Oregon's Offense Showing Signs of Explosiveness Early in Spring Football

Believe it or not, the Oregon Ducks' offense has not averaged more than 40 points scored per game since the 2015 season. The Ducks have gone six straight seasons without scoring at least 40 per game after six straight seasons over the 40-point mark.

The Ducks' offense was especially disenchanting the past two seasons, averaging just 31.4 points and totaling just four 40-point games over the span. In short, the Oregon offense has not been a threat for several years running, and it inevitably falls heavily on the shoulders of the man under center.

After years of being spoiled by the talented quarterbacks coming through Eugene, any Oregon offense that wasn't flashy, fast, and explosive failed to impress Ducks fans. But under new Offensive Coordinators Kenny Dillingham and Junior Adams, the 2022 Oregon offense may resemble the offenses of the early 2010's that left turfs scorched on Saturdays.

While the spring practice schedule is just ramping up after more than two weeks off due to final exams and spring break, the offense has shown evidence of delivering on Dillingham's dreamy, explosive, up-tempo system that he's described.

Dan Lanning met with reporters following Tuesday's practice to discuss the progress of the offense.

"Certainly one positive today is the offense had some explosive plays out there, which was exciting," Lanning said. "On the same note, we also had some turnovers that I don't want to see. I thought we could have been a little bit better in our two-minute scenario there at the end of practice with our offense and the operation there. Good job on the explosive plays, but we want to take care of the ball going forward."

This isn't a signal for Oregon fans to panic by any means. After all, the spring schedule is not even a quarter of the way through. Bumps and bruises are meant to be had in the spring, but the fact that explosive plays are worth mentioning in late March could be promising.

The prominent headline in Eugene when discussing the new-look offense is the quarterback battle. Ty Thompson and Jay Butterfield return for their shot at the starting gig while Auburn transfer Bo Nix is the favorite given his starting experience and relationship with Dillingham.

Oregon quarterbacks Ty Thompson (L) and Bo Nix (R)

Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson

Oregon quarterback Jay Butterfield

Lanning scouted Nix often while working roaming the sideline as Georgia's defensive coordinator. Nix never defeated Lanning's Bulldogs in three meetings, with Auburn never scoring more than 14 points against his defense. It's safe to say that Nix is glad to be on the same side as Lanning, and the Ducks' head coach has been impressed by what he's seen from the junior so far.

"Bo's really what I thought he was," Lanning said. "He's an extreme competitor, super smart, he works really hard at it, and I think he's really intentional."

Nix has improved each year he's been the starter at Auburn, but he has struggled with his consistency, though he's not completely at fault for that. He worked under three different offensive coordinators in three years, battled injuries, and the Tigers had fluctuation along the offensive line.

"I think he would tell you he has a lot of things he can get better at, and I certainly agree," Lanning said. "There's a lot of things that he can improve on, but he's attacking those every day. I'm pleased to see that."

If Nix is indeed the starter, he'll have undoubtedly the most talented supporting cast he's ever had at nearly every position. But the starting job surely won't be handed to him. Thompson and Butterfield are two of the most talented quarterback recruits that Oregon has brought to Eugene and they'd be set up for success if they were to earn the job.

There's a long way to go in spring, but as the trees blossom and the pollen swirls through the Eugene air, so does the energy and excitement for what the Oregon offense could be in 2022.

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