Depending on how you choose to look at it, the outcome of last Saturday’s game against Arizona State could mean one of two things for the Oregon football team.
If you’re of a pessimistic nature, you might look at the 42-31 victory as a warning sign — an indication that this team isn’t as good as we all thought it might be. Turnovers, penalties, and miscues were abundant, and the offense simply was not clicking in the manner it did against Oregon’s first three opponents.
Then there’s the more positive outlook. A win is a win, particularly in a conference game on the road, and as Chip Kelly said to reporters after the game, “It’s great when you have teachable moments after a ‘W.”
Though I am a pessimist by nature (Chicago sports drove it into me), I fall on Kelly’s side of the argument in this case.
First things first: Arizona State is a good football team. We assumed as much going into the matchup, and the Sun Devils proved it on Saturday. Their defense was all over the field, the running game broke some big plays, and Steven Threet was solid when he wasn’t throwing interceptions.
There is no shame in winning by 11 on the road against this team, and the margin would have been greater had Casey Matthews been allowed to return a fumble recovery for a touchdown, which he almost certainly would have done had the referees not blown the play dead. Sure, it was sloppy, but you couldn’t have expected 40-point blowouts during conference play.
Which, of course, brings me back to Kelly’s point. There were plenty of “teachable moments” in this game, and now the team will have a whole week to repair the chinks in its armor.
Really, what would be more beneficial a week before a key matchup with Stanford? Another stat-padding blowout, or a close game filled with mistakes to correct?
I’d go with the latter, because Stanford will provide an even tougher challenge for this Oregon team. Like Arizona State, the Cardinal is fast and very physical. Stanford punished the Ducks last year, and it also has a certain quarterback named Andrew Luck.
The Ducks will have to be at their best on Saturday, and now, thanks to Arizona State, they know exactly what they have to do to ensure that.
Darron Thomas and LaMichael James had some troubles connecting on handoffs; they now have a week to work those issues out. Ditto for an offensive line that struggled with run blocking, and a defense that was gashed by the Sun Devils for 597 total yards.
After three weeks of mostly dominating opponents on both side of the ball, the Ducks have finally pinpointed issues that need to be addressed. Better that happens before the Stanford game than after, right?
Beyond all of that, there were plenty of positives to take away from the Arizona State game in general.
LaMichael James, despite being bottled up for much of the game, still ended up with over 100 yards on the ground. Darron Thomas absorbed some punishing hits, managed to steady himself, and threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns.
And for all of the defense’s problems, it still managed to force seven turnovers, including the game-clinching interception.
There is something to be said about a team that falls behind by 10 points on the road, scores 14 unanswered in less than four minutes, and manages to hold the lead for the rest of a game. A lesser squad might have folded before halftime, and no matter how ugly it was, the Ducks proved their moxie last Saturday.
That resilience, more than anything else, is why I feel confident that Oregon will shine this week against Stanford. The Ducks understand the stakes, have identified what must be improved and most importantly, know exactly how to do it.
[email protected]