The Ducks did about as well as any coach or fan would’ve hoped in the 77-21 decimation of Southern Utah. Fixing a few things here and there, and they just about had a perfect game.
“I think all the problems we did have, they’re all coachable,” head coach Willie Taggart said. “We can tackle better, which we did in the second half.”
Oregon did allow a touchdown on the first drive of the season, but from then on, the defense improved. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt has yet to speak to the media, but Taggart said the he was pleased. The two other touchdowns came from one big play, and the other was because of a special teams turnover.
Overall, the defense played well — a welcome sight for the fans and Leavitt.
“He was enouraged, same as myself,” Taggart said. “That first drive wasn’t necessarily what we wanted it to be, but our guys adjusted and played better after that. … Overall he was encouraged and happy with the progress our guys are making.”
Offensively there wasn’t anything that went wrong, as seen in the scoreboard, so it can be difficult to pin down where this defense can improve.
“I think they can score at least 78,” Taggart said. “Those guys can just continue to execute and whatever points we get out of it to win a ball game we’ll take.”
Taggart cited penalties as key areas of improvement. He pointed out the pass interference calls and how it hurt them because they were on third downs, giving the opponent more opportunities. Tackling was another issue. But again, Taggart felt they improved within the game.
Oregon’s next opponent is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are a significantly better team than Southern Utah, but Taggart wants his guys to focus on themselves and what they can improve. It doesn’t matter if they just scored 77 points.
“It can never be about our opponent, its got to be about us,” he said. “It don’t matter what happened the game before us. We play that game and move on.”
Taggart’s debut as the coach at Western Kentucky was against then No. 9 Nebraska in Lincoln, Nerbaska. He lost 49-10, but a lot has changed since then.
“I actually saw a picture of me and my son, Willie [Taggart] Jr., he was so small, and now he’s taller then I am, but that’s about it.”
Linebacker Kaulana Apelu and safeties Juwaan Williams and Khalil Oliver were injured during the Southern Utah game, but Taggart said he expects them to play on Saturday.
Everyone was also introduced to “swag surfin’”, a move where players lock arms and sway back-and-forth.
“It’s something that I encourage,” Taggart said. “I believe in it. You guys heard me say it before, but enthusiasm is contagious. If you just watch the sideline, some of the people in the stands and if you hear all the people talking about it you can tell how contagious it is.”
Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @Butler917