Critical Analysis: Oregon Spring Game Hits and Misses

[ICamel]

Camden Lewis was inconsistent on his PAT kicks the first year. Right, left, down the middle.............you never knew which way it would go. Last year he was mostly straight down the middle. This year in the spring game it looked like his first year. PAT's are what I judge by. If they are consistently right up the middle between the uprights you know what it is going to be. Hopefully he will get better this year as it progresses.

[1Ducker1]

If we are going for championships Camden Lewis is not the guy for us. Portland high schoolers can kick 45 yarders.

[Haywarduck]

Talk about misses, I hope this isn't considered political, but the police arrested no one, a big miss. I was wondering what was going on with all the drunk college students.

 

Cops pelted with bottles at ‘out-of-control’ 1,000-person party, Oregon police say

WWW.YAHOO.COM

---

“We all understand the excitement spring brings but these irresponsible individuals, including parents and their college-aged children, should be ashamed.”

 

[LADuck]

Nothing political about that just sharing a story and the logic that if you throw bottles at cops somebody should go to jail. Maybe they will review video and make arrests at a later date.

 

On the bright side the Ducks looked like they have a lot of talent available for this new group of highly qualified coaches to develop. Going with 10 - 2 this year and a New Year's Day Bowl Game. Will also predict SC has a good year but finishes second in P12 South after Utah. 

 

 

[Charles Fischer]

On the other hand...what does it have to do with the prior 50 posts about the Spring Game?  Let's stay on topic folks, because this is how we get diverted into other subjects, places we don't want to go.

[AllOregon]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:32 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Chase Cota is not going to stretch a defense, but we need someone to turn to at crunch time

Charles, I think you were reading my mind on me also admitting to a miss on Cota. 
I had intent to post nearly word for word what you said and I appreciate you also being willing to admit it.

 

I originally was Meh when Cota signed due to pedestrian 4 years of stats with UCLA despite the legacy tag. Worried a scholarship was wasted.  I was so wrong after witnessing his game in person and now am thrilled with him.  Not only solid hands but body positioning etc.  While he won’t light off speed burners he will be a possession difference maker.   Big fan now.

[Viking Duck]

I feel somewhat vindicated about Cota - just as a general thing, I think that securing 'journeymen pro players' - since this is sort of becoming a wild west version of the NFL - is more important than people might think. Those types of players are important for team success, and are just the type of players you might lose to the portal when they go for a more important role on a lesser team.

 

I know that Charles has touched on it - do you think there is a chance that we will see Conerly move into the starting left tackle position as a freshman, as we did with Sewell? He might be an important cog for the new offense to protect the backside of the QB.

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Viking Duck

[47sgs]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:06 AM, Charles Fischer said:

It was written elsewhere that Snee and DT Kristan Williams were not with the team as they are both..."working through some issues."  Who knows what that means?

I assume both these players are scholarship players.  I wonder if coach tactfully told them they may not be getting the playing time they want next season, as there are better options, and opening a couple scholarships would be beneficial to the program.  Snee was a good punter, but maybe after the spring game, he may not be needed.

[Charles Fischer]

On 4/24/2022 at 7:26 PM, Viking Duck said:

do you think there is a chance that we will see Conerly move into the starting left tackle position as a freshman

Boy...at 278 pounds?  Tough call, because he has a rough-go in the run blocking, but we will need his quick feet in pass protection.  And we do not have dancing bears at tackle...

[AllOregon]

“a pass completion percentage by all quarterbacks of just 52%”

 

At the end of the day, I too was left a little disappointed in the collective QB play.  I think it is because I had high expectations of both Ty and Bo to get A grades and battle for A+.  I wanted to leave thinking our QB could be in Heisman talk.  Did not see that. Maybe B play at best. Allowing them to run in a normal game will help.  I did get comfortable with Butters being a serviceable back up.

 

Such dichotomy on 52% completions.

One hand, there were some great long and catchable throws.  But, was this because the WRs got more separation than we are used to and had some great hands?

The “touch sack” rule did force some noticeable intentional throw always, which was good even if reduced completion %.  Some maybe do not need to happen as in reality QB would not have been tackled.

But appalling were the # of bad INTs by all 3. Some were a little bad luck off tips and perhaps it also demonstrates the skill of the DBs. But the bad choice or throw behind receiver caused it.   Too many times.

 

But, I felt the competition to be top guy forced some of that and hope once a starter is established those choices won’t be made.

 

Either way, it has to get cleaned up quickly especially if the O line cannot pass block as we would like early in scheme learning.

 

it is apparent the coaches knew what they were doing in bringing in Bo.  At least we know where the floor is, even though the ceiling may not be as high as some hoped. Calling all current 5 star QBs….this position is not on lockdown. You will have a shot here next year.

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by AllOregon

[Gizmoduck]

I understand the frustration with our younger QB's but we really have to take their age into account. If I was a nineteen or twenty year old playing in my second system in two years, I would be lucky to get the snap right. 

 

Now add to that a completely new set of terminology, protection calls, route trees, and add to that that this is a hurry up no huddle system (Which is not easy to implement under the best of circumstances let alone in 4 months. Did our 5 star look shaky? Yes, but I think the game is still slowing down for him.

