Thoughts About the Georgia Game (Now That Some Time Has Passed)

[cartm25]

Now that the dust has settled, here are my thoughts about the game. Caveat, these are in no particular order:

 

- Expectations are nine-tenths of inner peace. After this game, our expectations need to change. However, for those who expected the Ducks to beat GA and be a playoff contender, the expectation pendulum need not swing all the way in the opposite direction.

 

- I was surprised the Ducks could not get a single stop against the Georgia starters, but I did not expect the Ducks to keep it a low scoring game, either.

 

- There was lots of talk about the Ducks being poor at tackling last year. I don’t recall noticing that from the prior year (I wasn’t really looking for it), but boy did it stand out in this game.

 

- In my observation over the years, I’ve seen offenses turn on a dime (i.e., new coach, scheme, or the right QB and a bad offense can pop from bad to good), BUT I’ve never seen a defense with basically the same personnel go from bad to great overnight. Seems like the defense takes time and needs continuity.

 

- Speaking of continuity, this game against GA reminded me that, while all this great recruiting over the years has been exciting, I couldn’t help but long for a fraction of the continuity among the coaching staff the Ducks had just prior to the Taggart hiring.

 

- I long for the time when we found our QB young and he played for 2-3 years under the same OC and/or system.

 

- As counterintuitive as it seems given the Ducks did not score a touchdown, I liked what I saw from the offense (minus the mistakes). The Ducks moved the ball the entire game against perhaps the best defense in college football. The Ducks had 21 first downs to Georgia’s 26. Ducks also had more rushing yards.

 

- I literally clapped at many of the plays Dillingham called on 3rd downs; some really creative and misleading passing plays that fooled GA’s defense. The kind of plays MC would never allow in a million years (though his Miami team put up 70 points, so that’s scary). The offense converted on 3rd down 7 times.

 

- Don’t expect Lanning’s defense to shut down BYU, Utah, or USC (if circumstances allow) this year. To achieve this, it will take time and recruiting his players. Even that may not be enough against a humming Lincoln Riley offense, but you don’t have to hold USC to 0, you just have to score more points.

 

- Bo Nix can punt . . .

 

- Not a single wasted timeout throughout the entire game. Standing ovation to Dan Lanning!

 

- The Ducks’ uniforms were beautiful. Never stop having the best uniforms, please.

 

- Continuity/time/patience are needed for this to work out. I think Dan Lanning can do it. I hope the OC and a QB (I like Butterfield) that can start for the next 2-3 years can work together for some time.

 

What are your thoughts about the game?

[Haywarduck]

On 9/5/2022 at 8:43 AM, cartm25 said:

What are your thoughts about the game?

It was one game. I also invite Georgia to come to Eugene, and Autzen, anytime. You whooped us, now prove you can do it on the road.

[GODUCKS15]

I predicted 38-17 GA. I was actually surprised by the final score. I never even thought the Ducks had a chance in this one anyways. Two many unknowns to really consider them to have a chance. 

Not impressed with Bo Pix. But not jumping on the Ty train either. I say let DL get some time in as an HC and let the team gel a bit more. Lots of learning curves for both sides. 

 

It's definitely a restructuring year vs a rebuilding year. All the pieces are there, they just need to find the right fit.

Tackling was horrible. Not sure how much the fear factor of having to tackle those NFL lite GA players played into it even if they could catch em. 

Still plenty of time to right the ship before conference play.

[1Ducker1]

In short-Not Ready For Prime Time. Lackluster defense not even ready for the PAC yet. Bo is AB the 2nd.

The Ducks will be lucky to win 7 games if they dont step up the defense. Coaching has a lot of inner work on themselves.

[David Marsh]

I think one of the things that was on display was some of the lack of development over the past few years. 

 

We had defenders stuck on blocks and could get free and assignment confusion at times. These are things that aren't new but have been problems within the program for the last two years. 

 

2019 was pretty solid defensively for Oregon but 2020 and 2021 Oregon has been pretty squishy and that's with two defensive coordinators. Now we look like we have the same problems for another year with a whole new staff. 

 

getting our butts kicked this bad might light a fire under some players to really improve. But maybe that should have happened last year with those two Utah games being embarrassing. 

 

There are some sestemic problems that need to be fixed.

