Now keep in mind that I celebrate for any reason about Our Beloved Ducks, and if we are currently No. 1 in passing yards allowed...good.

But I gotta ask...would it be the same if we were in the old Pac-12 with all the skilled passing attacks? (NO.) Does being in the Big-10 skew our defensive stats...where rushing defense yards are going to suffer, but passing defense looks good--for simply being in this conference?

I say..."YES." We have yet to face an above-average passing attack this season, and won't until we play USC and the bastard Huskies. You know...former Pac-12 members? Naturally the stats are also skewed because we have not faced Ohio State, who arguably has the best passing attack in the nation at the present.

Yet Oregon faced a great passing attack in Indiana, and that was not the reason the Ducks lost. So maybe we are good at pass defense?

True Freshman Brandon Finney Jr. is a STUD...

This is not the first time Oregon has been a leader in pass defense stats. Way back, in the days of coach Don Reed, or thereabout, at this time of the season Oregon led the passing stats for at least the Pac-?? (not sure what the number was for the PAC, but it probably was 8 or 10). The Ducks did not have anywhere near the quality of DB's we have now at that time. The reason we had the best pass defense stats was simple. Our run defense was so bad no opponent needed to run the risk of throwing the ball. They just ran it up the middle and bead the crap out of us.

I know this was the era when the beavers beat us eight years in a row with nothing more than a big fullback. There were two of them, Shilling and Pifer. Spelling may be wrong. Each of those fullbacks started as a freshman and when the first graduated the second came in. The Ducks would be ahead at half time and the beavers would just start running the ball up the middle. In those days Autzen was a mud field.

If you were around then you know what I am saying is true. If you were not around then, count that among your blessings.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by Grandpa Duck

1 hour ago, Grandpa Duck said:

8

Eight.

Charles, i think that the passing numbers are slightly skewered now that we reside in the BIG.

Other than tOSU (clearly headed for back to back natty's), Indiana and SC the BIG doesnt have the QB play like the PAC-12 did.

All around it feels like a power running conference. I still feel if WS had been patient and stuck to the inside power run game against IU, well the outcome may have been different!

DL and WS asked DM too do what IU would not allow! They kept everything in front of them. And they got home to DM with the front 4 and one blitzer.

6 or 7 drives chewing up 5 to 7 minutes does not allow your opponent much time to score points. Besides you don't have to pass to beat OBD's. The D gives up the middle runs and when our edge players give up the edge, well you bounce outside.

Add in that you pass at your own peril when you challenge the Ducks secondary. When we play the Buckeyes in the Natty that narrative may change. The Buckeyes can pass protect and stretch the field......

Let's hope OBD's win out and gets on the Indiana side of the bracket. We owe them a payback game.And while I respect Cignetti, OBD's need to wipe that cocky, smug smirk off his face.

Hang on to the nearest rail OBDF members the next 8 games could be an amazing roller coaster ride.

One game at a time, let's handle the Hawkeyes or none of this may matter. Their DC really thinks OBD's are just NIL storebought. Let's show him what a power run game is all about!

Go Ducks......

I maintain that Indiana had a fantastic defensive game plan that tested and defeated an inexperienced quarterback. The plays called by Coach Stein worked, as we had open receivers downfield. And I maintain that if we’ve had an experienced quarterback, such as Bo Nix, or Dillon Gabriel, they would’ve stepped up into the pocket and not ran out of it, and would’ve seen the receivers down field and quickly delivered.

It would not have happened every time, but with the game that close, an extra touchdown when we were tied would’ve changed the game enormously.