After Further Review: Bo Nix, Oregon Ducks defense hammers Utah in statement win
It is rare that an Oregon football fan can say after a victory over a Power-Five heavyweight the outcome was never in doubt. But on Saturday before shocked fans in Salt Lake City’s sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium, it can now be said, “it was never in doubt.” The Ducks raced to a first-quarter lead and then physically dominated the Utah Utes in the trenches, 35-6, surprising many who were accustomed to seeing the Utes owning both sides of the line of scrimmage in the past two years, convincingly winning the Pac-12 championship. Now Utah is outside, looking in at chances for making the Pac-12’s last championship game in December.
Pregame, landing in Salt Lake, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning laid out the game plan: “We have yet to play a complete game this season.” In that Utah had not lost a game at home in three years, covering 18 games, it looked like a dire situation despite the fact the Ducks were favored by 6-8 points. The last time the Ducks sipped champagne after playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium was when freshman quarterback Justin Herbert hit Darren Carrington with a late fourth-quarter pass in the end zone for a surprise victory.
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is a national leader in passing completion percentage and passing efficiency. He continued his cool execution behind a young offensive line that refused to give up a sack. Nix completed 24-of-31 passes (77%) for 248 yards and two touchdowns. He would have had better stats if leading receiver Troy Franklin had not dropped two throws, including one in the first half where he was open deep for a touchdown. Franklin recovered, leading Duck receivers with eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Oregon defense deserves respect for prowess
It is a bit of a surprise of how coordinator Tosh Lupoi has brought the defensive unit together as a force to be nationally respected since the Colorado win four games ago. The front four, led by Brandon Dorlus, Jordan Burch, Popo Aumavae, and Casey Rogers, have developed a fearsome pass rush that has tormented quarterbacks and taken pressure off the secondary. Lupoi also has the luxury of eight front-guys that he can cycle in to keep the troops fresh.
The linebacking corps is deeper, more talented, and more physical than in recent past, effective in pass coverage and run defense. Against the Utes, the Duck defense forced four turnovers: two on fourth down stops and two interceptions by defensive back Tysheem Johnson. Allowing only 5-of-15 third down conversions and one-of-three on fourth down, Lanning finally saw his Oregon team playing the kind of defense he coached as defensive coordinator of the national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
No one epitomizes how much the defense has improved more than safety Evan Williams, who was exploited by Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. for two critical plays in the Ducks’ red zone as the Huskies came from behind in their heartbreaking win two weeks ago. Rather than dwelling on mistakes, Williams had eight unassisted tackles last week against the Cougars and seven total against Utah. Since the Stanford game, Williams has become a terror on the safety blitz, putting painful pressure on quarterbacks as they are throwing and allowing the man coverage of the secondary to improve game by game.
Over the past three games, coach Lupoi has called more blitzes than I’ve observed from Oregon defenses in the past. What has allowed this is the combination of a huge front line with exceptional quickness for their size and secondary players like Williams and cornerbacks like Jahlil Florence and Khyree Jackson who can blitz and either avoid blocks or run over offensive blockers to get to the quarterback. It also helps that the pass rushers have been exceptional in getting their hands up in the throwing lanes, even when they are being blocked or held.
The Ducks only had two sacks against Utah, but there were countless times when rushing defenders burst into the quarterback’s vision and forced errant throws. As the game wore on, Ute quarterback Bryson Barnes, a hero last week in a last second win over USC, was noticeably slow in getting back to his feet after being knocked down in passes that missed the mark.
Bo Nix leads offense calmly and effectively
Coach Lanning’s ball club learned a lot about playing in front of loud, obnoxious fans in their victory over Texas Tech and their loss in Seattle. Although getting the game started with a delay of game penalty likely sent shivers of dread for what might be coming among Duck faithful, Nix coolly orchestrated an offensive show that was balanced and effective. Oregon gained 142 yards rushing against a defense that was allowing only 78 per game, 390 yards total offense, scored 35 points against the Ute’s 15-point average and was successful on 5-of-10 third-down conversions and five touchdowns in five trips to the red zone.
The Duck offense played an impeccable first half - until their last possessions where they went three-and-out twice in a row. The Utah offense, somnolent to that point in the face of a fierce pass rush and excellent tackling by Oregon, got untracked and began to move, mostly through the air. Barnes got enough time to complete five-of-seven throws but ran out of time at the Duck 12-yard line and was forced to settle for a field goal. Although the Utes were disappointed not getting a touchdown, they had momentum, and the crowd, going wild as they headed to the locker room. Time would tell if they could build on it, getting the kickoff to begin the third quarter.
Oregon’s defense to that point never looked better: they held the Utes to 4-of-10 third-down conversions and forced two turnovers on an interception and a failed fourth-down conversion attempt. The sellout crowd was shocked - the finesse of Nix and the Oregon offense, combined with ferocious tackling and pursuit by the defense made for a lot of downcast looks amongst Utah faithful.
Relax, Oregon fans, this team is of a new age: the defense shut out the Utes the rest of the way; a trio of three-and-outs, and two turnovers and then popped the champagne. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, the most tenured coach in the Pac-12, endured a painful thumping, exacerbated by a bunch of injuries to key players who likely would have made this game more competitive.
After the game, Lanning observed that “we have an exceptional, special quarterback” and said this was the first time he saw the team play a four-quarter game. Oregon scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter to establish an insurmountable 35-6 lead, but was forced to punt its last three possessions and took three false start penalties. Watching Nix’s reactions on the field and on the sideline after, he was upset with the sloppy mistakes. It is because of his intensity and ownership in his leadership position that the Ducks may continue their ascent into higher achievement.
Next up, a trap game with the California Golden Bears, coming off a painful 50-49 loss to USC. Head coach Justin Wilcox is fighting for his job and Cal always finds ways to frustrate Oregon. If you hadn’t noticed, the Ducks have a round decal with the number 64 on the back of their helmets. It’s a tribute instituted by coach Lanning to the memory of Oregon and San Francisco 49er Pro Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox, father to Justin. As a former Duck player, this game is special for Justin, and playing one in honor of his dad might be the energy that could make this game especially challenging for the Ducks.
This week's coach's show will be at 3 p.m. at the 6th Street Grill on Wednesday.
After playing at Oregon, Ken Woody coached college football for 18 years as an assistant at Oregon, Washington, Utah State and Washington State and as a head coach at Whitman College and Washington University-St. Louis. He has been a commentator on Oregon football on Fox, Prime Sports Northwest and KCPQ. He conducts a free, weekly coaching clinic at the 6th Street Grill during the season. Plays from Oregon games are analyzed, there are scouting reports for opponents, and highlights from referees; all to learn about football and understand why the Ducks win or lose.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Bo Nix, Oregon Ducks football defense hammer Utah in statement victory
