It’s no secret that the Ducks’ secondary has struggled this year, ranking last in the Pac-12 in passing defense. Facing a Washington State squad that came into the game with best passing offense in the conference, Oregon looked to have no answer for the Cougars.
Enter Charles Nelson.
While the Cougars still put up 505 yards of offense through the air in its 45-38 win, the fact that Oregon turned to a 5-foot-8, 170-pound sophomore as the answer at safety not only shows how desperate the Ducks are, it shows how talented Nelson is.
“Going out there at first, I was skeptical about it because I didn’t really know how I was going to play or plays that I would make,” Nelson said. “As the game went on, I got more comfortable… just tried to go out there and play.”
Listed as a starting wide receiver by the video board prior to kickoff, Nelson’s first action of the game came when he lined up 13 yards off the ball on defense at the safety position.
His presence was felt on the third play from scrimmage when he came up from his spot to deliver a hit, accounting for his first tackle of the game.
Nelson would go on to finish the game with 12 tackles, six solo and six assisted, and one big highlight hit.
“I feel like I did well for the first time out there but like everybody else, I feel like there’s a lot I can improve on,” Nelson said. “That’s what I’m going to work on.”
The highlight reel type hit came midway through the second quarter.
6-foot-2, 200-pound Washington State receiver Dom Williams caught the ball at the sideline and turned upfield. Before he could take a step forward, Nelson, on a full sprint, drilled Williams so hard that his helmet popped off.
‘They’re both kind of like the same,” Nelson said with a smirk when asked what excites him more, a big hit or a big catch?
Nelson’s switch to defense was somewhat of a surprise considering how much a standout he’s been on offense thus far in his career. He had a solid freshman campaign at wide receiver when he caught 23 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns and added 101 yards on the ground.
Some of his more physical moments during that season came on kick and punt coverage when he consistently beat his opponent downfield to deliver hit after hit. He totaled 17 tackles on the year from special teams alone last season.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Nelson said  when asked which side of the ball he prefers to play on. “I don’t know what’s going to happen – I just go out there and do what I’ve been practicing and hopefully things happen.”
Entering this season, there were rumors that Nelson could see the field as a defensive back. But, once the season began, Nelson found himself on offense.
Those rumors became a reality Saturday.
After the performance against the Cougars, it’s safe to say that Nelson will see the majority of his playing time on the defensive side of the ball the rest of the year.
“We’ll have to wait and watch the tape but his athleticism and his speed obviously showed up,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said. “We’ll have to grade it out once we watch the tape.”
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka