Official Game Thread ~ Ducks vs. COUGS...
- Thread starter M-I-Coug
- Start date
581 yards, 43 points, 7.5 YPC. All while being gifted 3 possessions. I agree the defense may end up being better than last year (lowest of bars) but Dickert got his lunch eaten.
We are missing a bunch of talented players and installing a new system so in the end it’s to be expected. My main disappointment is that we looked as though we had never seen an RPO or zone read before. Both plays are mainstays for Morehead.
2nd half was rough. Thing I see though aside from the 3 turnovers. Easily coulda had a few more.
defense is around the ball, Oregon had to have some breaks, convert 4th downs to keep drives alive. QB had to thread a number of passes into tight coverage. It’s a process and there’s a lot of young guys but I like what I see. The D is closer than you think.
good game Cougs. Rolo is going to be great for you.
Applaud the effort. Game was not decided until the last couple of minutes. Defense was gassed.....same thing happened last week. Makes me think the depth is just not there. There were plenty of second half breakdowns on defense, but I like how much better the players are at running to the ball and much better tackling than last year. There's potential on this defense.
Not sure it would've changed the outcome, but I would have liked to see what might have happened if that first targeting call was made. You can make the argument that if the first one wasn't called, the second one shouldn't have been either. But IMO, that call should be made every time. Cougs only down by 2 at that point and would have had a first down near midfield instead of punting. Oh well, the team is better at this point than I expected and I'm optimistic Rolo will be successful in Pullman.
Glad Cougar
Not sure it would've changed the outcome, but I would have liked to see what might have happened if that first targeting call was made. You can make the argument that if the first one wasn't called, the second one shouldn't have been either. But IMO, that call should be made every time. Cougs only down by 2 at that point and would have had a first down near midfield instead of punting. Oh well, the team is better at this point than I expected and I'm optimistic Rolo will be successful in Pullman.
Glad Cougar
Interesting take by the Oregonian's Duck beat writer James Crepea....saying the game was basically over after the long TD pass put the Ducks up by 14 with 8:25 to go. So I'm guessing he wasn't concerned when the Cougs closed to within a TD with 4:40 to go? Just one stop or turnover away from giving WSU a chance to tie or win. Of course, they couldn't stop UO, so maybe that's what he was saying.....but I certainly didn't think it was over until that final Duck score.
Crepea called it a convincing win. Yeah, it convinced me that UO better improve or they aren't going anywhere beyond conference play.
Glad Cougar
Crepea called it a convincing win. Yeah, it convinced me that UO better improve or they aren't going anywhere beyond conference play.
Glad Cougar
The only thing close about this game was the score. We got our butts kicked tonight which got masked by Oregon gifting us with three turnovers and missing a FG. They moved the ball at will against us and when they decided to stop giving us the game, it was obvious we would be in trouble. The defense is what the defense is.
The offense is the bigger problem. Oregon put the clamps on us the second half. McIntosh didn't have space to run. De Laura was properly spied and couldn't get more than a few yards and our receivers were locked down. Plus there are some clear deficiencies in Jayden's game. It'll be interesting to see how Stanford, which doesn't have great athletes but has plenty of brains, defends us. If they are able to only defend the parts of the field Jayden can attack... the offense might be looking at a long night.
The offense is the bigger problem. Oregon put the clamps on us the second half. McIntosh didn't have space to run. De Laura was properly spied and couldn't get more than a few yards and our receivers were locked down. Plus there are some clear deficiencies in Jayden's game. It'll be interesting to see how Stanford, which doesn't have great athletes but has plenty of brains, defends us. If they are able to only defend the parts of the field Jayden can attack... the offense might be looking at a long night.
Why would he be concerned? Oregon was clearly the better team and the game was only close because they had shot themselves in the foot early.
Reminds me of the 2016 Oregon St game once we took the lead. Yes, they technically were on the game but I was feeling like we had the game wrapped up.
Well, maybe I'm the only one who still felt the Cougs could at least tie that game being down one score with under 5 minutes to play. I wasn't thinking about how lucky WSU was to still be within striking distance. I always wonder why the defense often gets no credit for forcing turnovers against the heavily favored team. It always seems to be "we're shooting ourselves in the foot." I saw a couple of plays being made by the Cougar defense that resulted in turnovers....not exactly gifts by the Duck offense.
No doubt UO is a much better team across the board and the second half showed it quite well. But I thought the Cougars were competitive and found a way to still be in a position to win. They are exceeding my expectations so far this year.
Glad Cougar
I think the defense is much better than last year. The kids seem much better within the scheme, lining up, knowing their assignments, playing harder. They look faster and tackle better. They look like they’ve been coached up.
Dickert doesnt have the horses in the front 7. Oregon’s OL wore them out. The DL just isnt big enough. The linebackers arent fast enough to make a play on the QB in the backfield and I dunno how many times they got outran by backs.
Look at the Doba 43... Find the 2 largest humans you can to play DT and keep your LBs clean so they can run... Find the 2 fastest ends you can to rush the passer...
Look at the Speed D.... Find the fastest DL you can and run gaps....
The Dickert D has neither size to gobble up blocks nor speed to run gaps. Moving forward they may need to do on the DL what Leach did with the OL.... Go 6’5” or taller, no exceptions, and grow kids. 4 DL per class and in 4 years you have kids growing into their frames and able to take on blocks. If that means you take 6’6” 220 pounders and in a year they’re 255 and in year two theyre 275.... now you have a redshirt soph stepping onto the field ready to wreck shop. You can work with that.