[LADuck]

The Georgia roster has 14 five stars and 59 four stars. They don't do the transfer portal so they have a bunch of elite players that have put a lot of time into learning their jobs. Plus, they get to go up against other great players in practice. With our new staff and less talented players learning a new system it just doesn't add up to being competitive. They would crush us in Eugene if we played them again next week.

 

Hopefully this just turns into part of a story in the future highlighting how much the Ducks have improved. I think it will.

Edited September 5, 2022 by LADuck

[Duck 1972]

I believe the time zone change played a part and will until I see them play poorly on the West Coast before I will believe otherwise.

 

People may think that's just an excuse. Well every time I have traveled back east it took me several days to get over jet lag and I wasn't having to be physically active.

 

I know it's a big thing in pro football that teams from the west who play the east Coast team's are at a disadvantage and usually perform poorly. I believe it's even more applicable for college players.

 

IMHO besides that the new staff coaching new schemes, the first game of the season on the road, and not playing some patsy but the reigning champ's also were big reasons why what happened, happened.

[Mike West]

On 9/5/2022 at 8:54 AM, GODUCKS15 said:

Not impressed with Bo Pix. But not jumping on the Ty train either. I say let DL get some time in as an HC and let the team gel a bit more. Lots of learning curves for both sides. 

Somebody well versed in football said it.  TT didn't see the game for a reason.  He is simply not good enough to beat an "average" QB.  

 

It is truly that simple.  

 

Bo Nix needs to recognize his limits.  He is forcing things he doesn't need to force.  The play calling was excellent.  Bo needs to see the whole field.  I don't think he studies it.  I think he makes snap decisions.

 

Fortunately this IS coachable.  Bo should reach out to Anthony Brown.  Learn a few things.  Bo seems to want to make the highlight reels. 

 

In my opinion you can score all day in Georgia, but they make you take your damn time to the point it is boring.  Especially if you don't have the talent they have.

 

I've studied them all summer.  They take away all the natural gummies and offense can exploit.  They are extremely fast closers of space.  Their pursuit is unrivaled, and a good portion of that is coached. 

 

It's easier with that kind of talent.  

 

Back to Bo: he gets way ahead of himself.  Against any team, a QB has to see it all, not just what he wants.  That is Bo's problem.  He is trigger anxious.  But his sense of timing is flawless.  What I believe he needs to do is map out the entire field, then assess what's really open, and what's next.  

 

Just my thoughts.  If I get the time, I will spell out what I mean on film.  It's already out there on Nix. I'd hammer that concept into his head because I see upside to his game I'f he'd become more of a student in that aspect.

Edited September 5, 2022 by Mike West

[John Charles]

Surprised and disappointed that the long awaited Sewell & Flowe linebacking tandem didn't have more of an impact on the game. Always felt that if we could just get the two of them healthy and on the field together they would be a major factor. Not sure what to expect going forward.

 

Also, haven't heard anyone mention the "havoc" factor that Lanning's defenses are coached to create. Didn't look like our d was causing havoc anywhere at anytime--maybe in the DC booth!

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

On 9/5/2022 at 11:43 AM, cartm25 said:

The kind of plays MC would never allow in a million years (though his Miami team put up 70 points, so that’s scary). The offense converted on 3rd down 7 times.

A few points on this as I thought the same thing. First, Bethune Cookman had 2 wins last season. They stink.
 

Second, MC threw the ball 23 times vs. 42 runs. They completed 20 of those passes. BC’s pass defense is horrible. Van Dyke threw 16 passes and had around 200 yards and a couple of TD’s. Those are hardly the numbers he was putting up last season. He’ll be out of Heisman contention after the A&M game in 2 weeks.

 

Third, he’s playing with another coaches recruits. I’ll be interested to see how he develops his own players in the future. He had his best season at Oregon with Helfrich’s players.

Edited September 5, 2022 by DrJacksPlaidPants

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

On 9/5/2022 at 6:59 PM, cartm25 said:

Ha, this is a good analysis. My simple analysis was, “MC and 70 points shouldn’t ever happen, regardless of opponent.”

Mario gets a wild hair from time to time and runs up the score. He put 77 on Nevada a few years ago.

[GeorgiaDogs]

On 9/5/2022 at 11:49 AM, Haywarduck said:

It was one game. I also invite Georgia to come to Eugene, and Autzen, anytime. You whooped us, now prove you can do it on the road.

