CFP SF: #5 Oregon v #1 Indiana (Jan. 9, Fri 4:30 PM ESPN)

[SuperDuck]

I’m right with you Pez. Even today I talked to some people at Church and they’re like “if the ducks just clean things up on offense” which I reminded them we’ve said that many times this season after close wins against good defenses yet somehow in every big game when our offense has a chance to stomp on the opponent’s throat, they find a way to shoot themselves in the foot (bad interception, bad exchange on a handoff, dumb penalty, guard stepping on the QB’s foot, stupid unnecessary roughness).

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Actually, the coaching staff has made several changes on offense designed to help protect Dante.

2 RBs in the backfield at once.
2 TE sets
Moving the pocket more

The positive there is better protection. The takeaway is removing offensive assets and turning them into blockers.

We really should have scored more against Texas Tech, but we shot ourselves in the foot too many times with poor snaps, all the things you mentioned, etc. We absolutely MUST clean that up when we play IU or we'll be in for a long night.

I think we have a chance, but only if we play a clean game and find some weakness or weaknesses, IU has that we can exploit in their defense.

[ducksrock]

This situation presents itself as The Ducks opportunity of opportunities, to claim a Natty. Double backs can help protect Dante and also serve as a possible outlet receiver, in the flats, should the pocket start to collapse. Of course, any such outlet pass, would require an outlet receiver to quickly identify a pocket collapse, and cut loose to be in a position to receive an outlet pass, and then be able to pick up yardage after a reception. That's a lot to request, against a very talented defense.
I think the key is to get passes out of Dante's hands ASAP and attempt to pick up shorter gains, to facilitate shorter 2nd and/or 3rd/4th down conversions.
Use the run game, to keep the defense honest (I know this goes the reverse direction of conventional wisdom) and then transition to our more traditional run first mantra, as the game progresses.
Desparate times require desperate measures..
This is going to be a tough game, and barring poor officiating and/or injuries, should be a great game to watch.
Am I an offensive guru? Hell No. Have I watched a ton of Duck Football? Definately...
In Conclusion: GOOOO DUCKS, Let's Grab That Elusive Natty.

[dthomas=ddixon]

I’m glad you mentioned the tOSU game, pez. It’s a perfect example of what we just haven’t seen this season. That was a great defense yet we found ways to exploit their weaknesses, move the ball, and get TDs. Challenging and beating their DBs deep to start the game was a thing of beauty.

For whatever reason, we just haven’t seen that at all this year.

[pezsez1]

I’m glad you mentioned the tOSU game, pez. It’s a perfect example of what we just haven’t seen this season. That was a great defense yet we found ways to exploit their weaknesses, move the ball, and get TDs. Challenging and beating their DBs deep to start the game was a thing of beauty.

For whatever reason, we just haven’t seen that at all this year.

Would love to hear others chime in on this, but my feeling there is that we haven't had a duo like Tez and Stewart since that game. Not long after, Tez got hurt, and the offense stalled without him. Tez came back, things were good, but then Stewart was hurt for the Rose Bowl.

I think reaching our offensive potential relies on having two home-run receivers who can constantly stretch the field.

This year it was supposed to be Moore and Stewart, but Stewart got hurt. However, I feel the receivers we have this season are far better than last year's at making quick, contested catches, so we've been able to find ways to still be effective. But now that we've had McClellan and Benson stepping up and with Moore back in the fold, I feel like we finally have the ingredients to cook up an aggressive downfield passing attack again.

Protecting Moore on deep shots might be an issue, but it's worth noting that Indiana has lost two of its best pass rushers since the last time we saw them and their DL doesn't seem as feared as Texas Tech's. And the last time we played, I really felt the bigger issue was Moore having happy feet and not the line completely breaking down.

[bdkipe]

I think people overlook that Stein also seems to change calls based on Dante's mindset to try and get him right quickly when Dante goes sideways during games.

I actually love that about Stein. IU clearly rattled Dante. Early. Badly. I think in hindsight, that was why Stein went away from the runs...which were working at that point... because at the time he felt he had to try and get Dante's confidence back...and fast...for the rest of the game. Dan and Stein have admitted that there are things they wanted back. Look at the script against Rutgers. Stein got Dante's confidence rolling with quick, easy completions and away we went.

On the other side, our D can hold the fort against them. See below:

They average 470 yards a game and 42 points a game.
We held them to 326 yards and 30 points

I think for us the key is going to be turning it into a straight up streetfight. Something Alabama wasn't and isn't capable of doing.

