The 2024 Ducks have survived, but have failed to reach their full potential this season. This is in large part due to an offensive line cobbled together, which has killed offensive production. The defense has been forced to play far more snaps than they should in Dan Lanning’s system, which assumes the offense can sustain drives and score points.
It feels this Oregon team is going off the rails, but we have to stop and remember we have been here before, a decade ago, during the best season in Oregon history. Mr. FishDuck took some time away from his fun at Australian online casino to recall that special season, and some similarities to the present.
The 2014 Ducks also had offensive line problems. Before the season even began, veteran tackle Tyler Johnstone went down with an injury and was lost for the season. This resulted in starting right tackle Jake Fisher moving to left tackle. The rest of the offensive line felt like it was a revolving door for the early part of the season.
In Game 2, against Michigan State, Fisher went down with an injury. Tyrell Crosby came into the game in his place. After that, Crosby became a household name for the Ducks and was an important piece of the offensive line rotation. However, the offensive line lacked veteran cohesion and was in disarray as not only freshmen entered the rotation, but walk-ons as well.
In Week 4 the Ducks went up to the Palouse to take on Washington State. The first half was an absolute disaster for the Ducks. The offensive line was awful and Marcus Mariota was sacked five times. After halftime adjustments, the coaching staff managed to plug the holes and keep Mariota upright. The Ducks won 38-31 in a nail-biter.
The following week was a complete meltdown, as the Ducks took on Arizona. The offensive line gave up five sacks and it felt like Oregon was resorting to trick plays to score points. Mariota scored a receiving touchdown on a pass from Royce Freeman. The defense played poorly, as the Wildcats scored on long drives. And the unsportsmanlike penalty on Tony Washington on third down that turned a field goal into a touchdown haunts Duck fans to this day.
The game ended with Mariota getting strip sacked and Arizona running out the clock. It felt like Oregon’s season was over.
The Ducks went on a bye week and then traveled to UCLA.
Marcus Mariota had to work hard for every yard against Washington State in 2014.
(Photo by: Gary Breedlove)
However, many injuries had healed and the Ducks came out against UCLA with a healthy offensive line. They dominated the game from start to finish. The offense was back, and with the offense firing on all cylinders, the defense was able to play its best ball to date.
The rest is history; the Ducks ran the table for the rest of the regular season and won the Pac-12 Championship in a rematch against Arizona where Arizona didn’t look remotely like Oregon’s equal. Mariota won the Heisman. The Ducks made the first College Football Playoff and blasted Florida State in the Rose Bowl in the first College Football Playoff game. All of this, only to have all the other injuries catch up in a loss to Ohio State in the National Title Game.
2014 was still the best season in the program’s history.
Surviving in 2024
Against Boise State we had the chance to see the potential of this Oregon offense. Those deep shots from Dillon Gabriel, wearing Mariota’s No. 8, showed just how explosive the passing game could be with proper protection. Jordan James racked up 102 yards with an offensive line that has struggled to get any push in two weeks, and he should have had at least 20 more yards on several runs that were called back due to penalties. This offensive line is figuring things out, though not nearly as fast as we should like.
They do have one important thing working in their favor right now: time.
This week the Ducks take on the Oregon State Beavers who look better than expected, but their offense is struggling as well. It is hard to determine just how good the Beavers are at this point, but they are unlikely to be drastically better than Boise State — and with another week of development, the Ducks should take another step forward.
Jordan James fought for his yards against Boise State as the Offensive Line continues to develop.
(Photo By: Craig Strobeck)
Then the Ducks go on a bye week, which means more time for this offensive line to gel and get ready for conference play. It’s another week for two key players to get healthy: Mathew Bedford and Dave Iuli, who were both projected to be first and second string players respectively this season. Bedford has warmed up in pads the past two games but did not appear in either, which indicates that he is close to returning.
Personally, I doubt he will be available this week, but it’s possible.
More likely, Bedford returns after the bye week when Oregon travels south to UCLA to open conference play. This could be a moment of deja vu, with the Ducks coming off a bye week and returning to form at UCLA.
Right now the Ducks are in survival mode, as hopefully the return of at least one of the two missing linemen would spark a resurgence in the Oregon offense. The schedule for Oregon is fortunate with a bye week after the non-conference slate, giving these injured Ducks time to heal.
There is one constant in college football, and that is change. Just because the Ducks have started off the season poorly doesn’t mean it will continue. If 2014 can teach us anything it is a dream season can come together even after a series of awful games. The Ducks are 2-0 and all they need to do to keep the hope alive is to survive.
David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By: David Pyles
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.