8 takeaways from Oregon Ducks’ snap counts in Week 1 vs. Georgia
People watch football in different ways. A lot of fans watch the games, maybe glance at the stats afterward, take a peak at some of the quotes made by players and coaches, and move about their weeks.
Others get more into it than all of that. It’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with how the first group gets after things, but just an acknowledgment that there are fans who dive so deep into the weeds after each and every game, scouring through statistics and numbers to the point where they know the team almost as well as some of the beat reporters who cover the school for a living.
This article is for the latter group of fanatics.
One of my favorite things to do after each and every game is to go through the snap counts, taking a look at which players played the most and the least during the action. From those numbers, we can make plenty of takeaways.
While it took me more time than usual this week to locate the snap counts for the Oregon Ducks — Pro Football Focus releases them as a part of their premium stats — the information that I gained from the numbers remains the same. Let’s get into it.
First, the snap counts…
Total Snaps — 60-70
Offensive Players
QB Bo Nix (68)
LT T.J. Bass (68)
RT Malaesala Auamavae-Laulu (68)
RG Steven Jones (68)
C Alex Forsyth (68)
Defensive Players
No Players topped 60 snaps
Total Snaps — 50-60
Offensive Players
Chase Cota (55)
Defensive Players
S Bennett Williams (57)
CB Christian Gonzalez (55)
Total Snaps — 40-50
Offensive Players
WR Troy Franklin (49)
Defensive Players
S Steve Stephens IV (49)
LB Noah Sewell (46)
S Jamal Hill (42)
Total Snaps — 30-40
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Players
LG Ryan Walk (36)
WR Kris Hutson (32)
LG Marcus Harper (32)
WR Seven McGee (30)
Defensive Players
LB Brandon Dorlus (38)
CB Trikweze Bridges (38)
DL Casey Rogers (37)
LB Mase Funa (37)
LB Justin Flowe (34)
DE DJ James (31)
DL Jordon Riley (30)
Total Snaps — 20-30
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Players
TE Terrance Ferguson (29)
TE Moliki Matavao (29)
WR Dont’e Thornton (21)
Defensive Players
DL Taki Taimani (29)
DL Keyon Ware-Hudson (28)
LB Jeffrey Bassa (27)
LB Treven Ma’ae (26)
S Bryan Addison (24)
CB Jahlil Florence (21)
LB Jackson LaDuke (20)
Total Snaps — 10-20
Offensive Players
RB Jordan James (17)
RB Sean Dollars (17)
TE Patrick Herbert (16)
TE Cam McCormick (14)
RB Bucky Irving (13)
RB Byron Cardwell (13)
Defensive Players
CB Dontae Manning (12)
S JJ Greenfield (11)
Total Snaps — 0-10
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Players
RB Noah Whittington (8)
WR Caleb Chapman (1)
Defensive Players
DL Bradyn Swinson (6)
LB Kieth Brown (2)
DL Keanu Williams (2)
CB Darren Barkins (2)
LB Jake Shipley (2)
Takeaway: Chase Cota Leads WR Corp
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Of any play on the offensive side of the ball who is either A) not the starting QB or B) not a starting offensive lineman, Chase Cota had the most snaps in Week 1. A lot of us predicted depth charts before the season started, and while Cota was usually involved in the two-deep, I didn’t have him as Oregon’s WR1. His stats — 3 catches, 24 yards — weren’t amazing, but we will see if the usage continues.
Takeaway: Bennett Williams, Christian Gonzalez Play Massive Role
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The stalwarts of the defense were projected to be Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, and Brandon Dorlus going into the season, and with good reason. However, it was Bennett Williams and Christian Gonzalez who saw the most playing time against Georgia. They struggled at times against the Bulldogs, but it’s clear that if Oregon is going to be good, they will need these two to be good.
Takeaway: Safety Position Seems Solidified
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
There are still a lot of questions about cornerback depth and who is going to play the most at that position for the Ducks, but by looking at the snap counts, it’s pretty clear that Oregon feels comfortable in their safety position. Both Steve Stephens (49) and Jamal Hill (42) were mainstays on the field, with Bryan Addison (24) occasionally rotating in.
Takeaway: Hutson, McGee Split Slot Duties
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
I was really interested going into Saturday to see how the offense was going to look with both Seven McGee and Kris Hutson vying for a roll in the slot. It turns out that the two, at least in Week 1, split the duties fairly equally. Hutson had 32 snaps, while McGee had 30. Week 2 will tell a lot as the offense likely has more success and opportunity against Eastern Washington.
Takeaway: Transfers Big Part of D-Line
Aside from someone like Brandon Dorlus, I was curious to see which guys got the most run on the defensive line for the Ducks. Would it be Keyon Ware-Hudson or Taki Taimani to step up? It turns out that the pair of transfers from Nebraska — Casey Rogers and Jordon Riley — got the nod on Saturday. Rogers had 37 snaps, and Riley had 30. It appears that the Ducks like the physicality that they bring and are going to ride them going forward.
Takeaway: Jahlil Florence Tops True Freshmen
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
A total of four true freshmen saw the field on Saturday, but none got a bigger chance to prove himself than CB Jahlil Florence, who saw 21 total snaps. A lot of those came in the second half, but it’s clear that Lanning and his staff like this kid and think he can bring a lot to the defense.
Takeaway: RB Committee Split
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Kenny Dillingham talked a lot about a running back by committee approach going into the start of the season. It turns out he wasn’t just disguising his hand. The 5 scholarship backs on Oregon’s roster — Jordan James (17), Sean Dollars (17), Bucky Irving (13), Byron Cardwell (13), and Noah Whittington (8) — all got relatively equal distribution. We’ll see if a bellwether back emerges as the season continues.
Takeaway: Dontae Manning Light Load
(Photo by Zachary Neel | USA TODAY Sports)
As a 5-star cornerback, there has been a lot of hype around the potential held by Dontae Manning. I thought we might see it in Week 1 against Georgia, but that wasn’t the case. Manning only saw 12 plays on the field and was out-snapped by fellow CB Trikweze Bridges (38). We need to see if Manning can step up into a bigger role in the coming games.
