Delivering the Maehl: Can Oregon find its next great receiver?

Oregon has a great tradition at the receiver position. There have been only a handful of stud defensive tackles and dominating middle linebackers, but even in the bad old days, the Ducks have always had one or two fast, exciting or dependable guys to go up and get the football. Jeff Maehl, who had 77 catches, 1076 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, is the latest in a long and glorious line. Here are a few fan favorites: Cristin McLemore, Tony Hartley, Pat Johnson, Samie Parker, Keenan Howry, Demetrius Williams, Lew Barnes, Bobby Moore and Terry Obee.

The crucial question is, who is the next one? One thing that was glaringly obvious in the LSU game was, Darron Thomas hasn’t found that reliable, explosive, game-changing target at receiver just yet. The passing game lacked synchronicity and cohesion. Oh, Josh Huff, Lavasier Tuinei, young De’Anthony Thomas and even LaMichael James had their moments catching the football, but after one game, no one has established themselves as the go-to guy or a game changer on passing downs.

photo at left: Tony Hartley, one of Tony Graziani and Akili Smith’s favorite targets, ran every route hard and was dangerous after the catch (bleacherreport.com photo)

Here are the receiving stats from game one:

With the running game not clicking, the Oregon coaches did a good job of adjusting the game plan by going to the short pass. In all, Darron Thomas threw 54 times, completing 31 for 240 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. It was far from his best game. He was hurried and out of rhythm, and this group failed to help him in a couple of key ways: 1) they weren’t getting open and 2) they made several drops, and didn’t make some difficult catches that help build a quarterback’s confidence. The passing game got a C- grade for the night, with the Ducks not getting any completion longer than 18 yards (both the 16 and 18-yard pass plays came in the 4th quarter against a loosened defense). LSU had a very strong secondary, but the Oregon passing game can be better.

On the plus side, Thomas did a reasonably good job of spreading the ball around. LaMichael James gathering in six passes is a very encouraging sign. It’s a career high, and another way to get him the ball. At 10.2 yards a completion he was very productive in this area, on a night the Ducks couldn’t get him untracked at the line of scrimmage. Getting James touches in the open field is a great way to use his speed while saving some wear and tear on his body, and adding that dimension to his game can only help him as he pursues an NFL career. The 61 yards receiving was an overlooked plus on a night they couldn’t get him started running the football.

De’Anthony Thomas looked very good as a slot receiver, and as he gets acclimated, he will be very dangerous in his dual role. The ball security problems they’ll take care of. Lavasier Tuinei was solid in the possession game but has to learn to cut upfield and not run sideways. Huff had a touchdown grab, and in the next couple of weeks, they’ll get him the ball downfield. As of now he’s Oregon’s most proven deep threat. They simply must get the ball to David Paulson more. On Saturday he was largely neglected until the end of the game.

Still undetermined are the roles of Rahsaan Vaughn, Devon Blackmon and Tacoi Sumler. With no one getting open deep in Cowboys Stadium, fans can’t be blamed for asking if these guys are ready or when they will be. Sumler and Blackmon didn’t travel; Vaughn had one errant ball thrown his way. He seemed to do a good job in downfield blocking, which will lead to more opportunities. At least one of these guys breaking through is vital. The Ducks need the separation speed to run their vertical routes, so successful last year in punishing teams when they overcommitted to stopping the Zone Read. The Rudys don’t have that top gear. Justin Hoffman did make a couple of good catches in game one, the first in traffic, for a critical first down on a touchdown drive.

There are lots of ways to get it done as a receiver. While it’s great to have the guy who is 6-5 240 with 4.4 speed, there’s just a handful of those in every generation, and Oregon has never had one. Jaison Williams came closest to that prototype, but he drove fans crazy with inconsistency.

The crucial qualities in a go-to receiver are good routes, discipline and desire. Here’s Cristin McLemore running a great route against UCLA in 1995, the Cotton Bowl Year:

1995 was a wonderful year for the Oregon passing game, because the Ducks had McLemore on one side and Pat Johnson on the other. Johnson had a great career as a Duck, a player who combined elite speed with good footwork and hands:

The best true deep threat the Webfoots have ever had may have been Samie Parker, the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards:

But pass receivers can succeed in a variety of ways. In the NFL, Steve Largent wasn’t the biggest guy, and far from the fastest. He had good hands and ran disciplined routes, made a living with the 12-yard out, the eight-yard slant and the curl route. His quarterbacks always knew where to find him and they knew he’d catch the ball. Jerry Rice, the all-time leader in the NFL and another Hall of Famer, had a tremendous work ethic and excelled at yards after the catch. He too was not the biggest or fastest guy on the field, but tremendously effective. Jeff Maehl is 6-1 190 and ran a 4.62 40 at the NFL combine, but at Oregon he tied Parker’s record for the most career receptions and holds a Duck record for touchdown catches in a season with his even dozen last year. In four seasons he found the end zone 24 times, and several of those were game winners. Maehl’s outstanding attributes were toughness and desire:

To replace Maehl, truly replace him in the offense, one of these current Ducks has to win the confidence of his coaches and most importantly, his quarterback. They have to start delivering in games, making plays, getting open, turning a short route into a big gain. They have to show both explosion and consistency, and a love of clutch situations. There’s no shortcut. Maehl became the guy by practicing hard, showing potential and coming through in games. The Ducks need a leading receiver, not merely statistically, but pyschologically. They need a threat that provides balance in the offense.

The number one candidate right now? Sounds crazy to say it, but based on game one, I’d choose the true freshman De’Anthony Thomas. Out on pass routes he has soft hands and he’s hard to cover. His style suggests not a former Duck but a former Duck nemesis: DeSean Jackson of California. He’ll learn ball security. The kid’s a playmaker. Keep throwing him the ball. Soon and very soon, he’s going to bust a couple.