Five Questions With an Oregon Writer Ahead of Utah vs. Oregon
Heading into the highly anticipated matchup between the No. 10 Utah Utes and No. 12 Oregon Ducks, we sat down with Ducks Digest publisher Max Torres and asked him five questions about this game and the Oregon program.
1. Regardless if he plays, how has Oregon been such a good fit for Bo Nix and allowed him to be so dangerous?
Oregon has been a good fit for Bo Nix because Kenny Dillingham’s offense has played to his strengths. There’s a lot of opportunity for him to use his legs, which keeps defenses honest, and he’s been able to find a great balance between taking risks and what the defense gives him.
He has one of the best offensive lines in college football and a consistent running game that can take some of the offensive burden off his shoulders. He doesn’t have to play hero ball.
2. If Nix doesn't play, what can you tell us about Ty Thompson? His strengths? Weaknesses?
Ty Thomson is the highest rated quarterback recruit Oregon has ever had on a roster. However, we haven’t seen much of him as he’s been the main backup for two straight seasons.
As a quarterback he’s incredibly gifted physically. He has the strongest arm of anyone in the room and is very athletic. He can be mobile in the pocket or take off and run.
As for his weaknesses, we’ve seen Thompson have some difficulty adjusting to the speed of the college game. He hasn’t made the best decisions passing in his limited opportunities and the offense often sputters when he sees the field. Granted—that’s usually with the backups. While he may not be seeing meaningful reps from a win or lose standpoint, I think Oregon fans expected him to be further along in his development.
3. How different is this Oregon team this season compared to last?
This year’s Oregon team has a vertical passing attack (as long as Nix can play). Something last year’s team completely lacked. Dillingham has transformed a ground-and-pound offense to one with balance and a ton of creativity to more fully utilize all the weapons available. On defense it’s not too different. You lose Kayvon Thibodeaux and a lot of veterans in the secondary from a year ago, but there’s still not a consistent pass rush and they still can’t defend the pass effectively.
4. What makes it so hard for road teams to win in Eugene?
It’s hard for road teams to win Eugene because of the atmosphere. Autzen Stadium gets very rowdy and loud despite only holding 54,000 people. As you’d expect, Oregon feels comfortable here and tends to play their best ball at home. They’ll be looking to start a new win streak at home after losing their first game in Eugene since 2018 last week against Washington.
5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this Oregon defense?
The strength of the Oregon defense is their defensive line. Brandon Dorlus and DJ Johnson are the only players who have been able to generate any pressure and they’ll be important Saturday. The Ducks excel at defending the run. Conversely, they cannot defend the pass well. There’s very little pass rush, which gives quarterbacks time to pick them apart and Christian Gonzalez has been the only consistently reliable defensive back this season. Third down defense has improved be your can’t expect Oregon’s defense to get off the field when presented with the opportunity.
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