This isn’t a manifesto of misery. The Ducks are 24-3 in the last two years with a Rose and a Fiesta Bowl win, and they’re ranked anywhere from 3rd to 8th in preseason polls. Impossible to be miserable about that.
But the Webfoots have come to a place where there are two remaining goals: beat an SEC team in a big game, and win a national championship.
To accomplish either they have to improve on defense. The last four years have shown there will always be a point where the offense loses its rhythm or gets disrupted, and it’s on the defense to make a stop and win a game. Every season, no matter how prolific, seems to have that game.
In particular, Oregon’s offense is challenged by the long layoff that proceeds a top level bowl game, although they seemed to have figured that out in the last two. It’s a tempo offense, and like approaching a woman with a marriage proposal, timing is everything. The Ducks looked sleepy and out of synch against tOSU, Auburn and LSU. They also did so losing to Stanford in 2012 and USC in 2011, and nearly losing to Cal in 2010.
Rise up: On the way to a bright future in the NFL, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is Oregon’s best defender, certain to inspire his team with more efforts like these in 2013. (bigstory.ap.org photo)
Of course, a good defense with a good defensive plan had a major part in all of those losses.
The Ducks play swarming, opportunistic team defense, but if they want to be elite, go round-by-round with the MMA heavyweights of the SEC, they have to find themselves in four critical areas, four that characterize every great defense. Two are personnel related, and two are a matter of attitude, focus and desire:
1. A penetrating, disruptive defensive lineman
Historical examples: Nick Fairley, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Leroy Selmon.
Best Duck candidates: Taylor Hart, Wade Keliikipi, Arik Armstead, Christian French
One of the current Ducks has to emerge as a defensive star, the lineman who can’t be blocked one-on-one and changes game plans, or at least the high motor, persistent guy who gets it done by never quitting. Nick Reed was that kind of player–he didn’t have the intimidating physical talent of the greats on this list, but he simply would not stop working, play after play after play. His will and desire took him all the way to the NFL, and as a Duck, he had more quarterback sacks than any player in school history (29.5, with 51.5 career TFLs). Not gifted in size or strength, Reed relied on film study, preparation and sheer effort.
A disruptive defensive linemen who spearheads a pass rush and blows up running plays is a huge asset in the heart of a defense, and every great defense has at least one of these guys. Linemen who dig in and tee off, creating uncertainty for an offense, are rare and invaluable.
The Ducks can do a lot with their team concept and agility across a front that goes nine deep, but the potential of their unit goes up exponentially if one of their big defenders (all of whom have plenty of athletic ability) puts it together in a big way under new defensive line coach Ron Aiken. They urgently need a game-changing, disruptive defensive lineman.
2. An enforcer at linebacker
Historical examples: Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Junior Seau
Best Duck candidates: Tyson Coleman, Joe Walker, Derrick Malone, Rodney Hardrick, Danny Mattingly
This is the weakest link in the Oregon defense right now, and the biggest barrier to the Ducks becoming a great defense. Not to knock any of these young players–none of them have the experience to be what the Ducks need most: a stud middle linebacker who makes 10-12 tackles a game and brings the ferocity and physicality to the middle of the defense, particularly in run defense.
Tyson and Malone have potential, but there’s extra concern after both missed the spring game. Bo Lokombo is the Webfoots’ best and most experienced LB; but he plays primarily on the weakside. Although Mattingly’s a freshman, he’s included because he comes in at 6-5, 222 before his summer workouts; he has the athletic ability and physical power plant to be a great one. Remember Michael Clay played significant snaps as a freshman. Mattingly has the same smarts and ability, and not coincidentally, he’ll wear Clay’s number 46.
If he does get healthy Tyson has good instincts. He’s strong, active and aggressive, a standout from Lake Oswego High who had 34 tackles last year, 3.5 for loss.
In Clay, Alonso and Jordan, the Ducks are replacing 225 tackles this year. That’s a big chunk of the grocery list on a defense that returns 7 starters but 12 players who started at least two games.
Don Pellum must find two guys out of this list who can become playmakers and high-volume tacklers, particularly against the run, or Oregon’s defense will be a source of frustration for fans all season.
At least one of them has to make a big leap for this to become a top-flight defense. Teams will victimize Oregon, especially in the running game, unless they do.
3. The ability to neutralize, frustrate and shut down the opponent’s best weapon and what they like to do best.
Historical examples: Alabama 2009. Washington 1991. USC 2008. Miami 1986.
In the 2010 National Championship Game, Auburn held LaMichael James, a 1731-yard rusher that year, to 13 carries for 49 yards. In 2012, Stanford held Kenjon Barner, who just two weeks before had racked up 321 yards on USC, to 66 yards on 21 carries.
Great defenses break down the opponent, target who and what they want to stop, and dominate, beginning in that area. The Ducks managed just 95 yards rushing against LSU in the 2011 season opener.
In two years against Oregon, Marqise Lee has 20 catches for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. In those same two years, Matt Barkley threw for 807 yards against the Ducks, and 9 touchdowns.
Great defenses don’t get victimized by a passing combination or a shifty tailback. They win one-on-one matchups, disrupt timing and frustrate great players into their worst days.
Oregon’s defense has been good enough to win a lot of games, but they won’t be a GREAT defense until they show they can impose their will on a great offense and a great player, changing the game with their physicality and aggression.
4. Great defenses make great stops in crucial situations, and assert themselves in the clutch. THEY make the big play when the game is on the line, and dictate the outcome rather than accept it.
Nick Aliotti’s defense played a good game against Stanford last year, holding The Cardinal to just 17 points. But in the 4th quarter, with a 14-7 lead with just 6:28 to go in the game, they let the opponent go 78 yards in 11 plays to tie the score. On the drive, Kevin Hogan threw six times to tight end Zach Ertz, completing 5 for 53 yards.
The Ducks defense didn’t have enough gas in the tank to stop the drive that would have taken them to the National Championship. They did a lot of good things in that game, but in the test of wills that would have brought them a potential PAC-12 title and Crystal Football, they didn’t find a way to assert their will on the opponent. Great defenses do just that.
Elite defenses crush their enemies, see them driven out of the stadium, and hear the lamentations of their women.
The video here is unrelated, just a taste of great Oregon football history to keep Duck fans entertained with 44 days to go until the start of the season. It’s provided by theSeanGshow, and he does a great job of identifying the games and calls that made fans grow to love the Ducks. It’s a particular treat to hear the vintage play-by-play by Jerry Allen and Keith Jackson, among others.
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