A Step Ahead Or Back Versus WSU?

[Notalot]

In the past two games the Ducks appear to be gelling as a team. Mistakes decreased, tackling improved, and Bo Nix led the offense with aplomb taking advantage of opportunities.

 

The offensive line is skillfully blocking for runs while it pass blocks effectively giving Bo Nix time to work. The running backs are a handful by taking different styles and looks to the defense.

 

Things have been looking up for Ducks football. Can the Ducks go on the road into a hostile stadium and win against a foe who will be hungry playing with a chip on its shoulder for being overlooked by the national media?

 

Will Oregon build its momentum with dominnance and a win? Or will it arrive in Pullman flat and struggle to get going taking a step backward?

 

The defense faces a productive Cougar offense. Will Oregon's secondary rise up showing improvements or will it be exploited and shredded by the Wazzu passing attack?

 

A step ahead, or a step back on Saturday for Oregon Football?

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Notalot

[olcodgerduck]

I am looking for a step(s) ahead. 

 

I think Our Beloved Ducks are better than we realize.  It's unfortunate in one sense that we played Goliath (oops, I mean Georgia ) right out of the gate, and in another sense I think it was the best thing that could have happened.  There's nothing like jumping into the (very) deep end of the pool to find out if you can swim or not.  Week 1 in Georgia, we were kinda looking for the life guard.  Week 2 we gathered ourselves, remembered that we are the Mighty Fighting Ducks and having been tried in fire, were galvanized into the team we are to become.  

 

I have been reading this week that it's too bad that BYU turned out to not be the team everyone thought they were.  What if they are that team?  I think it's time not to disparage our opponent because they lost to us, but rather take the perspective that however good they are, we are better. 

 

I feel like we are seeing improvement not just as a steady upward line on the graph of all things football, but as an exponential, explosive jump up the cliff toward greatness.

 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's contest and seeing how much better we are this week than last week!

 

Go Ducks!!

 

 

[debbieduck]

Ahead

[EastBayDuckDad]

A step ahead. Watched the speed dial 60 minute version of the WSU-Colorado St on PAC12 Network and a couple things stood out to me:

 

CSU is a horrible football team, particularly their defense. Yet they still got pressure on Cameron Ward, sacked him a couple times and forced a few errant throws with a bad pick. Ward is not terribly mobile but he does get the ball out in a hurry. If stressed he makes poor decisions.

 

His 4 TD passes in the 1st half were to painfully open receivers going against undersized and one step too slow DBs. The WSU O-line was only fair in pass protection and the CSU front seven were pretty vanilla in their alignments, so Ward had enough time to pick the DBs apart. Even so, CSU got to him several times. As with the old Leach Air Raid offense, the run game exists to set up the pass, but the CSU run defense was so bad that the Wazzu backs had a field day.

 

The WSU defense is stout, but again, overwhelmed a poor offense with a Swiss cheese O-line. That LB transfer from Nevada is a stud, but he's the only one that really stands out. The front seven brought pressure from everywhere with odd alignments, stunts and safety blitzes. The CSU QB, Millen was running for his life all afternoon. When he had time, he was able to burn the WSU secondary. 

 

I think Oregon will really stress WSU on both sides of the ball if they play sound fundamentally, stick to the basics that they did so well against BYU and avoid mistakes. Tackle well and finish, finish, finish. Oregon is far more talented than CSU, or Wisconsin for that matter and I think they will be able to run on the WSU defensive front seven, allowing Nix to get the RPO passing game going.

 

So again, I think Oregon takes a step forward and gets the win, as long as the WSU 'ghosts of Palouse past' don't rise from the dead to spoil the trip.

[30Duck]

On 9/23/2022 at 6:23 AM, olcodgerduck said:

 

I have been reading this week that it's too bad that BYU turned out to not be the team everyone thought they were.  What if they are that team? 

This ^^^ deserves a mic drop.

[debbieduck]

On 9/23/2022 at 8:53 AM, EastBayDuckDad said:

A step ahead. Watched the speed dial 60 minute version of the WSU-Colorado St on PAC12 Network and a couple things stood out to me:

 

CSU is a horrible football team, particularly their defense. Yet they still got pressure on Cameron Ward, sacked him a couple times and forced a few errant throws with a bad pick. Ward is not terribly mobile but he does get the ball out in a hurry. If stressed he makes poor decisions.

