Our Oregon Ducks football program was not the team out west this weekend, but the No.1 team in the country that flew east to Ann Arbor for a heavyweight bout with 2023’s national champions. Unfortunately, week ten wasn’t as kind to the Wolverines.
Oregon dominated from start to finish in a hostile environment of 110,000 where they never trailed. The offense was explosive even without Tez Johnson, while Traeshon Holden got busy with six catches for 149 yards in his stead. Additionally, Evan Stewart made a huge touchdown catch early to start hot (with easily the best catch that didn’t count), and I expect to see plenty more of Justius Lowe down the stretch. Jordan James had his obligatory dominant performance between the tackles, while Dillon Gabriel had a turnover-less game which bodes well for the rest of our undefeated regular season.
So what did we really learn about the Ducks this weekend? In the machine that is this offense and defense, there’s really only one point of emphasis I (and many others) have identified that the team absolutely needs to address before the Big-10 championship.
Dillon was DISHING in Ann Arbor even with Tez Johnson down – Via Naji Saker
The Focus Moving Forward: Winning the Third Quarter
To start the second half, there’s no other way to say it: Oregon’s offense has been atrocious. In the last five games, the Ducks have scored SIX total points in the third quarter. While Gabriel played great in the Big House this weekend and did plenty to win this game, this concerning stat just needs to change before we hit College Football Playoff season.
Now don’t worry, I get it—the Ducks are protecting their leads in all of these games. They’ve been winning week to week by three or more scores for a while. You can’t fault Dan Lanning for how he’s constructed this team to be explosive and create leads, while also locking down on defense to hold onto leads.
Still, there are going to be College Football Playoff games down the stretch that the Ducks are going to need to score in the second half for. I expect Lanning’s staff will huddle up with Will Stein to find creative ways to get points early in the second half and start closing these games out a bit stronger.
Bottom Line: This is Still the Best Team in the Country
Of all we can say about this team: that’s about the only gripe. This team’s playing lights out across the board, and they’re inarguably the best team in the country right now. They are fast, they dominate the line of scrimmage, and the explosiveness on offense/defense/special teams collectively is unmatched by any squad in their new Big Ten conference (or the rest of the country, for that matter). Let’s see Lanning rally this team to start putting up more scores in the third quarter, and close out this regular season with a perfect 12-0 record.
Anyway – enough from me, Oregon fans. What’d you learn this weekend about the Ducks? Who was your team MVP vs. the Wolverines? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum. Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Naji Saker
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.