The Oregon Ducks have looked the part so for in 2025 but Dan Lanning must be ready to correct a weakness that is beginning to appear on the Ducks defense
The Oregon Ducks displayed a glaring weakness against Oklahoma State that must be corrected before BIG-10 play.
The Oregon Ducks have handled business through the first two weeks of the 2025 season, racing out to a 2-0 start and flashing plenty of the offensive firepower fans have come to expect. But beneath the early success, a familiar concern might surface. Oregon’s run defense has shown cracks against lesser opponents—an issue that could loom large once the Ducks face tougher competition in BIG-10 play and beyond.
In week two against Oklahoma State, the Ducks held the Cowboys to 144 rushing yards on 42 carries for a 3.4 yards per carry average. On the surface, that’s excellent, and most fans would be happy with that result. But there’s more to the story for those who watched the tape.
The Ducks struggled to tackle Oklahoma State running back Kalib Hicks, who rattled off 63 rushing yards on 14 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Hicks is a bigger back who weighs 215 pounds and displayed an impressive ability to break tackles and run through would-be Duck defenders. He repeatedly broke arm tackles and scampered to the second level. While the Ducks were ultimately unharmed by Hicks’s success on the ground, the tape illustrated a larger issue that could loom when the games are more competitive.
In 2024, the Ducks were arguably the best team in the country, but they had one glaring weakness all year: their run defense. They continually struggled to tackle bigger, physical backs and were absolutely gashed by backs such as Ashton Jeanty and Nicholas Singleton. They even allowed Purdue to gain over 200 yards against them on the ground.
With BIG-10 play on the horizon, the Ducks must find a way to tackle more consistently and get bigger running backs to the ground. Teams like Penn State, with extremely talented runners, will take advantage of this weakness and look to impose their will on the Ducks if they can’t show they can stop the run.
The one positive thing the Ducks have going for them is that head coach Dan Lanning has shown an ability to adjust and address a weakness on the fly, and I am sure he was not pleased with what he saw on tape Saturday regarding the broken tackles.
I expect a motivated Ducks defense this Saturday against Northwestern. I hope the Ducks’ run defense looks better than it did against Oklahoma State, and if the Ducks hope to make a run in the playoffs, it will undoubtedly have to improve.
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