Does Oregon’s Offense Go Smashmouth? – OBD Exclusive Article

[DazeNconfused]

This article is content you will only find in the OBD Forum, where you can also only find the FishDuck Feed.

 

 

Oregon’s loss to Georgia exposed problems on both sides of the ball. Pass defense, open field tackling and QB play are the most pressing issues. Film will be watched, and players will be coached up. But could a scheme change back to the Mario Cristobal era power running game also be coming? 

 

What’s Oregon’s Offensive Strength?

 

The Ducks offensive line is a highly experienced veteran unit, it’s the strength of the team’s offense. Run blocking is what this unit was built to do and what they do best. Last year Oregon ran for 2,833 yards with a 5.3 yard per carry average. That’s a solid base for the offense that we shouldn’t turn away from, this Ducks team should be pounding the ball this year. 

 

We Are QB Limited With Bo Nix

 

Just like with Anthony Brown last year, the Ducks are QB limited this year with Bo Nix. Neither QB is a guy who is going to make big-time after big-time throws. Nix isn’t going to carry the offense, and he won’t thrive in a scheme where he is asked to do that. It’s more likely he will play poorly if put in that position and end up costing us games.

 

In addition, the WRs are mostly a young group, and didn’t show they could get consistent separation yesterday. The TEs are young as well and asking both units to go win ballgames for us each week is a big ask. Are we trying to make too big of a year-to-year change of our scheme that's possibly not best fit to our personnel? 

 

 

So What’s The Offensive Solution?

 

The best scheme for the personnel we have is to bring back the Mario era power run game – with a wrinkle. That wrinkle is mixing in naked bootlegs to use Nix’s legs, more play action pass, and more deep shot balls. The power run game we had last year will all the twists to exploit the rest of the field – all things we were begging to see mixed with the power run game last year. 

 

Why Are We Going Back To Power Run?

 

It lets the OL do what they do best – run block. It keeps us ahead of the chains and in manageable third downs. It’s the scheme that makes Bo Nix most effective as a game manager. When Nix is asked to take a deep shot, it’s set up off play action. When we boot him out to pass or run, he gets to use his athletic ability in a two-read play.

 

We keep the scheme simpler for Nix and he throws less picks. It also takes the burden of the WRs and TEs to carry the offense. We will see them get more separation and more open on deep shots off play action. Unlike last year we will see more explosive plays and points scored. 

 

Lets Have A Feature Back

 

That feature back should be Byron Cardwell. Cardwell showed last year he could be a 1000-yard rusher. Strangely we have gone away from that notion and are using different running sets with a stable of backs. Bring back some of the power run sets the OL ran last year and let Cardwell run some of those plays. I have no doubt we will gash teams on the ground, we had a good running game last year.

 

 

Let’s use that power run as the base of the offense and let it set up the deep shots, we never took last year. We can suck eight defenders into the box – then taking the top off them gets easier for Nix and the WRs. This is what Georgia did last year on offense. It made the game easier for Stenson Bennett, they did great hitting the deep balls. They won the Natty with this power-run and play action deep shot scheme. 

 

This Also Benefits The Defense

 

Oregon’s back seven showed to be a glaring weakness teams will attack all year long. The hope is that the Ducks shore up the pass defense. But a power-run and play action pass offense is going to run clock and rack up first downs. That keeps our defense off the field and wears down the other team’s defense. 

 

I know some Duck fans are sick to their stomach thinking of a Mario power run scheme, I’m not proposing that entirely. 

 

Until we have an elite QB who can throw the ball all over the field and shred pass defenses we need to be smart. We can dress up the power run scheme up and win lots of ballgames while being a QB limited offense. 

 

Share your thoughts Duck Fans!

 

DazeNconfused
Portland, Oregon

Photos by Tom Corno

[Mic]

There aren't a lot of other options at this point, is there?

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 12:05 PM, Mic said:

There aren't a lot of other options at this point, is there?

What's interesting is that right off the bat we get to see how Lanning handles the challenge of his QB play being limited and pass defense problems. This is on the job learning for Lanning and he could get it wrong.

 

It's possible we get further into the season before the decision is made to dial the offense back on Bo. Or maybe Lanning's brain is already trending to how he needs to shape this team's style to win. 

[1Ducker1]

I wonder what Dan Lanning thinks about this?

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 12:40 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

I wonder what Dan Lanning thinks about this?

That's the million-dollar question! I'd like to know what he thinks about a host of things right now. 

[1Ducker1]

My opinion is that we wont see any changes until BYU. 

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 12:45 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

My opinion is that we wont see any changes until BYU. 

I'd have to agree with you. I think it would take a loss to BYU and Bo throwing bad picks for Lanning to make a change. 

 

Lanning deciding, we have to dumb the offense down to a power-run and play action to win is an admission the blueprints need to be ripped up. 

[1Ducker1]

Also we dont have the speed or strength to play Smash mouth football--we need a Chip Kelly mentality at this time. Unfortunately Bo Nix is awful, and our backups are not good. As Charles says we are in a pickle. As lost as I saw our defense Im thinking we win maybe 6 games at most.--Its going to be rough seas folks.

 

I admit Georgia was a very very tough game and one that most thought we would lose but scoring only  3 points??? Lanning has his work cut out and so does Dillingham.

