I was pondering about what my goals for scoring and being scored on would be this next year without the benefit of a single spring practice–before know about new elements that could alter the team’s destiny this next fall. Normally at this time I am on Woo Casino Canada for a little gaming action to tide me over to next season, but it would be fun to also discuss the numbers we see for Our Beloved Ducks. Right now it is blank slate with all the questions about the team, yet this savvy group on the OBD forum is pretty informed and I believe, can give us some good takes on this topic.
It is harder than most would think because we do not know about the injured players, (such as Justin Flowe) or whether the development of some players will flourish under the Lanning staff that perhaps did not under the previous regime. We simply won’t know until the transfers actually get into a game to see how much they can help the Ducks either, and thus why these guesses are such stab-in-the-dark at this early date. But it is fun to wonder about it all…
“What if Bo Nix kills-it in the Pac-12 as one of my trusted analysts believes?”
“What if Dont’e Thornton and Troy Franklin explode to complement Kris Hutson at receiver?”
“How much better can the freshman tight ends (Moliki Matavao and Terrance Ferguson) become in the Dillingham offense?” (Best freshman TEs ever at Oregon)
“With the addition of cornerback transfer Christian Gonzales to the secondary–are the last questions answered on defense?”
“How quickly can experienced veterans such as Popo Aumavae and Brandon Dorlus adjust to a new defensive scheme?”
We will see more of this from Kris Hutson…
The questions for yours-truly go further, but with almost no information–it makes it more entertaining to make a guess now and then see how you feel after the Spring Game, and then after Fall Camp going into the first game of the next season. Oregon returns a ton of experienced players on both sides of the trenches, and even most of the freshmen saw playing time and thus have more experience than most years. We could hit the ground running, or sputter with new schemes worked in?
When it comes to the number of points given up–I have goals, and then you have to ask, “what is reasonable with a new defense?” Nonetheless, I see a surprising defense at Autzen this fall, and while it is aggressive and without much valid support–I am predicting the Ducks to only give up 20.50 points per game in 2022. I thinking that Bradyn Swinson and Mase Funa are going begin to fulfil the potential flashed at times between injuries and setbacks. Oregon might actually have a better pass rush this year than last!
I love these freshman tight ends such as Terrance Ferguson.
On offense, I want to see the 43 point average per game of the Kelly/Helfrich era, but know that it is unreasonable with a new coordinator installing his own plays. Yet I believe we are going to see a larger variety of plays and their sequential variations this year than the last four years, which gives me hope to a higher number. Obviously we will do better than the 31 points per game last year, and I am reluctant to go up to 40 points in my projection. Hence I will offer a nice scoring bump up to 38 points per game of which will increase in future years.
These are my blind guesses at this time of the year; what are yours? Even without much information yet, it is all fun because…
“Oh, how we love to ponder about Our Beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (Mr. FishDuck)
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by Craig Strobeck
Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 35 years and has written reports on football boards for over 23 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He and his wife Lois, have a daughter Christine, reside in Eugene Oregon, where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years and now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations.
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…