 

I seen some very good ball delivery and quite decent footwork under DI defensive pressure. I think time is on our side in this one. Both our young QB's have to know the starting spot hasn't been won OR lost just yet. As fans in general we want to see high level QB play. As Duck fans specifically we want to see Mariota 2.0 (Hey I'm in that group as well.) I think playing the long game will serve us well with our QB's. Or I could be totally wrong, but oh how we love to ponder...

 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Gizmoduck

[AllOregon]

On 4/24/2022 at 8:31 PM, Gizmoduck said:

If I was a nineteen or twenty year old playing in my second system in two years, I would be lucky to get the snap right. 

Good point, thanks I needed that!

[WickedGreen]

On 4/24/2022 at 11:11 PM, Gusduck71 said:

I want to see Butterfield or Thompson take the reins with Nix as a solid back-up. What say you?

 

On 4/24/2022 at 10:31 AM, Jester said:

I think the reason for the lopsided pass/run ratio was two-fold. 

 

1. 1.      There is a greater level of complexity to pass blocking vs. the run.  Even though the defense was somewhat vanilla, I did see a few stunts and overloads on a few reps.  This was a good opportunity to set a baseline                on  where the o-line stands in regard pass blocking schemes. 
2. 2.      We’re all Tiger Woods on the driving range but what happens on the first tee?  It may have been just a glorified scrimmage, but this was taking reps. in a game situation, in front of 42K+ fans and television cameras                while knowing there will be lasting impressions of what you leave on the field today.  I think we all have a sense of where the QB’s stand at the moment, and I believe the coaches wanted a barometer for this as well.

What was the temp. in Eugene yesterday?  Based on all the t-shirts and the halter tops (not complaining) being worn I would guess close to 70, if not in the 70’s?  In today’s day and age, why were all the kickoffs not reaching the end zone, and was the 53 yard attempt short?  Couple that with one return I saw (blown dead) that may have been a house call, and I’m nervous about the kicking game.  How comfortable would you be if on the 19^th of Nov. we were down two with 6 seconds left and we just spiked the ball (no timeouts left) at the Utah 26 yard line?  Cam, we’re rootin’ for you buddy, cuz my spidey senses tell me you’re going to be called upon to win a game this season. 

 

Couple quick shots:

1. 1.      Chad Cota looked as if he was playing for a starting position.  Nicely done.
2. 2.      What a talent DJ is.  I liked him on the offensive side but certainly can’t find fault with his performance yesterday.  Nice first step off the ball. 
3. 3.      There was a Harrison Taggart sighting.  Good to see him getting in the mix. 
4. 4.      I was just glad to see Sean Dollars on the football field.  Good for that young man.
5. 5.      Coach emphasizes explosive plays.  He got them on both sides of the ball and I can’t say “thank you” enough for getting the d*man ball down-the-field.

Ultimately, I think the Ducks come away from that game with many positives and definitive negatives.  Really, what more could you want from a game like that.    

100% the reason for pass focus is the complexity of pass vs run along with our depleted DL and some of the other factors of a solid passing game. I love what we saw. 

[AnotherOD]

I think the OL is pretty much as should be expected. While I think the expression gets a touch of overuse, "high floor/low ceiling" seems to be a fair way to put it.

 

An OL that may not dominate the Arizona's and Eastern Washington's of the college football world, but also won't be dominated by the Ohio State's or Georgia's either. Maybe not a lock future NFL guy in the current top six. At the same time, a big, experienced, mature group with a bunch of solid and

successful college players.

 

I sorta see it mostly as a "known commodity" rather than a question. With I believe 3 starters finishing their eligibility and 2 starters in their 5th season, next year may be one of those "five new starters" kinda deals.

 

 

[WickedGreen]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:13 PM, Charles Fischer said:

Boy...at 278 pounds?  Tough call, because he has a rough-go in the run blocking, but we will need his quick feet in pass protection.  And we do not have dancing bears at tackle...

He won't be 278 lbs when Fall camp hits. At worst 295. Kid will be hovering around 300 with quick feet. Unless we land a transfer OT, I don't see us having many options. The big Hawaiian is too slow and still needs to drop some weight to handle the speed off the edge. At worst, Conerly will be 2nd string and likely starting by year end. Jones has to turn the corner or he's getting lapped. Kid just can't adjust

[Kurt Rambis]

On 4/25/2022 at 4:31 AM, Gizmoduck said:

I understand the frustration with our younger QB's but we really have to take their age into account. If I was a nineteen or twenty year old playing in my second system in two years, I would be lucky to get the snap right. 

 

 

Valid point, and it makes criticism of any player (not just a QB) difficult, because these are kids.

 

At the same time, other kids at other schools are in similar positions.  Caleb Williams, Johnny Manziel, Harrington as a freshman, heck, going back far enough Danny O'Neil as a freshman - all young kids, and sometimes kids going through academic struggles, family problems, coaching changes, etc.  