Ga has a knack for traveling in hordes and literally taking over an opponents stadium. Even happed at ND a few years ago. Don’t know your stadium size but there would be 30-40-50k fans there. Saw Oregon play along time ago in Athens..don’t remember the year. It was a good game. But yeah the Dogs can eat on the road, too. 

 

[Babyjesus615]

I don't think this version of Lannings Ducks are going where we initially expected them to go. That being said, I believe he is a man willing to do whatever it takes to get an Oregon team(s) back in championship contention.

 

He is young, though he's learned from the best. Unlike Crist-no-ball he is willing to adapt his philosophy, put the best people for the job in positions for success, and let them do their thing.

 

It is his first head coaching gig. The stats on Kirby, Dabo and Nick in their first few seasons at their respective schools don't need to be restated (underwhelming). As long as he is willing put in the necessary time it takes to build a championship caliber team, I do believe he is going places that host playoffs.

 

I do agree with the general sentiment on our QB situation. If Ty or Butters were good enough they'd have played. Dillingham needs to put parameters on Bo and let him play within those confines. No Hero Ball, just smart ball. Darron Thomas is always the best example when looking at someone who knew his strengths and limitations and played within them.

 

Now let's go lay 77 on EWU.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Babyjesus615

[Sideburns]

On 9/5/2022 at 2:14 PM, Mike West said:

Somebody well versed in football said it.  TT didn't see the game for a reason.  He is simply not good enough to beat an "average" QB.  

 

It is truly that simple.  

 

Bo Nix needs to recognize his limits.  He is forcing things he doesn't need to force.  The play calling was excellent.  Bo needs to see the whole field.  I don't think he studies it.  I think he makes snap decisions.

 

Fortunately this IS coachable.  Bo should reach out to Anthony Brown.  Learn a few things.  Bo seems to want to make the highlight reels. 

 

In my opinion you can score all day in Georgia, but they make you take your damn time to the point it is boring.  Especially if you don't have the talent they have.

 

I've studied them all summer.  They take away all the natural gummies and offense can exploit.  They are extremely fast closers of space.  Their pursuit is unrivaled, and a good portion of that is coached. 

 

It's easier with that kind of talent.  

 

Back to Bo: he gets way ahead of himself.  Against any team, a QB has to see it all, not just what he wants.  That is Bo's problem.  He is trigger anxious.  But his sense of timing is flawless.  What I believe he needs to do is map out the entire field, then assess what's really open, and what's next.  

 

Just my thoughts.  If I get the time, I will spell out what I mean on film.  It's already out there on Nix. I'd hammer that concept into his head because I see upside to his game I'f he'd become more of a student in that aspect.

Something doesn't feel FAIR about your assessment of TT being "simply not good enough".  What is terribly UNFAIR is not even allowing TT to see the field even when a game is already lost, and he could benefit from getting reps... after all, isn't he QB2.

What happens if Bo gets injured? Doesn't TT have to take over?

 

Just because you've decided that Bo Nix or Anthony Brown is QB1 shouldn't mean that TT never see any playing time.  Coach him up, nurture his talent and find creative ways to put him on the field. Give him a chance to fail, too.

Come on, Lanning and Dillingham... be FAIR!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

[Sideburns]

On 9/6/2022 at 10:54 PM, Sideburns said:

Something doesn't feel FAIR about your assessment of TT being "simply not good enough".  What is terribly UNFAIR is not even allowing TT to see the field even when a game is already lost, and he could benefit from getting reps... after all, isn't he QB2.

What happens if Bo gets injured? Doesn't TT have to take over?

Just because you've decided that Bo Nix or Anthony Brown is QB1 shouldn't mean that TT never see any playing time.  Coach him up, nurture his talent and find creative ways to put him on the field. Give him a chance to fail, too.

Come on, Lanning and Dillingham... be FAIR!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

I am NOT prepared to say that TT and/or Butters are not good enough or else they would have played. At the very least DUCK NATION should request that the coaches treat our QB1 and QB2 with decency and fairplay. These young men spent last year being denied playing time, yet, unbelievably they remain committed to the program.

Put them in a game, and they might just be the spark we need.

[tee duke]

Fix the damn tackling.

