Cal Football: 5 Questions About Oregon for Ducks Beat Writer
Cal hosts eighth-ranked Oregon on Saturday (12:30 p.m. kickoff, FS1 TV). The Ducks are alone atop the Pac-12 standings and have won six games in a row, scoring at least 40 points in each of those six games.
Oregon beat writer Max Torres of Duck Digest answers five questions about the surging Ducks, who are 17-point favorites against Cal as of Thursday after opening the week as 13.5-point favorites over the Bears.
.
1. What makes Bo Nix so good?
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, a transfer from Auburn, was the Pac-12 player of the week after his remarkable performance in the 45-30 victory over UCLA. He is even getting some Heisman Trophy mention.
"He looks like a completely different quarterback than the one we were used to at Auburn," Torres said in the video atop the story.
Torres cites a number of factors;
---He's played a lot of football, having been a starter at Auburn for three seasons.
---Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who was Auburn's offensive coordinator during Nix's freshman season with the Tigers, has tailored the offense to fit Nix's skills.
---Nix confidence is growing with the success he and Oregon have had, even contributing to the play-calling.
And two other factors:
"He's playing behind a phenomenal offensive line," Torres said. "and the caliber of defense probably isn't what he was used to in the SEC."
Nix has been sacked just once this season, which is the fewest in the country.
.
2. How do you explain the 49-3 loss to Georgia in the opener, and what is the difference now?
"I was right there with the rest of the country, just shocked that it was that ugly," Torres said.
He said a lot of it was the timing of the game, being the Ducks' first with a new quarterback, new coaches and new systems, but some of it was the fact that Georgia is just a really good team.
"I think we have seen a lot of growth in these players and this coaching staff," he said. "It looks like a totally different team from what we saw in week one."
.
3. Washington State scored 41 points on Oregon. Stanford, which has a feeble attack, scored 27 against the Ducks. Oregon never really stopped UCLA. Can Oregon play defense, and who are their top defensive players?
Torres notes that the defense has played well at times but has not been consistent.
"It does feel like the team is being carried for the most part by its offense," he said.
He mentioned several defensive players:
---Defensive end Brandon Dorlus and outside linebacker DJ Johnson, who are the team's best pass rushers.
---Inside linebacker Noah Sewell, a first-team all-conference selection last year as a freshman. "Maybe not stuffing the stat sheet like some people expected him to," said Torres, "but he is absolutely one of the most consistent guys on that defense."
Torres noted that the Oregon linebackers have not been great in pass coverage .
"That's where I think they're the most susceptible on defense, or just passing in general with one of the worst statistical pass defenses in the Pac-12," he said referring to the fact that Oregon ranks 11th in the conference in passing yards allowed per game, ahead of only Cal.
---Christian Gonzalez is the Ducks' top cornerback.
4. How much credit should first-year head coach Dan Lanning get for the Ducks’ success this season?
Lanning was Georgia's defensive coordinator last season and took over at Oregon after Mario Cristobal left for Miami. Cal head coach Justin Wilcox turned down an offer to be Oregon's head coach before Lanning was offered the job.
Torres says Lanning deserves quite a bit of the credit for Oregon's success this season. He offered an anecdote that Lanning called an Oregon recruit as Lanning was walking off the field following Georgia's victory over Alabama in the national championship game.
"I think he deserves a lot of credit for the way he was able to keep the roster together to the degree he was able to and add more talent," Torres said.
"Where he deserves the most credit is just how this Oregon team carries themselves, how they're able to finish games. I think that's something last year where Oregon was really lacking."
..
5. Is this Oregon team as good as Chip Kelly’s best teams at Oregon?
The Ducks finished ranked in the top four in the nation three straight years from 2010 through 2012 under Chip Kelly, peaking at No. 2 at the end of the 2012 season. Is this team as good as those?
"That's a topic that's been coming up in Oregon circles lately, definitely more frequently since the big won over UCLA this past week," Torres said.
He notes that the current team and Kelly's Oregon teams were both "offensive-heavy" teams, and says this year's Oregon team may have the best offensive line in the country.
But, he added that he's not ready to say this Oregon squad is as good as Kelly's Ducks.
"It's a little too soon to jump to that comparison right now," he said.
.
Cover photo of Bo Nix is by Troy Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports
.
Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport
.
