Oregon Ducks may have one real problem on their hands despite double-digit win over the Northwestern Wildcats
The Ducks are 3-0 after beating Northwestern and these are my five takeaways after watching the game.
The Oregon Ducks are now 3-0 following the team’s 34-14 victory against Northwestern. While the team was happy to win in the first game away from Autzen Stadium, the overall performance was not up to Dan Lanning’s standards. But, as they say, a win is a win, and starting conference play with a victory is always nice. This game was the most “competitive” game the Ducks have had this season, and some clear takeaways from this game should be discussed.
Post game takeaways
Rush defense is a looming issue
After watching the Oklahoma State game film last week, my biggest takeaway was that the run defense issues from last season may be beginning to rear their ugly head, and I fear I was correct. In today’s game, Northwestern backs routinely broke tackles and were able to churn out chunk gains to pick up first downs. They averaged 4.8 yards per game and seemingly got positive yards on the ground whenever they wanted. The concern here is that Northwestern was able to do this without their starting running back, Cam Porter, who is out for the remainder of the year with an injury. If Oregon wants to have a chance to compete for the national title, the run defense has to be much better.
Freshman running backs are legit
What a haul the 2025 recruiting class has turned out to be. I was extremely excited about Dakorien Moore for good reason, as he’s been as advertised, but the emergence of true freshman running backs Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordan Davison has been remarkable. Hill Jr. led the team in rushing today with five carries for 94 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown, highlighting his speed and burst. Hill Jr. has game-breaking big play potential and should definitely be more involved in the offense moving forward. Along with Hill, Davison has also shown to be a force with the ball in his hands. The true freshman from Mater Dei found the end zone for the third straight game this season and has proven to be a dynamic short-yardage and goal-line runner. The combination of Hill Jr. and Davison could be amazing for years to come.
Dante Moore has the potential to be special
Moore just continues to show that he is one of the best passers in the country. He displayed outstanding touch and accuracy throughout the game, and his ability to survey the field is excellent. Moore is a complete quarterback with the athleticism to use his legs to escape the pocket, but he always has his eyes downfield looking to complete a pass to his weapons. The stat sheet might not show it as he only had 178 passing yards and just one touchdown, but it’s clear that Moore was in complete control today and has the talent to take the Ducks to a deep playoff run.
Jerry Mixon just makes plays
One of the bright spots for the Ducks’ defense, not just today but this whole season, has been the emergence of the Ducks’ linebacker Jerry Mixon. The junior linebacker entered the year as a rotational player, splitting snaps with Devon Jackson, but Mixon has been excellent on the field. He had back-to-back games with interceptions and flashed his range and speed today, making plays sideline to sideline in the run game. He looks like a player who may need to be a full-time starter next to Bryce Boettcher.
The team looked flat in the first game outside of Autzen
A win is a win, but the Ducks did not play their best football. The team looked flat to start the game and was getting pushed around up front, which is not characteristic of this team. It’s not surprising that this was the team’s first game away from Autzen Stadium, and since this was Big Noon Kickoff, the Ducks were playing a 9 a.m. body clock game, which certainly didn’t do them any favors. With that said, the team cannot afford to come out sluggish against tougher competition and must be ready to play a full four quarters when the games start to get more competitive.
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