Going into last Saturday’s match-up against Indiana, the Ducks had one of the most dominant offensive lines in the country. That is no longer the case. On the very first play of the game, the Ducks gave up a sack, and the sacks kept coming. The Oregon offensive line was porous and had no answer for Indiana’s pass rush. To ...

Oregon's Offensive Line Folds to Indiana

Good topic to discuss David. Yes the offensive live deserve their share of the loss. I think it was a team loss starting with the coaching staff and all the players.

I specifically recall the running back Noah in the first half whiffing on one block resulting in a sack. Then on another play choosing to double team with the right guard and not seeing a nose guard coming up the middle to sack the QB. I wonder why the center chose to go left on that play leaving the nose guard unblocked.

I'm wondering why the freshmen running backs didn't get more carries and were not starting. I for one would prefer having Davison at 236 lbs picking up a blitzing linebacker than the starters for that last game.

In my opinion it wasn't just the offensive line who were not ready. The whole team was unprepared! What were they doing during their bye week?

Great topic and article. I also wonder why they would drift away from both Davidson and the power run game. Coming into this game, it felt like Indy was playing the role of the Kelly era Ducks (quick and scrappy) and the Ducks had become more like the Stanford and tOSU teams that could beat them (physical run games with top end QB and receivers). Indy then preceded to play to their strength but OBD did not. Instead, we seemed obsessed with bubble screens and running outside where Indy's quickness was having success.

The power game seemed to be effective most of the game but was never relied on the way Furd or the Buckeyes would have. I think long plodding drives would have demoralized them and worn them down like the Ducks back in the day. Second and six, third and two, first down, rinse and repeat all the way down the field for seven minutes would have worn them down and made them more vulnerable to some explosion plays. Davidson should have had twenty carries in this game not just eight. The quick three and outs and interceptions kept the D out there way to long and wore us down instead.

I hope the coaching staff learns a lot from this one because I feel the bulk of the responsibility for this loss is on them.

David, this article is right on the money reflecting on the performance of our Ducks on Saturday.

The O line had very little fight in them for the most part. They got smacked in the mouth, out hustled and out schemed. Worst part, as you stated, Stein was not patient offensively!

The runs up the middle coupled with uptempo kept IU just a little off balance. Who cares if we go 15 plays and chew up 7 minutes off the clock.

Other than the 44 yard TD pass, very little worked in the passing game. As you mentioned and we all saw, the Duck O line could not protect Dante. For some reason DL and Stein either couldn't see it. If they did they had no answer.

In just his 13th start, Dante lacked the game time experience to audible out, so he hit check downs to avoid sacks. Cosches offered very little help, imho!

Overall the loss doesnt bother me as much as the lack of performsnce, effort and coaching adjustments. Especially coming out of a bye week.

Every team has these types of games, unfortuneately OBD's had it on Saturdays biggest stage. Against a CFP caliber team no less. IU played a great game. They out played and out coached the Ducks. Yet the Ducks could have won this game! Playing as poorly as they did the Ducks had a chance to pull this game out. Coaches simply had no in game answers......

IU has a great chance to finish undeafeated. The teams they face are a combined 16-20. The bottom half of the BIG. Let their reward be in the title game against the Buckeyes.....

Five of the 6 remaining opponents the Ducks face have winning records. All 6 will see this game film and try to duplicate what they saw.

I am confident OBD's will grow from this and prove this was a one off game. This is the point in the season where DL, the staff and plauers decide to do what it takes to finish the season 11-1 or finish their season like Penn State

I am betting we go 11-1. Won't be easy but i belirve in our team....

GO DUCKS......

4 hours ago, Smith72 said:

I specifically recall the running back Noah in the first half whiffing on one block resulting in a sack.

Whittington missed several blocks and tried to get a big play instead of taking the first down yards on that first series.

The blocking was quite poor and it wasn't just the offensive line for sure.

The offense may be happy they have to leave early for a road game at Rutgers so they don't have to spend the next 6 days being forced to watch, and re-watch, the screwups vs Indiana.

With regards to the O-Line performance, Geoff Schwartz and I disagree with your title and synopsis. Yes it wasn't their best showing, they got some penalties and had a few bad blocks, but they were pretty consistently handling the rusher in front of them.

The bigger contributions were everything else, RBs, Moore in more ways than one, and Stein's play calling formations that took a middle of the road approach of not adding extra blockers or not adding extra WR to stress the LBs.

Read Geoff Schwartz Twitter post in the other thread.

31 minutes ago, Solar said:

Geoff Schwartz and I disagree with your title and synopsis.

Disagreement and discussion is good, but I've learned not to appoint any of the experts as "right," because I imagine the Oregon coaching staff might have some disagreement with their analysis. Remember, Geoff blocked in Chip Spread offense, and Wrightster was under Bellotti? Things in CFB have changed since then.

For example, they did not have to deal with "Simulated Pressures" back then....

https://fishduck.com/2023/10/keys-to-the-wsu-game-that-fishduck-is-watching-for/

Pressure can come from unexpected directions, as these “Simulated Pressures:” are an overload on one side.

Thanks, DM. It isn't easy having to perform an autopsy. 😧

The two starting OTs were exposed. Still, the defense after Finney's pick-6 could have preserved a victory. In the 4th quarter, the defense has been bad vs. B1G opponents. 2nd stringers on the field against Northwestern, but it's NW, man.

The offense has not been impressive in three games vs. B1G opponents, including at 4-2 (!) Northwestern and at 3-3 Penn State. Both the offense and defense failed against quality 6-0 Indiana. As he admitted, Dan and his assistants were schooled by a guy with far more coaching experience.

I liked your noting Sappinton's misses on important FG tries. Will OBD ever find a clutch you don't have to pucker up when he walks on the field, FG kicker?

Two very disappointing efforts coming off the last two byes. Something needs to change in the off weeks. A sense of urgency in the Rose Bowl and on Saturday was lacking. Badly outcoached off the last two byes.

Time to get right at Rutgers, a team with a good offense and a crummy defense. If OBD cannot cover -14.5 at Rutgers, then DUCK! I'm looking at the game vs. Indiana as an anomaly and hoping I am correct in doing so.

Wins at Rutgers and against Wisconsin should be no problem. (Knock Wood.) But at Iowa, the following Friday night against a Gophers team coming off a bye, and USC, and at UW will not be easy wins.

Indiana has handled its trips to the Pacific time zone perfectly. Without a word of whining.

OBD has no chance to hand the Hoosiers a regular-season payback before 2028 in Bloomington. 🤬