Takeaways From Oregon Football's Spring Game
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It almost felt like a typical fall Saturday when the Green and Yellow teams trotted out onto the field at Autzen Stadium for Oregon's spring game. After weeks of rain in Eugene, fans were greeted by the typical aromas of a tailgate and blue skies.
The Yellow team came away with the win, defeating the Green team by a score of 31-21. Here are some of the things were learned.
So that's what an explosive offense looks like
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
All throughout the spring we heard about how explosive this offense was going to be and man did we get it. Bo Nix got right to work on the very first play from scrimmage, launching a deep ball to Seven McGee, who shined in his new role as a wide receiver, and promptly picked up 70 yards.
McGee wasn't the only offensive player who shined, as Dont'e Thornton, Troy Franklin, Chase Cota and Josh Delgado all had big plays on Saturday. In fact, McGee, Thornton and Cota all finished with more 100 or more yards receiving. Cota was in a groove the entire game and looked like the real deal in his first action with the Ducks.
Noah Whittington and Sean Dollars also flashed with some big runs. Stop me if you've heard this before; Oregon's running back room looks like it's going to be stacked yet again.
Sure there's some things that need to be worked out, but Kenny Dillingham looks like he's intent on following through with his vision for the offense: getting the ball to the playmakers and making it exciting again.
Quarterbacks deliver a mixed, but exciting bag
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
All of the quarterbacks exuded confidence in their play Saturday, particularly by driving the ball down the field.
Nix looked the part as the most experienced quarterback in the room and carried himself with solid composure. His 230 yards on 8-15 passing and three touchdowns are a great foundation for his time at Oregon, and he demonstrated a strong chemistry with the wideouts.
I came way the most impressed with Jay Butterfield. The poise he played with and command he had of the offense were encouraging, especially when you consider that he was bouncing back-and-forth between the green and yellow teams.
He delivered the ball into some really tight windows and was effective at 16-26 for 213 and a touchdown.
Ty Thompson had some solid highlights throughout the day, including an eight-yard touchdown to Franklin and a 30-yard deep strike to Kris Hutson. But he did miss some open receivers whether it was an overthrow or placing the ball too high or too low.
The potential is there, but these also could be signs that maybe he isn't quite where people thought he would be in his development. Each of the quarterbacks had their moments, but there were also a few head-scratching interceptions.
DJ Johnson is back where he belongs
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
One of the biggest standouts on defense was Johnson, who has returned to a full-time role on the edge.
Whether he was going against Steven Jones or TJ Bass, two starters from a year ago, they had their hands full and Johnson showcased his raw power rushing the passer and blowing up the line of scrimmage. He finished the day with seven tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks, evidence that he was living in the backfield.
However, sacks are a tricky stat to track in a spring game because quarterbacks aren't taken to the ground and there's a gray area around when plays are blown dead.
The argument can be made that he's one of the most athletic players on the this team, and under the tutelage of Tosh Lupoi, he could be just what the doctor ordered as the Ducks look for a consistent edge rusher.
Potential playmakers flash in the secondary
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
The secondary for 2022 is full of youth, particularly at the cornerback spot. Jahlil Florence wasted no time making his presence felt in this game, snagging a wild interception on a Butterfield pass intended for Isaah Crocker.
Furthermore, Christian Gonzalez displayed some great physicality tackling, especially on a sweep run by McGee. JJ Greenfield, who returned to the program in spring after spending last season at the JUCO level, picked off a pass from Nix and had a nice pass breakup against Terrance Ferguson. Steve Stephens IV forced a fumble and could be a player to watch in the secondary.
Dan Lanning said after the game that he doesn't know if he's been around a defensive coordinator that emphasizes turnovers as much as Tosh Lupoi, and it looks like his defensive philosophy is being received well thus far.
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