A pair of Oregon Ducks pass rushers showcased breakout potential that would be huge for Oregon's CFP hopes
You have to take the good with the bad sometimes, and while there were plenty of questions on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive front looked as formidable as advertised.Namely, returning pass rushers Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalelei showed up and filled the stat sheet in their Week 1 win, showing that they […]
You have to take the good with the bad sometimes, and while there were plenty of questions on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive front looked as formidable as advertised.
Namely, returning pass rushers Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalelei showed up and filled the stat sheet in their Week 1 win, showing that they might be on their way to reaching their potential as a duo of athletic, long, and tenacious pass rushers.
Burch and Uiagalelei were living in the opposing backfield last night.
Uiagalelei was credited with five pressures, two sacks, and one hurry, while Burch was credited with five pressures, one sacks, one quarterback hit, three hurries, and a crucial batted pass.
These two were the stars on defense, getting home on their pass rush assignments quickly and effectively.
It wasn't just those two that showed up off the edges. They got plenty of help.
Derrick Harmon, a transfer portal addition that plays on the interior of the defensive line, logged four pressures, one sack, one quarterback hit, and two hurries of his own.
In fact, tons of players got in on the action. The defense was able to generate a robust 20 total pressures and 10 hurries from a combined seven different players, keeping the Idaho quarterback out of rhythm and off his marks consistently throughout the game.
Being able to generate that kind of pressure from all over the defensive line is a massive bonus, and at points throughout the game, defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi brought exotic looks that the Idaho offensive line had to try to account for.
At one point, Uiagalelei was standing up over the offensive guard. This mixed bag approach can bring a lot of confusion and test the communication issues of opposing offensive linemen.
For Oregon to reach their ceiling this year, the defensive front needs to be dominant. It was a promising first showing for this unit in what is expected to be a breakout year.
