Zoinks! Scooby Wright sacks Mike Bercovici in the fourth quarter of the Territorial Cup last weekend. Note Wright’s meddling right arm, getting ready to slam down on the ball (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports photo).
Over the last two seasons the Ducks have struggled against Arizona’s 3-3-5 stack defense, which puts more mobile athletes on the field and discourages outside running plays, a good counter to the spread offense.
Though limited by key injuries in the two losses, the tape isn’t pretty: Oregon managed just 39% third down conversions versus the Wildcats, while Anu Solomon and B.J. Denker cranked out 61% against the Ducks.
That’s yer ballgame, right there.
In October the Wildcats played great assignment football and cut the Ducks off at the edges. They sacked Mariota 5 times and limited the Webfoots to a season-low 144 yards rushing.
The Ducks need to get their inside running game going in this one, running right at Scooby Wright and that blitzing, stunting front six most of the time, staying, as much as possible, out of third and long and obvious passing situations. Employ the Royce-a-dope strategy that Ali used to beat Frazier in Manila: bruise ’em, batter ’em, get ’em in a clinch. Use the power running game to wear the defense down and break their will.
Gary Campbell pointed out yesterday that Freeman is the rare running back that can be his own blocker when necessary, using his hands and acceleration as well as blunt force to keep defenders off his body. If Hamani Stevens and Cameron Hunt can seal block Wright, Freeman can do the rest.
They did a good job against Arizona’s Tasmanian Devil of a linebacker back in October. Wright was limited to 7 tackles, but the last one, a sack and a forced fumble, was a killer. He’s tenacious. Mariota in particular has to be mindful to protect the ball: six of his career turnovers have come against the red menace from the desert.
The two teams that beat the Wildcats this year, USC and UCLA, did so by shutting down their running game and forcing Anu Solomon to pass. The freshman is a good football player, but he’s prone to occasional mistakes with 7 interceptions, sacked 27 times this year. He doesn’t throw on the run nearly as well as Mariota.
The Ducks have to wrap him up better. For the season he averaged just 2.6 yards a carry, but he had a 19-yard run against UO, scrambling for a couple of other first downs when defenders had a chance to sack him.
One of the hallmarks of Oregon’s 7-game winning streak since that Arizona loss are fast starts. They’ve controlled tempo early in most of these games with efficient scoring drives that reflected a solid game plan and good preparation.
Here are some of the highlights:
2nd quarter, UCLA
TD 9:24 Thomas Tyner 21 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Matt Wogan Kick)
Drive info: 9 plays, 72 yds in 2:40
TD 3:01 Pharaoh Brown 31 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Matt Wogan PAT failed)
Drive info: 9 plays, 77 yds in 3:11
(24-10 lead at halftime).
1st half, Washington
TD 8:28 Royce Freeman 37 Yd Run (Matt Wogan Kick)
Drive info: 7 plays, 81 yds in 1:52
TD 14:54 Royce Freeman 3 Yd Run (Matt Wogan Kick)
Drive info: 17 plays, 81 yds in 6:27
(28-6 lead at halftime)
1st half, Cal
TD 8:49 Dwayne Stanford 22 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 6 plays, 67 yds in 2:06
TD 4:29 Royce Freeman 4 Yd Run (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 7 plays, 46 yds in 2:41
(38-28 lead at halftime)
1st quarter, Stanford
TD 10:52 Charles Nelson 6 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 14 plays, 75 yds in 4:08
TD 6:17 Marcus Mariota 22 Yd Run (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 7 plays, 75 yds in 2:03
(24-13 lead at halftime)
1st half, Utah
TD 9:54 Dwayne Stanford 3 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 8 plays, 41 yds in 2:43
TD 4:51 Pharaoh Brown 6 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Aidan Schneider Kick)
Drive info: 7 plays, 80 yds in 1:55
(24-10 lead at halftime)
1st quarter, Colorado
TD 10:48 Royce Freeman 20 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
Drive info: 8 plays, 68 yds in 1:12
TD 0:10 Marcus Mariota 46 Yd Run (Matt Wogan Kick)
Drive info: 3 plays, 54 yds in 0:47
(30-3 lead at halftime)
1st quarter, Oregon State
TD 12:27 Charles Nelson 29 Yd pass from Marcus Mariota (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)
Drive info: 9 plays, 71 yds in 2:33
FG 7:01 Matt Wogan 30 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 7 plays, 56 yds in 2:23
(30-3 lead at halftime)
That’s a lot of crisp, efficient scoring drives, with a minimum of self-inflicted wounds. The Ducks have scored in the red zone 85% of the time, and 68% of those scores have been touchdowns.
Penalties hurt them badly against Arizona in the first matchup. They committed 10 for 79 yards, and some of those were costly.
Don’t look now, but the Oregon field goal kickers are actually 12-14 kicking 3-pointers this year. They haven’t nailed any monster shots from 50+, but Matt Wogan and Aidan Schneider have been capable and reliable. The Ducks have connected on nine straight and 11 of their last 12, the longest from 40 yards. In 2011-13 the Ducks averaged a paltry 56% kicking FGs, and a handful of made field goals might have brought a couple of national championship trophies to the Hatfield-Dowlin Center. It got to be a thing, that kicking misery, and it could be that the Ducks have kicked it.
Lastly, anyone remember Fabian Moreau, a 2012 high school senior who wanted badly to play for the Ducks? The Broward County, Florida athlete sent a series of emails and highlight tapes to The Duck Stops Here, wanting to get the attention of programs out West.
Two years later, Moreau is a starting cornerback for UCLA, and yesterday he made second team All-PAC12.