It’s not the best time to be an Oregon wide receiver right now. With the quarterback situation still in flux there aren’t a lot of passes going around.
The Ducks average 210 passing yards per game, which ranks them 83rd in the country. In the 45-38 upset loss against Washington State last Saturday, they mustered just 123 yards through the air.
Most of those attempts were short passes to the likes of Bralon Addison and Royce Freeman, who combined to account for 11 of the 13 catches against the Cougars.
The lack of a passing attack has left talented wide receivers like Dwayne Stanford searching for ways to contribute on offense. On the season, Stanford has eight catches for 158 yards and one touchdown — though most of that came early in the year.
Stanford took the time after practice to discuss Oregon’s offense and the upcoming showdown with rival Washington.
Looking back at Washington State, what were the things that stood out?
We left too many points on the board. We had a couple of drives where we didn’t get any points — field goals or touchdowns. The defense got multiple stops for us, and as an offense we’ve got to score.
Do you feel like the inconsistency at quarterback has hurt the passing game?
That is just an excuse. We have to deal with and make plays with whoever is out there, whether that’s Lockie, Vernon, Taylor, Bralon, one of the o-linemen — we just got to make plays.
How big is this rivalry game against Washington?
Anytime you play Washington it’s a big game, but it’s just the game this week. Last week, it was Washington State. Now, its Washington. Next week it will be whomever we play.
The Huskies’ defense is number one in the Pac-12 in points allowed. What have you seen from them?
They do a good job of rallying to the ball; don’t miss too many tackles. Once we get out there we just have to make plays and make guys miss once we get out into the open field.
Are there things you can do specifically to get open as a receiver?
Run crisp routes with speed, just the same things I’ve been doing.
What is the key to staying positive even if balls aren’t coming your way very often this year?
It’s hard. Those are my teammates, so I can’t get down on them. Those are my brothers, so I can’t go crazy on the sidelines. That wouldn’t be a good look. It’s just being mature about the whole situation.
What would it mean to get Vernon back onto the field?
I think it would be good for us, as long as he comes out, plays well and does what he is capable of doing. I think the other two quarterbacks have been doing the best that they can — we just have to rally around whoever is playing quarterback.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur
Take a knee: Dwayne Stanford talks Oregon’s passing attack, quarterback situation
Christopher Keizur
October 12, 2015
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