Oregon is set to play in the Peach Bowl against Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinals. It will be another trip to the east coast for the Ducks this season, and on a shorter timeline than the Orange Bowl. Strangely enough the Ducks’ time in the B1G has prepared them for this because they have traveled multiple times to the east coast this year on this shorter timeline, and have done just fine.
Even the opponent is someone we have played before, though sadly Indiana is the only team that has dealt us a loss in regular-season B1G play in two years. This is going to be a heavyweight showdown that, in the preseason, no one saw coming. To date it looks like it might even be Indiana’s year, as they have looked nearly unstoppable. Their record is unblemished, their stats are among the best and they have a Heisman winner at quarterback.
Everything seems to be going perfectly for Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers, so much so that it feels like the national media has written off the Ducks.
But why not Oregon? Why can’t this be our time?
Offensive Growth
The Oregon offensive line was outworked in October in the first meeting with Indiana. Both tackles, Isaiah World and Alex Harkey, were consistently beaten up on the edges. Dante Moore was shaken early on in the game because of those breakdowns on the edges, and started to hold on to the ball too long, which resulted in more sacks. To make matters worse, the Ducks were finding some success in the run game behind Jordon Davison, who was averaging around five yards per carry, but they steered away from the run — which just made everything else worse.
But since that loss there has been a change in the offensive line in that the guards have actually flipped positions on the line, putting Emmanuel Pregnon on the left side of the line, and that seems to have helped sure up pass protection. Since the Indiana game the Ducks’ offensive line has also continued to improve week by week, even with injuries. In the process, Oregon has built an offensive identity on running the ball, in part because they had to with some extremely poor weather for multiple games.
In the Orange Bowl, Texas Tech, with either the best or second-best defensive front seven, pushed Oregon to the brink — but the offensive line only gave up two sacks. Yes, the rush yards had the Ducks only run for less than two yards per carry, but the adjusted rush yards put it closer to three, which is still bad but the Ducks found a way to move the ball and score enough points to win. The Ducks ran the ball enough and continued to provide enough of a run threat to keep Texas Tech honest.
Jamari Johnson has become a big target for Dante Moore in the passing game.
(Photo By: Tom Corno)
On Friday in the Peach Bowl, the offensive line is going to have to do the same thing but better. The line needs to be in sync and create some better rushing lanes for Oregon’s running backs. Do that and Moore is going to have his opportunities in the passing game.
The passing game for Oregon has evolved tremendously since the last time these two teams faced off. In that first game, a majority of Oregon’s passing attack went through Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq with a few other receivers and running backs getting targets, but those were the primary targets for Dante Moore. In that first game Sadiq was rather banged up and actually sat out the next couple of games to get healthy. Since this game, Dakorien Moore has been injured, followed by Gary Bryant Jr., which has required other receivers to step up. We have seen the emergence of Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan at wide receiver, and Jamari Johnson has become another receiver at tight end.
Oregon has more receivers who are going to need the attention of Indiana’s defense than the last time. It was actually the emergence of these receivers that enabled the Ducks to have offensive success against Texas Tech. Johnson led the team with four receptions for 66 yards while Sadiq had some of the most critical receptions of the game to keep drives alive. Since injuries to Dakorien Moore and Bryant the Ducks have used 12 and 13 personnel groupings with one running back and two or three tight ends, more regularly creating mismatches all over the field.
Oregon on offense has seen an explosion of production across many players, and the result has allowed Dante Moore to have more targets to throw to and stress defenses to play better in coverage.
Oregon’s Defensive Showing
Just like on the offensive side of the ball, Oregon’s defense has changed since October.
Freshman Brandon Finney has been an incredible bright spot this season for Oregon. He did have a pick-six against the Hoosiers in the first meeting, and against Texas Tech he had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He is a dangerous cornerback and as a freshman he has seen some tremendous growth. But Ify Obidegwu, Aaron Flowers and Jadon Canady have grown as well. To add to this, Obidegwu recorded zero stats against Texas Tech because he wasn’t even targeted.
The back-end of this Oregon defense has improved over the course of the season and is unlikely to be exposed as badly as they were in October.
Bear Alexander has developed into a force in the middle of Oregon’s defensive line that has become a terror to opposing offensive lines, especially with Amari Washington at his side. Teitum Tuioti has been consistent all year and though Matayo Uiagalelei has had a down year from last year, his strip stack against Texas Tech shows just what he is capable of if he puts it all together.
And that’s the goal for this defense, to put it all together. Against Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl the defense dominated and no one expected Texas Tech’s offense to be shut out. Now, is their offense as good as Indiana’s? No, but everyone expected Texas Tech to put up some points.
Oregon’s Defensive pressure has come a long way since October.
(Photo By: Tom Corno)
Talent Ceilings
The talk of this time of year is about which teams are peaking and which teams have reached their ceilings. In terms of potential talent, most pundits would agree that Oregon has more potential talent on their roster; however, with a team composed of a lot of freshmen and redshirt freshmen, there are a lot of pieces that take time to develop for the Ducks.
Indiana has a team of veterans, and it is a testament to Cignetti and the Indiana staff that they have taken their team to its peak early in the season and kept the Hoosiers playing at their potential for the entire year — though they have all really hit the ceiling, which is still high enough to win a National Championship.
The real question for this game will come down to: can the Ducks reach their ceiling in time?
Because if the Ducks can do that, then why not the Oregon Ducks to win it all?
David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By: Tom Corno
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.
Share your thoughts about this team in the only free, “polite and respectful” Oregon Sports message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum!
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.