Oregon Has Found Its Offensive Identity

Oregon has finally found its identity, which seems strange to say as we just wrapped up Game 10 in the regular season. This is a physical run team with a vertical passing offense that is also incredibly physical.

But hasn’t this been Oregon’s identity all year long?

Yes, this was the end goal for what this team’s offensive identity should look like, though it hasn’t always been executed and embraced. Even Mr. FishDuck took time from his study of NFL odds, to discuss the evolving team identity.

Against lesser opponents a team’s identity isn’t challenged, as we’ve seen the Ducks have their way with the majority of the teams on their schedule. It makes for great highlights but doesn’t build as much team grit.

In Oregon’s sole loss to Indiana this season, the Ducks went away from this identity. The downhill, physical run game was working but OC Will Stein and QB Dante Moore both seemed to insist on the passing game. The result was  that Moore held the ball for too long and was sacked six times. Those sacks led to the whole offense feeling lost and making some forced passes, which resulted in turnovers. The Ducks went from a tied game to a 10-point loss in only a couple minutes.

Against Wisconsin and Iowa, the Ducks were forced into a more run-heavy offense due to the weather, and out of those two rainstorms the Ducks found out how good their run game really is. Against Minnesota, the run game was less productive, but just as explosive — and just as importantly, it set up the rest of the offense for success.

Credit to Ra’Shaad Samples for doing some amazing work with this highly talented running back room. The freshmen Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill are two of the most productive running backs in the country. As for Noah Whittington, in the past couple of games he has really come around and improved his vision. He is hitting the holes better, against some rather stout running defenses, and getting some big chunk yards. His 40-yard touchdown run was a display of physicality and, with some help from his big linemen, he turned a decent run of about seven yards into an explosive touchdown.

Even Dante Moore is getting involved in the run game more frequently. He ran the ball four times and only netted six yards, but he was also sacked once for about nine yards, which muddies the rushing statistics. He isn’t a great runner; in truth, he seems to lose to the turf monster at least once per game. Moore runs just enough to cause the defense problems, but the staff seems to be shying away from calling too many designed runs to keep him from getting into harm’s way, especially after a short run against Wisconsin resulted in a broken nose.

It is no wonder that transfer star running back Makhi Hughes has opted to sit for the rest of the season and will likely transfer again. These RBs are the heart and soul of the team and they make the entire offense go.

The run game protects Moore and the passing game because the defense really can’t rush the passer with abandon.

That’s not to say the Ducks have given up on the pass. Far from it.

Kenyon Sadiq muscles his way toward the goal line.
(Photo By: Max Unkrich)

Oregon is still a very balanced team with 33 pass attempts and 30 carries but it feels like Stein is calling for more of a run game early in the game. Oregon’s reputation as a power run team forced the Golden Gophers to get sucked into defending the run, which completely opened up the vertical passing game — and in a game that lacked Oregon’s top two receivers in Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. the Ducks turned to their tight ends.

Kenyon Sadiq was back this week and had a massive game as a receiver, getting eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Jamari Johnson is breaking out, as he was the the No. 2 receiver with four receptions and 57 yards. Even sophomore Rodger Saleapaga got a couple targets on Friday night and made the most of them, with one resulting in 18 yards and a big first down.

Oregon was running a lot more 12 and 13 personnel, which means they have one running back and two or three tight ends on the field at the same time. These are some significant passing yards for a tight end group, and most of these passes weren’t screen passes but vertical passes designed to get these big bodies in space against either slower linebackers or smaller defensive backs.

This is an absolute nightmare for defenses because they need to take a gamble in deciding whether Oregon is going to use all those extra big bodies to run the ball right at them, or spread them out as receiving targets, creating massive mismatches.

This is Oregon’s identity — big bodied, physical and a mismatch nightmare. It’s a balanced attack and defenses will have to take that gamble on every snap.

Hopefully Moore and Bryant are able to make it back into the lineup next week against USC, and if they are available, it will create additional mismatches for the Trojans. But regardless of these receivers’ availabilities, look for this physical Oregon team to beat up the Trojans all over the field.

David Marsh 
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By: Max Unkrich

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.

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David Marsh

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.