Offense
Statistically, Oregon has one of the best offenses in the nation. The Ducks are incredibly balanced with the #2 scoring offense, #6 rushing offense, and the #8 passing offense. Overall, they are #1 in total yards per game.
However, it should be noted that Oregon has also played some of the worst defensive units in the country. Five of the six teams they’ve played have defenses that are ranked #83 or worse in total yards allowed per game. The best defense they have faced so far is Texas Tech, which has surrendered the 60th most yards per game nationally.
What does this mean? It’s hard to say. It’s unknown how good this offense really is and how much the current stats can be trusted until they face a top tier defense, and that will finally take place Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Ducks returned several offensive skill players from the 2022 team that finished 10-3. Leading the way is Heisman hopeful QB Bo Nix, who is having a career year. He has completed an incredible 78% of his passes, going 182 for 232 for 2,089 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only 1 interception. He’s a great scrambler and runner, but this season he hasn’t needed to run much.
Oregon’s running back room is bolstered by two running backs that have already combined for over 1,000 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. Junior RB Bucky Irving is the workhorse, and he has 87 carries for 649 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s also a reliable receiver with 27 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore RB Jordan James has also emerged this season, toting the ball 58 times for 463 yards and 8 touchdowns.
The receivers are led by Troy Franklin, who already has 44 catches for 768 yards and 8 touchdowns. On the year, he has been incredibly consistent, with five games over 100 yards receiving, and the lowest output of the year being 79 yards last week against Washington State. Troy transfer Tez Johnson has also made a quick impact, with 28 catches for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns this season.
The big question mark going into the season was the offensive line. The Ducks lost four regular, three-year starters, including All-American LT T.J. Bass, RG Ryan Walk, All-Pac-12 First-Team C Alex Forsyth, and RT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. The only returning regular starter was LG Marcus Harper II.
To shore up all of the gaps left behind by so many veterans, the Ducks brought in Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference First-Team RT Ajani Cornelius from Rhode Island, and elevated LT Josh Conerly Jr., who played in jumbo packages as a true freshman, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, who started one game last season, and RG Steven Jones, who has had multiple starts over his career but has been limited by injuries, as starters.
Up to this point, they have done an excellent job protecting Nix, allowing only 4 sacks this season. They have also opened up several wide openings for Irving and James in the run game, but again, they have not yet been tested against a top rushing defense like Utah.
Defense
In 2022, Oregon had a middle-of-the-pack defense, ranking 4th in the conference in rush yards allowed per game, 7th in pass yards allowed per game, and 5th in points allowed per game. After losing five top defensive players to the NFL, including All-Pac-12 First-Team and first round pick CB Christian Gonzalez, sack leader LB DJ Johnson, LB Noah Sewell, and leading tackler S Bennett Williams, a drop off in 2023 was expected.
However, the opposite has happened. Oregon is now ranked 3rd in the Pac-12 in passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and points allowed per game. Once again, this could be due to the opponents faced up to this point. Of the six teams the Ducks have played this season, four have a rush offense ranked #116 or worse in the nation in rushing yards per game.
The same can’t be said about the pass defense, however. Oregon faced the top three passing offenses in the country and held their own in those contests. Much of that success in the secondary can be attributed to three solid transfer players: Ole Miss transfer S Tysheem Johnson, who leads the team with 39 tackles, Alabama transfer CB Khyree Jackson, who has a sack, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass deflections in his first year as starter, and Fresno St transfer and 3-time team captain S Evan Williams, who is second on team with 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The defensive ends have wreaked all kinds of havoc on opposing quarterbacks, led by 3-year starting DE Brandon Dorlus, who leads the team with 4 sacks. Another transfer, South Carolina DE Jordan Burch has another 3.5 sacks. Overall, the Ducks are tied with Utah for 5th in the nation in sacks with 25 on the year.
The linebacker group returns two starters, Jamal Hill and Jeffrey Bassa, and true freshman Teitum Tuioti and Iowa transfer Jestin Jacobs are also in the rotation.
Summary
The stats and the personnel don’t necessarily match up with Oregon. It’s unusual to see an offensive line undergo so much turnover and yet still have so much success protecting the passer and opening holes for the run game.
The same can be said for the defense. The numbers look fantastic, but most teams that bring in so many transfers and that must replace the number of starters that the Ducks did need more time to find consistency. That just hasn’t been the case for Oregon. So far, things have worked out quite well for the 8th ranked Ducks.
A game like this, on the road against an opponent like Utah with a top-15 defense, will answer some of those questions. Is this team for real, or have they just been the beneficiaries of a weak schedule? We’ll find out Saturday.