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I think the first thing that needs to be evaluated is how much was Georgia and how much was Oregon.

 

The defense trying to impersonate the D that Georgia's offense sees every day had a huge disadvantage from the jump. That has to be factored in. Oregon's skill players on offense are all so new, they still need name tags to tell who's who. Again, way over matched by UGA's lethal defense.

 

I see this as more of an agonizing initiation ritual than a face plant. I'll hold off judgement until we see the adjustments.

[1Ducker1]

Daze--Your article about Bo was spot on -I didnt want to agree with it and hated it because it wasn't what I wanted to believe, But..... you were on the $$$$

[1Ducker1]

On 9/4/2022 at 1:03 PM, The Kamikaze Kid said:

I think the first thing that needs to be evaluated is how much was Georgia and how much was Oregon.

 

The defense trying to impersonate the D that Georgia's offense sees every day had a huge disadvantage from the jump. That has to be factored in. Oregon's skill players on offense are all so new, they still need name tags to tell who's who. Again, way over matched by UGA's lethal defense.

 

I see this as more of an agonizing initiation ritual than a face plant. I'll hold off judgement until we see the adjustments.

Good view but you cant fix the psychology of 4 bad losses in a row over a short period. The Ducks do not know how to win as players. they are in a funk.

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 1:01 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

Also we dont have the speed or strength to play Smash mouth football--we need a Chip Kelly mentality at this time

I respectfully disagree. Our OL was out together to be run game road graders like Mario wanted. They sure weren't put together to do a zone blocking scheme or a pro style spread.

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 1:07 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

Good view but you cant fix the psychology of 4 bad losses in a row over a short period. The Ducks do not know how to win as players. they are in a funk.

You just gave me a flashback to the movie The Natural...   

 

and the scene with the Head Shrinker speaking to the team and goes on his... "losing is a disease" 

[1Ducker1]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:17 PM, DazeNconfused said:

I respectfully disagree. Our OL was out together to be run game road graders like Mario wanted. They sure weren't put together to do a zone blocking scheme or a pro style spread.

But as we have seen they are from SEC caliber especially depth wise.

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:30 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

But as we have seen they are from SEC caliber especially depth wise.

Our OL run blocking isn't a isn't the problem. I read today we ran for 4.49 yards per carry against Georgia, the highest yards per carry they have given up since 2019!

 

If anything we should have focused on the run more. If we can go for 4.49 yards a carry on Georgia, we are going to run over lots of other teams. 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by DazeNconfused

[1Ducker1]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:36 PM, DazeNconfused said:

Our OL run blocking isn't a isn't the problem. I read today we ran for 4.49 yards per carry against Georgia, the highest yards per carry they have given up since 2019!

 

 

How was it in the red zone?

[DazeNconfused]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:38 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

How was it in the red zone?

It was Georgia, how's everyone been in the red zone against them? They gave up 10 points a game last year. Clemosn ran for like 2 yards in the whole opening game last year. 

 

The fact we went for more yards a pop than anyone since 2019 shows our OL is the strength of the team. We should run more and hope when Bo passes, he doesn't throw a pick.

Edited September 5, 2022 by DazeNconfused

[1Ducker1]

On 9/4/2022 at 7:41 PM, DazeNconfused said:

It was Georgia, how's everyone been in the red zone against them? They gave up 10 points a game last year. Clemosn ran for like 2 yards in the whole opening game last year. 

 

The fact we went for more yards a pop than anyone since 2019 shows our OL is the strength of the team. We should run more and hope when Bo passes, he doesn't throw a pick.

My concern is injury and the lack of depth. I remember last year.

[Duck 1972]

I thought our ol looked okay. Would prefer 1/2 backs instead of 4. Didn't seemed to find any rhythm.

[Pennsylvania Duck]

See Akili Smith comment at bottom...

 

[CalBear95]

On 9/4/2022 at 12:51 PM, DazeNconfused said:

I'd have to agree with you. I think it would take a loss to BYU and Bo throwing bad picks for Lanning to make a change. 

 

Lanning deciding, we have to dumb the offense down to a power-run and play action to win is an admission the blueprints need to be ripped up. 

This is interesting.  I don’t know as much about the nuances of the game like you and Charles (example: I have no idea what a Jack is but I trust you guys do  ) so I lean on articles like this to inform my broader view of where the Ducks are today and where they are looking/working to be.  
 

This reinforces my opinion that DL does not yet have the personnel to execute what they want.  But, as the famous adage says, you fight with the army you have, not the one you want so the results on the field aren’t entirely representative of where this program will be after 2-3 recruiting cycles and the seasoning of the relative youth of the existing roster.  
 

Success, even with a scheme that isn’t even you mid-term vision, should help these kids buy in to what DL and staff are building.  Maybe this year doesn’t yield a conference championship, it can help lay down the cultural and psychological foundations of a future monster.  
 

Be curious to see how DL adjusts the offensive scheme over the season 

Edited September 5, 2022 by CalBear95

[Charles Fischer]

Explanations for the Jack, Money and Mac linebackers along with the Star are in an easy-to-read article right here.  Yep...a Shameless Plug from the Shameless Beggar.