 

It's not terribly fair to them in a lot of ways, but it's the system we have.  I'm sure LSU, USC, Notre Dame, WSU, UW, and other schools have kids struggling due to coaching changes.  Some of those kids will figure it out and become solid contributors and even stars; some of them won't.  

 

I'm just hoping we have a lot of them who'll figure it out.

[Kurt Rambis]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:58 PM, 2002duck said:

I raise my eyebrow when reading people debate about who the QB1 should be for the upcoming season, because if it's not Nix then we most likely won't be at SoFi Stadium on January 9th, 2023.

I think that right there is the difference between whether we should want Nix to grab the job or one of the younger guys to emerge.  If you truly think the Ducks are in contention for the playoffs, then Nix may be the right guy.  Higher floor, more experienced, but probably a lower ceiling.

 

If you think '22 is going to be more of a development year with a young team, a new system, new coaches, and guys who may not be right for this system (e.g. the comments here about the O-line), and we need to build for '23 or '24, then you have to hope one of the young guys will grab the reins.  Make your mistakes now, learn, get that experience, and when the rest of the team is ready, we have a mature QB with experience in this system who'll likely be here 2 - 3 years.  Lower floor, higher ceiling. 

 

If we have a good-not-great QB in Nix for two years, we're back to where we were with Brown, and in two years when he leaves we have a mature, ready-to-win team with an unknown entity at QB.

 

That assumes that either of the young guys has the capability to grow into a star and actually has a higher ceiling than Nix.

[shawnski]

Thoughts:

 

1) not really concerned about the D, they'll be fine. The split squad affects the D more than the O.

 

2) DJ looked great on D, his new permanent home! Predator style.

 

3) LBs will be the strength of the D as even young guys like Taggert (not willie) looked good. Plus Funa lost weight and physically looked awesome. Flowe, Sewell, Funa, Brown, A. Jackson, etc. Quite the group 

 

4) Dollars looked good and back to form. Hope he stays healthy.

 

5) WRs are definitely the strength of the O. Maehl 2.0 (Cota) was really impressive. He'll start. The rest will be a dogfight which is good.

 

6) All 3 QBs threw better than ANYTHING we saw last year. And that produced 10 wins. High hopes.

 

Weakness:

 

A. DB inexperience. Sheesh, they're young and low in numbers 

 

B. TE play. Boy that's up in the air. But I'm sure it will depend on scheme. So we'll see 

 

C. Special Teams? It's got to be better right? 

 

D. Schedule. Pretty tough for so many new faces all around.

 

Go Ducks 

[Charles Fischer]

On 4/25/2022 at 1:31 PM, shawnski said:

All 3 QBs threw better than ANYTHING we saw last year. And that produced 10 wins. High hopes.

Really good observation, and one that I'll borrow to offer perspective--we gotta be thankful.  Good stuff, thanks.

[2002duck]

On 4/25/2022 at 1:59 AM, Kurt Rambis said:

That assumes that either of the young guys has the capability to grow into a star and actually has a higher ceiling than Nix.

I was assuming that once Nix gets the job he nixes the chances of the other QB's on the roster from ever starting for the Ducks. I would hope our incoming recruits would win the QB1 job in their freshmen or sophomore seasons.

 

Again, I tend to shoot for the moon when it comes to the Oregon football program until a defined point in a season where they are no longer in contention for the National Championship. It's not unreasonable to think that the Ducks should win the North every single year, and from there you're just a Conference Championship game win and a Playoff game win away from the title game. Even if you're retooling, it doesn't mean you can't get there. It's not like we have to win the SEC West along the way.

[Jon Joseph]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:09 PM, Charles Fischer said:

On the other hand...what does it have to do with the prior 50 posts about the Spring Game?  Let's stay on topic folks, because this is how we get diverted into other subjects, places we don't want to go.

Sir Charles, please forgive me dear Sir.

 

FROM THE BARD -

 

'In the Spring.

 

When proud-pied April dressed in all his trim

 

Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing.'

 

The 'spirit' includes all of these great comments. And perhaps, the pre-game shenanigans?

 

Did Willy ever attend a spring game? Avon vs Oxford?

 

 

[Kurt Rambis]

On 4/26/2022 at 12:03 AM, 2002duck said:

I was assuming that once Nix gets the job he nixes the chances of the other QB's on the roster from ever starting for the Ducks. I would hope our incoming recruits would win the QB1 job in their freshmen or sophomore seasons.

That probably has to be the most difficult balancing act in college football.  If you've got a Mariota or a Manziel as a freshman, he's going to be there likely until junior year, and possibly longer - why would any other top QB come on board to sit guaranteed for two years?

 

Years ago, guys would sit behind the starter and wait for their one or two years in the limelight.  Good programs would have a constant pipeline - the junior star and the freshman top recruit who'll wait his two years.

 

Today, guys bolt for greener pastures if they're not starting, so if your starter goes down, there's nothing of quality and/or experience behind him.  At other positions like DL and WR, backups rotate in to give starters a break or with different packages, so they're playing.  At QB, the backups are usually playing only due to injury or to hand off when you're up by 35 against Washington.  

 

Would NOT want to be a college coach today.