Bo Nix details changes in Oregon offense with Kenny Dillingham departure

Bo Nix enjoyed a wonderful season at Oregon under offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s tutelage, but the latter has taken his talents to Arizona State, beginning a new chapter in his career as a head coach.

While Dillingham is no longer with the Ducks, Nix is looking to end his first season in Eugene with a victory in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday. Before he takes the field against North Carolina, Nix explained how the offense has changed with Dillingham now with the Sun Devils.

“It’s been different, but our playbook is the same,” stated Nix. “Coach [Drew] Mehringer has done a really good job. He’s called plays in the past. He’s a very smart football mind. He’s going to put us in good situations.

“Coach [Junior] Adams, still got those receivers going. Coach [Jordan] Somerville stepped up in the quarterback role, and has really done a good job of just teaching us and continuing to make strides and put us through drills. Watching our practice performance and making us better.”

Alas, Oregon has a strong coaching staff, and multiple members have stepped up their game after Kenny Dillingham left for greener pastures. All their hard work could pay off handsomely with a victory in the Holiday Bowl, and Bo Nix will want nothing more than to come through for them.

Bo Nix reflects on past year at Oregon

Coming out of high school, it felt like Bo Nix’s path was clear. As the son of a former Auburn quarterback who was named after Bo Jackson, he’d go to Auburn and be the team’s longtime starting quarterback. That’s exactly what he did too, until he decided to transfer to Oregon after three seasons.

Now, Bo Nix has taken the time to reflect on that past season at Oregon where he has been able to breathe new life into his career.

“Yeah, I had no idea what was gonna happen when I first got here,” Bo Nix said. 

“If I had gone back a year from today and looked at my situation, I’ve come a long way and so just that in general the whole situation’s changed and I’ve just put myself in a good situation. So, I’ve got a lot of different things to choose from.”

In his first season with Oregon, Bo Nix put up massive numbers. He threw for 3,388 yards on a 71.5% completion percentage. He also had 27 touchdowns to just six interceptions. On the ground, Nix was also prolific. There, he ran for 504 yards and 14 touchdowns. Every single one of those stats was a career-best for Nix, beating out all three seasons he spent as a starter at Auburn.

Now, Nix will have an opportunity to put a stamp on this season, taking on North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl.

On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this article.