win, as well as for the turnaround in the Ducks' fortunes brought by DL and his staff. 

 

That said, there is also room for improvement in DL's game management. 

 

1. If you are the better team, gimmicks are unnecessary and pose undue risk. Kick the extra points, or as Dana Altman says, "make the simple play." 

 

2. When Oregon got the ball back with about 3:00 remaining in the first half, my first thought was "make sure USC does not touch the ball again before half time." Oregon failed to do this, and allowed USC to score again. 

 

3. If USC had not fumbled, and had recovered the bad snap at the goalline, the Ducks could have been in serious trouble. Why were we in the shotgun at our own 1 yard line? 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Triphibius

[DanLduck]

As good as Bo stats look, I thought he played his poorest to date after that 1st drive in 2nd half.

We should have had 2 more scores minimum, but didn't finish. 

 

I'm not criticizing Bo, just critiquing. 

The great thing, he recognized it too.

He will be better next time.

 

Compare how UW has played since their win over us, to how we have played...

We are improving. 

 

This "sloppy" win will only further help our motivation and improvement in these last few games. 

 

Hang in there Duck fans. Getting "up" every week is not easy, but we seem to be doing it.

 

UW, Mich, Texas all struggled in their wins. We still looked the best.

The sad reality is that we need UW to win out so we can beat a 12-0 team to advance to playoff invitational.

 

Sco Ducks!!

[Dr Hilarius]

On 11/12/2023 at 11:36 AM, FanGirlDuck said:

Speaking of penalties, later in the game USC was penalized for mimicking OBD's offensive calls. Was that part of the OL's issues in the game?

My thoughts exactly! 

[Augduck]

On 11/12/2023 at 11:36 AM, FanGirlDuck said:

Speaking of penalties, later in the game USC was penalized for mimicking OBD's offensive calls. Was that part of the OL's issues in the game? Ponderings on a Sunday morning...

I wondered that as well.

[Mic]

On 11/12/2023 at 11:30 AM, OregonDucks said:

Penalties kept USC in the game. 

Yes they did and if continued against the Beavers they could lead to an upset.  

 

The Beavers are kinda up and down this year but right now they're playing lights-out.  We all know how many times both teams have ruined the other team's post season hopes.  Reign those penalties in Oregon, please!