[Bruce3404]

On 9/5/2022 at 9:21 AM, Duck 1972 said:

I believe the time zone change played a part and will until I see them play poorly on the West Coast before I will believe otherwise.

 

I think otherwise.  The game started at 12:40 PDT.  How different is that from a 1pm start in Autzen?  And if time was truly an issue, why didn’t they head to GA three days early?

[Flaps2]

On 9/5/2022 at 10:21 AM, Duck 1972 said:

I believe the time zone change played a part and will until I see them play poorly on the West Coast before I will believe otherwise.

 

People may think that's just an excuse. Well every time I have traveled back east it took me several days to get over jet lag and I wasn't having to be physically active.

 

I know it's a big thing in pro football that teams from the west who play the east Coast team's are at a disadvantage and usually perform poorly. I believe it's even more applicable for college players.

 

IMHO besides that the new staff coaching new schemes, the first game of the season on the road, and not playing some patsy but the reigning champ's also were big reasons why what happened, happened.

That wasn't a problem in Columbus last year with a 9AM west coast kick-off.

[noDucknewby]

If this was a "measuring stick" game then we know we're no where near a top-tier SEC team in either talent or execution.  Sure there are mitigating factors, but you really can't sugar-coat that kind of beat down. I really thought our defense would keep it close for at least the first half, so my biggest disappointment was just how bad they looked. 
 

This is a bit of a head-scratcher since DL is a defensive coach and we are paying TL a ton of money as a coordinator, you'd think we perform better.  I guess the good news is that there's nowhere to go but up defensively.

 

Sans Bo's picks, I liked how our offense looked but yards and first downs don't win games unless drives get finished with points.

 

Sometimes football just boils down to blocking and tackling and this is a classic example.  We didn't get badly out-schemed, they blocked really well so their offense was unstoppable and their efficient tackling kept us out of the end zone.  Game over.

 

Small silver lining, no major injuries last year's tOSU game wound up being a bit of a Pyrrhic victory.  And it's one game, time to flush this one and move on.

[Annie]

On 9/6/2022 at 7:21 PM, GeorgiaDogs said:

Ga has a knack for traveling in hordes and literally taking over an opponents stadium. Even happed at ND a few years ago. Don’t know your stadium size but there would be 30-40-50k fans there. Saw Oregon play along time ago in Athens..don’t remember the year. It was a good game. But yeah the Dogs can eat on the road, too. 

 

Well, Autzen holds about 60,000 with standing room only, and there are lots of Duck season ticket holders, and local folks would be enthusiastic and amazed if GA (or most any SEC team) would travel here for a game, so there probably would not be 30,000-50,000 tickets available for GA fans.

[Tandaian]

It was embarrassing and very concerning.  However, 1 games doesn't make a season.  I'm cautiously optimistic, but as many have pointed out, I think we may know what type of season we will have after the BYU game.

 

I don't think the Ducks were anywhere near the level of UGA, but I feel like it was the avalanche effect.  If Nix doesn't throw INTS on our 2nd and 3rd possession, the momentum doesn't shift quite as much.  I still think we get beat badly, but not quite as bad.

[David Marsh]

On 9/5/2022 at 2:26 PM, cartm25 said:

I was amazed how positive I was even while the Ducks were getting pummeled because of KD’s offensive play calling. The offense moved the ball on THAT defense.

Absolutely agree but the problem was that KD lost patience or Nix lost patience. We should have had 14 more points than we did at least because if we were patient we would have gotten the yards. I feel Nix's pass on the last offensive play of the game was foolish, if Oregon ran the ball they could have probably gotten those two yards. Putting the ball in the air there against a team that had shut down the passing game didn't seem like a good idea. 

[Jester]

I consider the made field goal a big plus. 

 

Camden's 35 yard make had plenty of leg, and went off without a hitch.  Hey, coming into the season CL was 6-9 from 30-39, so drilling this kick makes me feel better about him moving forward. I have a sense we'll be playing a couple close conference games this year where Cam may be relied upon to get the win.  

 

It may sound as if I'm grasping for a positive, but I'm being serious.  Lol.  

 

[Steven A]

On 9/7/2022 at 10:08 AM, Jester said:

I consider the made field goal a big plus.

Absolutely, enough leg to be 45 and was down the middle.