Alright, this game went about as expected — but there’s a lot to work on, too. Aside from a handful of plays, Oregon had the Bruins on their heels from the snap, and Dillon Gabriel led a nearly-unstoppable offensive attack. There also were avoidable mistakes and sloppy penalties that put the Ducks in some bad spots. Here are some observations from the sights and sounds of the game, as well as what we can expect of our Ducks moving forward in the season.
Pre-Game Notes
- In warmups, Gabriel didn’t have a miss. Everything was catchable from the jump. Aside from the pick in the game, he played about as well as you can expect on the road.
- Devon Jackson is noticeably faster in everything he does. Going to team drills, individuals, even just getting out of the tunnel. Pays dividends whenever he’s in coverage, in pursuit, or in the backfield.
- Oregon gets a lot of noise on the way to the locker room (as any team would on the road), but they’ve embraced it unlike any Oregon team I’ve seen. They know they’re going to be favorites in almost every matchup the rest of the year. They know what their expectations are. Maybe this is the game they have finally settled in, and are really starting to embrace being a College Football Playoff contender.
Traeshon Holden fought to score the first touchdown of the game. (Photo by Eric Becker)
Quick Hits from the Game
- Ducks fans traveled exceptionally well – almost felt like a home game. UCLA’s fans were not a factor for 90% of Oregon’s play on offense.
- Tez Johnson got involved early and often – borderline has become an automatic connection for Gabriel to start this season. If there’s an MVP so far that isn’t No. 8 — it’s Tez.
- Jordan Burch showed out — setting the edge against the run came up big early and opened up opportunities for Matayo Uiagalelei and Jeffrey Bassa to start making plays in the backfield. Bruins’ offensive line was visibly upset early in the second quarter.
- Ferguson is a warrior – took that hit over the middle like a champ. Wishing for a speedy recovery.
- Traeshon Holden is stepping up – as a true WR2 in this offense, I love what I’ve seen from his energy on the field, blocking, and making splash plays down the field.
- Evan Stewart has struggled to make an impact – even on his handful of targets, he’s had trouble getting in space and really showing off his talent.
Final Takeaways
Oregon’s better than they’re showing, but they need to clean up mistakes. Gabriel made his only real mistake of the season on a pick-six, and it arguably wasn’t even his fault after Tez slipped. Outside of that score, the offense played great on almost every drive. Defense was the embodiment of bend-but-don’t break, and they were able to corral Eric Bieniemy’s offense for the most part.
Dillon Gabriel and Nishad Strother get the first down. (Photo by Eric Becker)
The real problems came in the second half with penalties, off-timing throws, and disfunction on third down. If Oregon’s able to button up over the next couple of weeks and perform how they did in the first half; this team has limitless potential. I still have no doubt this team is CFP-bound, and Gabriel’s body language affirms it. He’s a born leader that’s taking the reins of this team, playing with passion, finesse, and a short-term memory. Let’s see him get the Ducks in the best shape of the season, and have a stronger showing against Michigan State this Friday.
Anyway, enough from me, Oregon fans. What did you see against UCLA? Who was your MVP of the game? Biggest takeaways from how the defense looked? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo by Eric Becker
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.