I know, no Oregon game on today and it leaves us wanting for more of Our Beloved Ducks. Yet this is also a good time for pondering some of the curious substitution patterns we are seeing as well as players who are emerging and declining that even the die-hard Oregon fan would not have anticipated. I took some time from all my fun at betting sites that accept credit cards to do some research into all the roster questions.
For the bye week? Let’s have a discussion about this at the forum-with-decorum..
The Offense: Secure or Not?
The most stability and predictability of playing time on offense has been at the skill positions as the quarterback, running back, tight end and wide receivers have played the majority of the time as fans would have anticipated. The real surprise was on the offensive line, where it did not appear that the coaches wanted to play Nishad Strother (No. 50 above) much in the first game and a half. Yet beginning in the second half of the Boise State game, this group stabilized and last Saturday, excelled.
The PFF grades for Strother were actually superior to veterans such as Marcus Harper, Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius. Yet Bedford was recruited to Oregon for a reason, and is known as a impressive blocker when healthy. Yet do you remove a player like Strother who got his chance to play, and has made the most of it? The chemistry on the offensive line is always fragile; do you mess that up?
I say no. Keep the starting group, and play Bedford a bit in Los Angeles and let the new chemistry develop. If there is any drop-off with the group with the substituting, then stick with the starting five we saw in Corvallis. Agree?
It was very surprising to see No. 56 Jaeden Moore playing at key moments. (Photo by Eric Becker)
The Defense is a Puzzle to Figure Out
Every single position group on defense has surprised me with rotations, the players inserted or are not playing. For example, edge rusher Blake Purchase has seemed to fade with only 12 plays in three games, while an unknown Jaeden Moore (No. 56 above) had that many snaps in the Civil War game alone. Perhaps there is an injury, because who could have predicted this to occur?
At field corner, we all had USTA transfer Kam Alexander pegged for the position opposite of Jabbar Muhammad, and yet he has hardly played. I was stunned to see Nikko Reed get the start recently, but between his acrobatic interception to finish the Idaho game, and his nails coverage on other plays–he has been deserving. Yet, he is pulled often for senior Dontae Manning, who is having his best year thus far.
I have no idea what the plan is at field corner, but I like how Reed can slide over to the STAR position to give Brandon Johnson an occasional rest. The secondary is as strong as I hoped going into the season, but I am surprised that a starter has not been stuck to as it has on Muhammad’s side. Is this a case of both Manning and Reed being good-or-good?
Biggest Surprise of the Season: Linebackers!
In the preseason publications, Oregon’s linebacking corps was touted as one of the nation’s best. Yet an injury to Jeffrey Bassa has reduced his playing time significantly, and it is unknown what happened to Jestin Jacobs. We have not seen much of Jacobs on the field, yet he is known as a hard-nosed hitter who has the speed for the sideline-to-sideline coverage that DC Tosh Lupoi wants.
Nobody is getting past Bryce Boettcher, No. 28, these days. (Screenshot from Fox Sports Video)
The emerging surprise has been Devon Jackson, as his speed had made the difference in blocks on special teams, and as operating as a spy on mobile opposing quarterbacks. His play recognition, and ability to shed blocks is noticeably better this year, and while we miss known names at linebacker–Jackson has earned more playing time.
A stunner at inside linebacker is 1) how fortunate Oregon is to have a senior to fill in for Bassa in Bryce Boettcher, and 2) how he leads the team in tackles and tops the PFF rankings for the defense, and 3) how much he has improved his pass coverage. The Ducks have always had depth issues at linebacker, and Boettcher has not only been a pleasant surprise, but a life-saver for the Ducks when we needed it the most.
Now what happens when Bassa heals? (This is a very similar dilemma to the Strother-Bedford situation on offense)
I do not understand it all, do you? But the bye week is the perfect time to kick-this-stuff around because…
“Oh, how we love to ponder about Our Beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (Mr. FishDuck)
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by Eric Becker
Share your thoughts about this team in the only free, “polite and respectful” Oregon Sports message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum!
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Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 38 years and has written reports on football boards for over 26 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 is single, has a daughter Christine, and resides in Eugene Oregon where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years.
He now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations in addition to managing his two Oregon Football Websites, of FishDuck.com and the Our Beloved Ducks forum. He is a busy man!
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…