Kevin Cline
Is the bye week over yet?! It feels like the off-season all over again. I have already watched each game multiple times and will inevitably be watching them again. While any bye week is horrible for fans, this is a particularly good bye week for Oregon. After getting three games under their belts, the Oregon staff will now have an extra week to cover game film and correct errors before conference play starts.
Having so much time to myself recently has got me thinking many things Oregon – in fact, so many random thoughts that I couldn’t place them in any specific order or categories. Here are my ramblings. Make of them what you will!
Malone doing what he does best.
Malone is all alone.
Derrick Malone is all alone atop Oregon’s tackling list. I must admit I am very pleasantly surprised by Malone’s play. I had a feeling going into the season that Lokombo and Coleman would be picking up most of the slack for the departing NFL backers. Malone is averaging 9 tackles per game and is projecting to be a 100+ tackler this year. If he keeps this up and forces some turnovers, he could potentially be a good NFL draft prospect.
The sky is the limit for Tyner.
Thomas Tyner is in the system.
I recently caught myself wondering about what young Duck Thomas Tyner could end up looking like. I am not talking about skill set either. We have seen basically nothing of Tyner so far and it is impossible to say whether he will live up to the hype or not. I am speaking of the change that happens when a student athlete starts getting involved with the strength and conditioning coach. Based on Tyner’s body type, he could become a ridiculous physical specimen. If he can also live up to his skill potential, it’s scary how good he could become. Imagine an Alabama-sized running back with world class sprinting speed.
Angry Joe Walker
I have been very excited about the prospects of Walker since he committed to play for the Ducks. After watching him in the first few games, I see great potential, but I would love to see some more anger. Not unnecessary anger obviously, but the passion I see in his JC highlight video to hit the ball carrier and hit him hard. It could be the transition that any player makes joining a new team. I expect to see his comfort level in the system increase and hope to see a mean streak, if you know what I mean.
Mundt leaves defenders in his wake.
Johnny Who?
No, not Johnny F., Johnny Mundt. Wow! That about sums it up. I had heard that Mundt was performing well in practices, but 121 yards and 2 touchdowns in your first starting assignment good? Take out three defenders on one play with two stiff arms good? It is very exciting to see what the future at TE looks like. It also helps alleviate some depth issues to know that we have great TEs to toss the ball to, if there are injuries. The fact that there was absolutely zero dropoff from Lyerla to Mundt, bodes very well for Oregon’s future, and very bad for PAC-12 defenses.
Bralon the Beast
Bralon Addison about to go beast mode.
Bralon has stepped up in a big way and given Oregon that extra threat opposite Josh Huff to make defenders’ heads spin. He blocks, he gets open and has great hands, he has DAT-esque moves. Compare Addison’s stats through three games (11 receptions, 174 yards, 2 TDs), to his stats for the entire 2012 season (22 receptions, 243 yards, 3 TDs). It’s comforting to consider his potential for this season and the future.
Well, I hope you enjoyed being in my head for a bit. I would love to hear any thoughts you guys might have about how the season is progressing. Anything you might be worried about, or surprised about? Go Ducks!
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Sam was born and raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon and he has been a die hard Duck fan his entire life. Sam studied at the University of Oregon before moving to San Diego for 5 years. After moving back to Oregon, Sam decided to follow his passion for writing and started writing for various sports sites. To him, nothing is better than being in Autzen Stadium with 59,000 fans screaming their heads off!