Kenny Dillingham Evaluates Oregon Quarterbacks at Conclusion of Spring Ball
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We've heard for almost two months about how explosive and different the Kenny Dillingham edition of the Oregon offense would be. Offensive players, defensive players, coaches, recruits, and many others have raved about its potential, raising the already-high expectations.
The spring game gave fans an opportunity to see whether the talk of the new-look offense was hearsay or not. With the spring game now in the rearview mirror, it's clear that this offense certainly has the potential to live up to the hype, especially with the aggressive passing game down the field.
Oregon QB Jay Butterfield
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Of course, every offense starts with the quarterback, and the Ducks have three vying for the job that all had varying levels of success on Saturday. Dillingham spoke with reporters following Monday's practice to assess how his group performed in front of 42,000 fans at Autzen Stadium.
"We got to get better," said Dillingham, who added that there isn't a target date for when he'd like to identify a starting quarterback. "I think we put the ball in jeopardy too many times. I think we had two throws that caused interceptions, and we had four to five misreads that we put the ball in jeopardy when we didn't have to because we didn't account for that player with our eyes."
Each Oregon quarterback threw at least one interception, with Ty Thompson tossing two. Thompson completed 12 of his 27 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown to go against those two picks.
Oregon QB Ty Thompson
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Bo Nix had the most impressive outing statistically, throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns on just eight completions. He connected on two 70-yard pass plays, including one to Dont'e Thornton that resulted in a touchdown.
Jay Butterfield also passed the eye test, connecting on 16 of 26 for 213 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
In total, the Ducks quarterbacks aired it out for 611 yards, but four interceptions is a number that many will look at over the more optimistic numbers. But what should be noted is the gunslinger mentality that each quarterback showed on Saturday, in addition to getting playmakers the football in space.
Oregon QB Bo Nix
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Overall, Dillingham is satisfied with the growth his quarterbacks have made through the spring, but he certainly won't settle for this satisfaction.
"I love where we are," he said. "I think we got a really, really deep quarterback room. I think we got a ton of talent in that room, and I think they've gotten better. We all talk about the growth they've made just from how they think about the game and the growth they've made in pass protections. It's a completely different way to attack, and I think they've gotten a lot better and I'm really pleased with where they are."
The group as a whole has worked together to improve, as each quarterback has stated this spring. But in order for each quarterback to win the battle and call themselves the starting quarterback, there are still specific goals ahead of fall camp that they must meet, according to Dillingham.
"Ty, we're trying to bring his eyes with his feet more," Dillingham said. "Bo, we're trying to not make a bad play worse. And Jay, all we're trying to do is get his drops down a little bit quicker so we can get the ball out a little faster."
Now that the three quarterbacks have performed in front of a national audience, it's time for the inevitable debate on social media of who will win the job. But whoever earns the job, the 2022 Oregon passing offense looks positioned to be leaps and bounds more explosive than in the past few years.
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