Report Card: Will the real Oregon Ducks please stand up?
It’s so hard to judge a team that plays an FCS opponent that clearly is on a different level. But considering how things went around the country with several upsets, Oregon’s 70-14 win over Eastern Washington was a pleasant sight to see.
Bo Nix threw for five touchdowns with no interceptions and looked like the senior quarterback he is. Oregon’s receivers and tight end dominated the smaller and slower Eagles secondary and the running backs, kept plugging along.
On the defensive side of the ball, Oregon forced two turnovers, including a Pick-6. It wasn’t exactly the prettiest of plays, but six points is six points.
But for the second straight game, the linebackers were relatively pedestrian. They weren’t bad, but didn’t do anything special either and that has to be a concern moving forward.
All in all, a win is a win and Dan Lanning and the Ducks will definitely take it. Here’s how the report card looks for everyone involved.
Quarterback
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Grade: A
Bo Nix came out and was throwing darts to receivers in the early going. He was 28-of-33 for 277 yards and five touchdowns. It was a performance Oregon needed as a team and what Nix needed individually.
Ty Thompson also received some much-needed playing time as he was 5-of-7 for 63 yards against the Eagle backup defense.
More of this please.
Running Backs
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A-
Once again, it was tailback-by-committee for the Ducks as five different running backs saw playing time, No one emerged as the top dog, however. Everyone had their moments. Three different tailbacks found the end zone with Mar’Quise Irving leading the way with 74 yards and a touchdown.
Receivers/Tight Ends
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A+
This group played up to their capabilities and showed how scary good they can be. Troy Franklin is quickly becoming a very good receiver that is hard to cover. He caught 10 balls for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Terrance Ferguson scored twice, including a touchdown where he won a tip drill, went through a defender and spun himself into the end zone. But it was Cam McCormick who had the highlight of the night as he scored a touchdown for the first time since 2017 while wearing No. 18, the jersey number of the late Spencer Webb.
Offensive line
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
Oregon’s offensive line opened up holes for the backs all night long and protected the quarterbacks to the tune of zero sacks given up. They could have imposed their will a little more, but they got the job done.
Defensive line
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
This is the line that imposed their will on the opponent. Oregon’s front four was in the backfield a ton and held Eastern Washington to just 100 rushing yards and Brandon Dorlus had a tackle for loss. Again, it’s difficult to properly judge against such an inferior opponent. Next week will be the big test with BYU coming.
Linebackers
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Grade: C-
This has to be a concern. Oregon’s linebackers should have been in EWU quarterback Gunner Talkington’s face a lot more than they were. DJ Johnson did record a sack, but that was the only noteworthy thing this group did. It’s only going to become more difficult from here. Hopefully, they were just saving themselves for the upcoming schedule.
Secondary
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Grade: A
The secondary played great and welcome to Autzen Stadium Christian Gonzalez. The transfer from Colorado intercepted a pass as did Twikweze Bridges, which led to a touchdown.
Eastern Washington’s Freddie Roberson, an All-Big Sky selection and one of the best receivers on the FCS level, caught just three balls for 33 yards. One of those receptions was for a touchdown, but other than that, Roberson was never really open. There wasn’t going to be another Cooper Kupp-like performance on this night.
Special Teams
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Grade: A
Camden Lewis’ leg got a good workout in as he was a perfect 10-for-10 on extra points. Adam Barry punted just once for 39 yards. It’s always a good day when the punter sees the field one time.
