By Aaron Heisen
Anyone have Casey Rogers anytime touchdown? How about Kilohana Haasenritter over 35.5 rushing yards?
Doubt it.
It was tough to see and believe it, but behind the ash and smoke that fogged up the Eugene sky, this was the same Oregon Ducks team that failed to score a touchdown and missed 29 tackles last week against Georgia.
Although they faced a significantly less daunting opponent in Eastern Washington University, the Ducks cleaned up their tackling miscues — apart from conceding a 48-yard kickoff return — and Bo Nix’s only forced pass was deflected into the hands of Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson for a 19-yard touchdown.
On Saturday, Oregon’s fans experienced a similar feeling to one that Georgia’s faithful felt during Week 1. Its opponents failed to wrap up and finish tackles, while forcing downfield throws which resulted in acrobatic interceptions. The Ducks capitalized off the Eagles’ slew of errors on their way to a 70-14 win.
The victory was a compilation of positive moments which made it clear to head coach Dan Lanning that his players’ learned from their first loss.
“There’s a lot that we can still improve on,” head coach Dan Lanning said. “Did we see improvement? Yeah. We tackled better. We played more physically at the point of attack. We were able to complete passes and not put the ball in jeopardy.”
Along with cleaning up these fundamentals, the Ducks seemingly began to understand that sustained success this season will be a product of trusting one another.
It started with discipline on defense. Instead of throwing their bodies at opposing ball carriers and making business decisions in the open field hoping their counterparts would finish off the job, the Ducks’ tacklers sat on the balls of their feet, using their torsos to create contact and their arms to finish off the tackle. They held the Eagles under 100 yards through three quarters.
The offense built off the foundation set by the defense. Nix, in particular, showed a level of maturity that was absent from his performance against Georgia. He began the game completing his first nine attempts and finished 28-of-33 for 277 yards and five touchdowns, before Ty Thompson made his 2022 debut midway through the third quarter.
“I thought he made some really good decisions and operated really well,” Lanning said. “Overall, I thought he did a really good job of understanding what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The game plan was to focus on the fundamentals: Get the ball out quickly and let my playmakers do the work, Nix said.
He subscribed to that ideology, entrusting his teammates. While the Eagles defense surely presented opportunities to showcase his arm talent, Nix elected otherwise.
A positive outcome, nonetheless.
On the second drive of the game, the Ducks faced second-and-6 on the 29-yard-line. As Nix stood comfortably in the pocket, shifting through his progressions, running back Byron Cardwell tried to break free on a wheel route down the sideline.
The Eagles defense tried to bait Nix into forcing the throw, which, if threaded, could have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, he pump-faked to Cardwell and found tight end Moliki Matavao open underneath Cardwell’s route for a 16-yard gain and first down. He kept the chains moving rather than taking a risk.
Three plays later, Noah Whittington walked in for a touchdown.
Along with Whittington’s score, Oregon’s committee approach gave four different running backs an opportunity to find the end zone on the ground. Following the game, Lanning chose not to show his cards on the details of each running back’s individual role, but it’s clear the committee approach is one that he and his staff will depend on throughout the season.
“It allows you to be fresh,” Lanning said. “It allows you to be able to play at a really high level consistently throughout. If somebody gets dinged, you have somebody else who you feel confident can go in there and execute at a high level.”
To them, it’s an advantageous strategy.
However, it will only reach its potential if each player buys into it. On Saturday, Lanning saw that process blossom as the Ducks’ running backs cheered for one another each time their teammate trotted into the end zone.
Lanning and his staff also hoped to manufacture a memorable moment for senior tight-end Cam McCormick, who wore the late Spencer Webb’s No. 18 jersey, in honor of his friend. On first-and-goal from the two, early in the third quarter, McCormick darted out right and Nix hit him in stride. After he crossed the goal line, the ball popped out. While the play was reviewed — and ultimately upheld — it didn’t take away from the gravity of the moment.
His first touchdown since 2017, after sustaining multiple season ending injuries. His first touchdown since Webb passed away, this past July.
“We were waiting to share that moment together,” McCormick said. “So I’m super thankful that I was able to share that moment wearing his jersey because I felt like he was there and watching over me, you know, cheering me on.”
Teammates crowded McCormick outside of the end zone as the Ducks rejoiced together.
With little resistance, the Ducks improved to 1-1 on the season. To retain that success as the season progresses, that unselfish nature — displayed by the running backs, and Nix’s willingness to let his playmakers affect the game — must become contagious throughout the program.
After opening the season with two blowouts, it’s tough to gauge where the Ducks stand. Their third game — against the No. 21 Brigham Young Cougars — will be the real measurement to determine a potential destiny for this season.
The Ducks host the Cougars at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.