Looking to next season... Let’s say Oregon and WSU bring everyone back... The Oregon OL isnt gonna go from 320 to 355. They will improve but there is only so much theyre gonna gain physically..... The WSU DL has much more low hanging fruit to pick... Some of those kids could put on 30 pounds and fill out. Now it’s a much tougher fight up front.
Dickert doesnt have the horses in the front 7. Oregon’s OL wore them out. The DL just isnt big enough. The linebackers arent fast enough to make a play on the QB in the backfield and I dunno how many times they got outran by backs.
Look at the Doba 43... Find the 2 largest humans you can to play DT and keep your LBs clean so they can run... Find the 2 fastest ends you can to rush the passer...
Look at the Speed D.... Find the fastest DL you can and run gaps....
The Dickert D has neither size to gobble up blocks nor speed to run gaps. Moving forward they may need to do on the DL what Leach did with the OL.... Go 6’5” or taller, no exceptions, and grow kids. 4 DL per class and in 4 years you have kids growing into their frames and able to take on blocks. If that means you take 6’6” 220 pounders and in a year they’re 255 and in year two theyre 275.... now you have a redshirt soph stepping onto the field ready to wreck shop. You can work with that.
Looking to next season... Let’s say Oregon and WSU bring everyone back... The Oregon OL isnt gonna go from 320 to 355. They will improve but there is only so much theyre gonna gain physically..... The WSU DL has much more low hanging fruit to pick... Some of those kids could put on 30 pounds and fill out. Now it’s a much tougher fight up front.
There was one camera shot late in the game that must've been taken from ground level endzone. It clearly showed the size disparity between the Ducks' OL and the Cougs DL. I should not have been surprised, but it was a lot more dramatic than I thought. UO did wear down the Cougs' front 6 just as OSU did late in the game last week, IMO.
I actually thought Woods had a strong game but I don't know where Rogers was. I hardly saw him and don't recall him making any plays, although I'm sure he did. A playmaking LB would be huge on this team, 2 would be better.
Glad Cougar
I actually thought Woods had a strong game but I don't know where Rogers was. I hardly saw him and don't recall him making any plays, although I'm sure he did. A playmaking LB would be huge on this team, 2 would be better.
Glad Cougar
So when is a turnover given by the offense and when Is it forced? Devils advocate, they also went up 7-0 on a drive where the Cougs dropped an easy pick...twice, in one play.
Oregon got it going in the 2nd half and the late first half TD was a killer, but the Cougs were clearly the better team in the first half, and for most of the game were punch for punch against what seems to clearly be the best team in the conference. Pretty encouraging for me.
Hector's fumble recoveries were simple drops on rather than us putting a hat on the ball. The pick was a misfire that only Hector could catch. While the dropped pick hurt, at least that is a completed pass if Woods didn't tip the ball in the air.
There is still plenty to be excited about. Chau Smith made a great play. Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone look like blossoming stars at DE. Ahmir Crowder has taken a leap at DT. Most encouraging is the fact that the few players brought in by Rolo/Dickert are contributing early. Hector, Pule, Mujahid, and Watson are all capable of playing at this level. I'm encouraged that we will get a handful of contributors out of the 2021 class to really shore up the D.
I agree. The defensive talent potential is jumping out at me for the first time in years.
Hector is an athlete that we don’t typically see in Pullman on defense. He’s already a moose at 205lbs as a freshman, and he combines that with uncoachable football instincts.
You can tell Brennan Jackson is a late bloomer with a huge upside. Crowder, Mujahid, Stone, and Mejia have all shown physicality and high motors. Willie Taylor is another tough contributor. If Dallas Hobbs gets out of his own way and starts having fun, he could really blossom.
We need to develop the CB and LB positions, IMO. Hector will anchor the secondary by next season, but gap fill and coverage needs work.
Hector is an athlete that we don’t typically see in Pullman on defense. He’s already a moose at 205lbs as a freshman, and he combines that with uncoachable football instincts.
You can tell Brennan Jackson is a late bloomer with a huge upside. Crowder, Mujahid, Stone, and Mejia have all shown physicality and high motors. Willie Taylor is another tough contributor. If Dallas Hobbs gets out of his own way and starts having fun, he could really blossom.
We need to develop the CB and LB positions, IMO. Hector will anchor the secondary by next season, but gap fill and coverage needs work.
I'm excited about Smith-Wade. Legit speed.
The defense is coming together. The depth is building.
Yes, I don’t think we’ve seen a corner like him since David or Trufant. Going from corners that went between getting torched and committing PI on every deep ball to a true lockdown guy is helpful. Lots of pieces to work with seems they just need to figure out the second half adjustments.
Brennan Jackson. He was recovering from injury when he redshirted and was injured or still recovering last year.
I gotta disagree here
We were in position to make plays on I would say 90% of 3rd downs...I mean one crucial 3rd down we tip a pass and it goes right to their big ass tight end.
I think we made them earn it.
The talent disparity and a really tough offense to stop was the difference. Moorhead is a much better of than whoever they had last yr.
We were in position to make plays as opposed to last yr. We'll get better.