Stein prefers 1-1 with athletes in space, Haines wants to disguise where that space is and create so much confusion that you take forever looking for it while his exotic pressures eventually gets home.

The way to beat that is keep it simple and methodical and patient. That is why Iowa had success. That is Iowa's game. Nothing fancy.

IU banks on you getting impatient, confused, frustrated and making a mistake because you want explosion plays. So don't give them that opportunity. Get them in situations where it's our best on their best and accept that they will win some plays and we will win some. As Dan says. Reset. Next play. Go hard. Reset Next play. Go hard. Rinse. Repeat. 60 minutes or as long as it takes.

I think Oregon learned from that and is willing to chip away and get those body blows this times.

I also am interested to see how IU plays when they are the hunted and Oregon has the massive chip on the shoulder. Dan thrives in prepping us when that is the situation.

[rsbgduck]

What I want to see and suspect we will see to a degree are 2 back, 2 TE and a combination of the two in the backfield at the snap plus an extra lineman and run the ball while attacking the flats with our backs and the seams with our TE leaking out of the backfield and when that safety starts coming down to far and fast pass with a deep post. Power ball while dinking and dunking with the pass game. A lot of you won’t like that especially because you’re not going to see chunk yardage until mid 3ed and 4th quarters. One other thing the first time we run a WR screen and those freaking corners are playing within 5 yards of the LOS with no safety roll over and Will doesn’t freaking audible to a pump fake down field my TV is going out the window. I don’t want to hear you have to set that up, we have all damn year! Defenses are expecting it to be set up throughout the game, not at the beginning of it plus emotions are through the roof at the beginning of a game like this and players make mistakes when emotions are high.

We are bigger and faster, don’t just play like it but call plays like it.
JMHO

[bellsduck]

It also drives me crazy when people blame the players, I will always blame the grown ups in the room. I’m so tired of hearing “Stein called the right play but Moore didn’t see the receiver” “if the RB didn’t fumble” “the receiver just ran the wrong route.” I truly believe if we spent this season running a single system on offense and working to perfect it instead of trying so many different formations/packages with a ton of “pre-snap eye candy”, then our offense would execute at a much higher level.

I think if people want to blame the players, that are adults also, and many of them being paid very handsomely in NIL money, then that's ok now too. You can't just accept all the money that's being paid out and accept none of the blame it comes with the territory.

[Greenblood]

I notice that Crepea, in his usual "sneak peek" article before the Ducks' next game, actually has the Ducks losing this one in a tight one. Pretty sure that's a first for this season.

[greenyellow]

[Phalanx]

I notice that Crepea, in his usual "sneak peek" article before the Ducks' next game, actually has the Ducks losing this one in a tight one. Pretty sure that's a first for this season.

I've heard he wears Adidas though, so you can't really trust his judgement.

[greenyellow]

Oregon going green/white/white against Indiana. Good combo against Indiana's mainly red uniforms.

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[Greenblood]

I notice that Crepea, in his usual "sneak peek" article before the Ducks' next game, actually has the Ducks losing this one in a tight one. Pretty sure that's a first for this season.

I've heard he wears Adidas though, so you can't really trust his judgement.

Well there you go!

[droop10]

Word on Scoopduck boards is that Davison broke his collarbone in the first quarter of the Tech game, and had surgery today. That's going to be a big blow if true.

[StevensTechU]

Word on Scoopduck boards is that Davison broke his collarbone in the first quarter of the Tech game, and had surgery today. That's going to be a big blow if true.

If true, I wonder if Makai Hughes is still with the team. Davison is more cerebral of a runner and Hughes is more of a bruiser, but they're both good short yardage options. Maybe most brutal about it is Davison's blocking can't be replaced.

[droop10]

Word on Scoopduck boards is that Davison broke his collarbone in the first quarter of the Tech game, and had surgery today. That's going to be a big blow if true.

If true, I wonder if Makai Hughes is still with the team. Davison is more cerebral of a runner and Hughes is more of a bruiser, but they're both good short yardage options. Maybe most brutal about it is Davison's blocking can't be replaced.

We'll see. I hope it ends up being a terrible rumor and I jumped the gun on spreading the info, but the guy that posted about it has had pretty reliable info on previous injuries this season (not one of their mods, so I don't feel too bad about sharing the info). Crepea reported Davison was an active participant in practice today, which would contradict this report.