When Oregon’s offense was at the peak of its powers, the tempo at which it moved made it one of the most lethal teams in the nation.
During the 2012 season, the Ducks ranked dead last in time of possession among FBS teams, yet ran the 11th most plays in the country. They were snapping the ball at a dizzying pace, and some teams even went as far as faking injuries to try to slow them down. The Ducks ran 82 plays per game as Marcus Mariota and DeAnthony Thomas led a group of freak athletes who turned games into track meets as opponents wore down.
This year, though, the Ducks have slowed down significantly. Oregon is running 74 plays per game and ranks 58th in the nation in that category. It ranks 121st in the nation in time of possession, but it was much easier to justify not having the ball when the offense scoring at rapid pace. Now, the Ducks are simply failing to convert first downs and turning the ball over as a result.
Several Oregon players and coaches confirmed on Tuesday that the Ducks are still striving for the same tempo on offense that the team always has. Working fast is still part of Oregon’s identity.
“Tempo is something that we do very well,” wide receiver Charle Nelson said after Tuesday’s practice. “We haven’t been able to do that this year. Tempo’s our edge; it gets us going, gets the running game going, gets the passing game going. Without that, we don’t play well.”
The Ducks appeared to do a better job of pushing the pace in freshman quarterback Justin Herbert’s first start against Washington, despite facing a Husky defense that is among the best in the country.
On Herbert’s first career passing touchdown, which came near the ned of the second quarter of the game, he made a remarkable throw across his body and 25 yards downfield to find Tony Brooks-James in the endzone. The play prior, Brooks-James had scattered up the sideline for an 8-yard gain to convert on 4th-and-1 and keep Oregon’s drive alive. From the time Brooks was forced out of bounds to the time Herbert snapped, just 12 seconds elapsed. The Washington defense was out of position, and failed to account for Brooks-James, who had lined up in the slot.
TOUCHDOWN | Justin Herbert with his first career TD pass, finding TBJ. Watch live on FOX. #GoDucks https://t.co/q3Ez5j3QKb
— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) October 9, 2016
This Friday, the Ducks will face a California rushing defense that is the worst in the conference and second-worst in the nation. Oregon has its entire stable of talented running backs entirely healthy for the first time in weeks, and could terrorize the Golden Bears if they run at the tempo Herbert exhibited at times against Washington.
“We haven’t changed from that standpoint,” head coach Mark Helfrich said of Oregon’s tempo and identity on Tuesday. “Are we doing those things perfectly? Absolutely not. We’re not executing in the fashion that we want to, in any phase. I don’t think we ever have, even in the glory years way back when.”
Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jarrid_denney