OregonFan4Life wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:47 pm
Game is over so I can finally post! Now to go put some ketchup on my steak.
What a dominant performance by the defense! I know the Purdue offense is struggling but great to see the defense, especially the backups, get the job done and shut them out. And a Kam Patterson sighting! Great pick! And dang I can’t figure out why we don’t see Purchase more on 3rd and long situations, he’s fast! It’s impossible to replace Burch but Matayo is making me feel better about life without him next season, he is just so dominant!
Only criticism is Gabriel, not cause he’s not great, but I swear he gets too bored with a lead. Great game overall but the last two drives of the first half he was a little frustrating.
OK you get your Duck card back.
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine
The Ducks showed what they're made of. Short week, no biggest game in Autzen history last week letdown. Home team with nothing to lose. Played a very efficient game, relied on the defense and our run game to complement DG's OUTSTANDING GAME. Uiagalelei is already a force. Sadiq will be special. Offensive line was great in pass protection as Purdue brought 5 or 6 almost every passing down. Kicking game needs work, but Lanning is trying to get Boyle back up to speed. Tackling was not as sharp as it has been. Too many times we were in position for a tackle for loss or sack and they squirmed away. Breakdown and tackle will be stressed this week. Overall a very workman like dominating victory! The term SPOILERMAKERS is a real lthing especially when they are at home at night with a loud raucous crowd and nothing to lose. Well done DUCKS!!! Refs were seriously trying to derail the Ducks. The white hat was very weird.
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine
dthomas=ddixon wrote:This is basically the UCLA game.
Most of the games sadly. Unable to put the game away in time to get valuable reps for the backups.
It’s weird because we’re obviously good enough. I think tonight has a lot to do with forcing Whittington to get reps, and he just doesn’t have it between the tackles. And our OL doesn’t exactly open up gaping holes.
I think the running woes have more to do with the line then the backs. The backs could probably bounce runs more, but that speaks to how seldom the line is opening up holes. Not like the backs are missing running lanes.
dthomas=ddixon wrote:This is basically the UCLA game.
Most of the games sadly. Unable to put the game away in time to get valuable reps for the backups.
It’s weird because we’re obviously good enough. I think tonight has a lot to do with forcing Whittington to get reps, and he just doesn’t have it between the tackles. And our OL doesn’t exactly open up gaping holes.
I think the running woes have more to do with the line then the backs. The backs could probably bounce runs more, but that speaks to how seldom the line is opening up holes. Not like the backs are missing running lanes.
Agreed. James hides that fact by being able to blow through a lot of contact. Whittington doesn’t and as a result the OL issues are a lot more noticeable when he’s in.
dthomas=ddixon wrote:This is basically the UCLA game.
Most of the games sadly. Unable to put the game away in time to get valuable reps for the backups.
It’s weird because we’re obviously good enough. I think tonight has a lot to do with forcing Whittington to get reps, and he just doesn’t have it between the tackles. And our OL doesn’t exactly open up gaping holes.
I think the running woes have more to do with the line then the backs. The backs could probably bounce runs more, but that speaks to how seldom the line is opening up holes. Not like the backs are missing running lanes.
Agreed. James hides that fact by being able to blow through a lot of contact. Whittington doesn’t and as a result the OL issues are a lot more noticeable when he’s in.
I guess, maybe, but a running back should be expected to run through arm tackles. Whittington just doesn't seem to be able withstand a hard gust of wind at this time.
Many of you have forgotten more about football than I will ever know, but when national guys like Schwartz and at a local level Will Ortner (who I think is a hidden gem with potential) praise the Oline in the run game, I give credence to what they say as people who have played the position.
First, we have to take into account our line was on a short week, traveling across the country AFTER playing a physical, nasty game against tOSU. The adrenaline high and comedown is a very real thing even if you’ve mentally put tOSU to bed and moved onto Purdue.
What I noticed as a fan was they opened holes and there were nice gains to be had for James, Limar and Harris. They struggled with Whittington. IMHO Whittington is obviously ok to play, but he’s physically and mentally not back to 100% and is running with confusion and doubt. That can be contagious to an Oline.
If we remember last year when Bucky got hurt and kinda started dancing and doubting himself, many of us freaked out about the line as well in the last 1/4 of the season.
What I see is a line that is very good in pass pro and road grades on toss sweeps and screen passes.
When they fail on certain plays, we all freak out. The reality is other teams have scholarship players and paid defensive coordinators as well. That’s football. We’re not always going to get 7 yards a carry every play the entire game. That doesn’t mean our line is awful.
To be honest James probably costs himself 30 yards a game at minimum because once he hits the hole it seems his first instinct is to veer into punishing a second or third level defender vs burst to daylight and giddyup. Dude is violent and likes to punish when I think he actually could gamebreak. Maybe I’m wrong.
We used to grip about this with JStew 18 years ago and Coach Campbell finally had him doing vision drills and coached it out of him.
This is all my opinion as a fan, I don’t look at it from the All-22 or x/o standpoint. Just the eye test.
I believe play calling needs to be adjusted to the strength and weakness of the running backs. James can run inside or out, the play book is open. Whittingham has been most effective on runs to the edge and receiving and simply is nowhere near as good as James at navigating in traffic in the box.
The first 2 years we had LMJ and Barner. LMJ was better running inside then Barner and while both could run outside, Barner had a real feel for when to turn up field on outside zone and pin and pull sweeps and Kelly called plays accordingly when he was in the game.
I would like to see Harris get some more opportunities, from this one glimpse and the spring game he may be our best backup to James for between the tackles runs. But maybe we haven't seen him because they have plan to redshirt him to be a rotational back next year when James and Whittingham are likely gone (the Moore plan). I do doubt this though because they have blown 3 of his 4 allowable redshirt games on just a few plays each.
Refs were seriously trying to derail the Ducks. The white hat was very weird.
