5 Things Oregon Football Needs To Improve In 2015 Season
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With the departure of Marcus Mariota to the NFL, head coach Mark Helfrich and the Ducks are about as close to rebuilding mode as Oregon gets nowadays. Here are five things the Ducks need to improve in 2015.
5. The Offensive Line
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
5. The Offensive Line
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
A quarterback is only as good as his O-Line allows him to be, and Mariota’s was fantastic, anchored by center Hroniss Grasu, Jake Fisher and Hamani Stevens. All seniors that need to be replaced.
4. Defensive Backs
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
4. Defensive Backs
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Senior Ifo Ekpre-Olomu had a season -- and college -- career-ending injury in November. But the Ducks still had seniors Erick Dargan (after interception, with ball), Dior Mathis (right of Dargan) and Troy Hill in the backfield. Those are four really big holes for defensive coordinator Don Pellum to fill.
3. Offensive Play-Calling Adjustments
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
3. Offensive Play-Calling Adjustments
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
It’s one thing to grind a team into dust with speed. It’s another when that team can’t be ground into dust, like Ohio State in the CFB Championship and Stanford in recent years. Yet, it often seems the Oregon ground game in particular doesn’t change when it appears rather obvious that inside running doesn’t work.
2. Wide Receivers
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
2. Wide Receivers
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon puts a premium on blocking receivers over elite receivers who don’t block. I’m not saying Oregon needs to get away from that philosophy entirely, but a game-breaking receiver would stretch Oregon’s offense even further down the field than it already goes. It might make the difference in the CFB Playoff. If Darren Carrington was the answer, he sure took himself out of the equation.
1. Backup Quarterbacks
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
1. Backup Quarterbacks
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
What if the Ohio State Saga played out in Eugene instead? If Mariota had gone down before the season like Braxton Miller, I doubt that Jeff Lockie (No. 17) would have played like J.T. Barrett. And if Lockie had gone down, Taylor Alie (No. 12) is a walk-on. Cardale Jones was nobody’s idea of a walk-on. QBs at Oregon tend to get hurt. A stack of premium backups have already proven to make all the difference, and the Ducks saw that first-hand.
Alex Drude is a Pac-12 writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Alex_Drude. “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google+.
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