Oregon’s run game in 2024 was good. At 13-1 with a B1G Championship under their belt, the Ducks were a very good team this year. However, the run game, like much of the offense in 2024, took a significant dip from 2023. That needs to change for 2025 as Dan Lanning and the Ducks will look to maintain their hold on the B1G Crown and make a deeper playoff run.
Jordan James led this year’s rushing attack and he is a solid running back. He has evolved from being a short down-and-distance runner into the primary back for the team, and that showed in 2024 as he averaged 5.4 yards per carry with a total of 1,267 yards.
But there is a critical weakness is James’ game, and that’s his overall lack of breakaway speed. When James breaks into the open field he is often caught from behind. He just doesn’t have that extra gear to cap off an explosive play with a touchdown, unless the end zone is within about 25 yards.
But that isn’t inherently a problem because James’ strength is chunk yardage. As his average suggests, he would routinely pick-up a sizable chunk of yardage to either get a first down or set up a second or third down with a manageable distance.
He was the thunder, but where was the lighting?
Well, Noah Whittington was supposed to be the lightning (and I have been critical of Whittington in the past, so I will keep this brief).
Whittington is very much like lightning in that he is fast and can be gone in an instant. However, just like lightning, Whittington is unpredictable and inconsistent. He had some incredible and dominant games this season, but he also had games where he was an outright non factor.
Noah Whittington runs against Maryland.
(Photo By: Eric Becker)
For the team to reach its goals, there cannot be this much variation between the first and second string running backs. James was effectively guaranteed yards, rarer in terms of explosive plays, but consistent positive yardage kept the offense rolling. Even early in the season when the offensive line was in complete shambles, it was James making plays on the ground and generating a rushing attack by himself. This was not always the case with Whittington.
Statistical Decline from 2023
The Ducks were hurt this year with the loss of Bucky Irving, who is having an amazing breakout rookie season in the NFL. Irving was thunder and lightning all rolled into one package. He has incredible vision and decision making, which when paired with his speed and his ability to shake off tackles, makes him a terror to defend.
The Ducks didn’t have that this year at running back and that has trickled down to the rest of the run offense. This year the Ducks’ total rushing totaled 2,211 yards, whereas in 2023 the total rushing yards were 2,583. That’s a 372-yard difference and though on paper that doesn’t look like a massive change, it tells the story of Oregon’s run offense this year. The run game was still strong, but when we think about all those third quarters where the Ducks stalled out, it was because they tried to run the ball and were stuffed.
This also translates to the stark change in yards per carry. This year James led the running back corp with 5.4 yards per carry. Whittington came in second with 4.6, then QB Dillon Gabriel came in third at 2.0. Gabriel’s average took an absolute hammering with the eight sacks against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Bucky Irving breaks free for a big run against Utah.
(Photo By: Kiffer Creveling)
Now compare those numbers to 2023, where James led the team with the best yards per carry at 7.1, followed by Irving at 6.3. Bo Nix also had a respectable 4.3 yards per carry in a season where he didn’t run too often and had many quarterback sneaks. The decline in the run game from 2023 to 2024 is apparent. Irving and James in 2023 were getting far more yards every time they touched the ball and made much greater gains.
In 2023, the Ducks ran the ball 62 fewer times, yet gained 372 more yards over the course of the year. These are seemingly small stats in the grand scheme of things, but it’s hard to ignore that this year’s run game hasn’t been as explosive as the 2023 team’s.
Next year that needs to change, but there is hope. In his one appearance this year against Washington, Da’Jaun Riggs showed off his speed and physicality running the ball. There is a reason he is referred to as “mini-Bucky” in the locker room. He has all the ingredients to make a big impact next year.
The two new running back recruits in the 2025 class are promising as well, as Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill both bring their remarkable speed to the team. As of yesterday, the Ducks also landed Makhi Hughes out of the transfer portal from Tulane.
With all this new blood in the program, there is sure to be some thunder and lightning at running back — which could be the difference in sustaining some key drives down the stretch of the season or getting blown out in the process. The future is bright at Oregon, but to reach the top of the college football world, there isn’t much margin for error and every yard counts.
David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By Eric Becker
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah.
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David Marsh is a high school social studies teacher in Portland, Oregon. As a teacher he is known for telling puns to his students who sometimes laugh out of sympathy, and being both eccentric about history and the Ducks.
David graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with Majors in: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Geography. David began following Ducks Football after being in a car accident in 2012; finding football something new and exciting to learn about during this difficult time in his life. Now, he cannot see life without Oregon football.