 

His 4 TD passes in the 1st half were to painfully open receivers going against undersized and one step too slow DBs. The WSU O-line was only fair in pass protection and the CSU front seven were pretty vanilla in their alignments, so Ward had enough time to pick the DBs apart. Even so, CSU got to him several times. As with the old Leach Air Raid offense, the run game exists to set up the pass, but the CSU run defense was so bad that the Wazzu backs had a field day.

 

The WSU defense is stout, but again, overwhelmed a poor offense with a Swiss cheese O-line. That LB transfer from Nevada is a stud, but he's the only one that really stands out. The front seven brought pressure from everywhere with odd alignments, stunts and safety blitzes. The CSU QB, Millen was running for his life all afternoon. When he had time, he was able to burn the WSU secondary. 

 

I think Oregon will really stress WSU on both sides of the ball if they play sound fundamentally, stick to the basics that they did so well against BYU and avoid mistakes. Tackle well and finish, finish, finish. Oregon is far more talented than CSU, or Wisconsin for that matter and I think they will be able to run on the WSU defensive front seven, allowing Nix to get the RPO passing game going.

 

So again, I think Oregon takes a step forward and gets the win, as long as the WSU 'ghosts of Palouse past' don't rise from the dead to spoil the trip.

I did same thing.   Washington state is getting rolled tomorrow.  I am far more worried about Washington this year 

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I think we see some new blitz and coverage packages unveiled this week. I think the D will look more aggressive and closer to Lanning's vision of what he want the D to be. Also I see this team hitting it's stride just in time to host those fuskies!

[Log Haulin]

I don't know that WSU is a better barometer than BYU in grading the progress of Oregon. 

 

Cougs beat Wisky but in IMO, Wisky beat Wisky. WSU barely beat the Vandals. I think Cougs are overrated. The AP was right to leave them out of the top 25.

 

I am interested in how the Ducks look. Will they be focused? Execution? Team speed and ball pursuit? Tackling and intensity?Timing and reads? Have they added more complexities in scheme?

 

Pullman is a great place to gage this progress due to the hostility. Cougs as a talent not so much.

 

Oregon is a top 10 talent and are developing individually and as a team to showcase that talent on Saturdays.

 

I like the Lanning mantra "Oregon is playing Oregon". This team has bought in. IMO, it will pay nicely in a venue like the Palouse. 

 

Humility is important, I am not trying to come across as arrogant. I see something special brewing in Eugene. Something built on solid rock. 

 

I am super excited. Really enjoying watching this season unfold. I can't get enough of Our Beloved Ducks. 

[Drake]

The Ducks are not one dimensional. They can run and pass the ball effectively if necessary. It will become more and more difficult to shut down the Ducks on offense as they get used to the new offense. 
 

Defensively, I think the team continues to improve this weekend. 

 

WSU creates some unique problems, but they also will be facing a team and coaching staff that has some things to prove. I say we move ahead as a team. They will definitely not be overlooking this as just another game. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Drake

[Log Haulin]

On 9/23/2022 at 8:07 PM, Drake said:

The Ducks are not one dimensional. They can run and pass the ball effectively if necessary. It will become more and more difficult to shut down the Ducks on offense as they get used to the new offense. 

Everyone knew the O-line would be dominant. A lot of people talked that the Duck line was at the top of college football since summer. 

 

What we didn't know exactly was what we had at the skill positions. 3 games in and four dudes are rising in all 4 skill position groups.

 

By mid season this offense could be scary. How do you game plan against 4 absolute beasts that can hurt you at every level of your defense. 

 

I don't know that this offense will reach their ceiling this year. But man, right now that ceiling looks really high. Any higher and we will have to call it sky.

 

The defense is a little behind the O, need them to catch up.

 

Georgia, the nation agrees,  is an outlier. The D, in meaningful minutes the past 2 games,  has given up a couple TD. Few rushing yards surrendered as well.

 

Oregons D is going to be tough to score on as is. I don't think there is a big leap for the Ducks to go from strong to great. They definitely have the Dudes to do it.