Tuesday Ted Talk: Ducks are Talented, But Green
The 2024 Oregon football season will go down as one of the best in program history. But the finish left Duck fans wanting more – and more is what the Quack Attack will strive for in 2025.
Down the stretch last season, Oregon rock-fought their way to a 16-13 win over a subpar Wisconsin team. It allowed Penn State’s best offensive performance of the season. And the Rose Bowl was the Rose Bowl.
The Ducks surrendered 28 points per game to the last four opponents, compared to 16 points per game over the first 10. Clearly, the level of competition had something to do with that.
The Duck faithful are hoping for a different stretch run in 2025. And if the team’s roster construction is any indication, Oregon could be set up to play its best at the end of the upcoming season.
As we look forward to the Aug. 30 kickoff at Autzen Stadium against Montana State, there is a common phrase that pops up when discussing the Ducks: talented, but green.
“We’re not returning a ton of experience,” Dan Lanning said in his first press conference of the spring. “But we are returning some really talented players.”
“We have a total lack of Oregon experience, whether that’s youth or individuals from other places,” defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi reiterated in mid-March.
This feels like the first season where a lot of the talent recruited by Lanning and his staff are going to get their time to shine. And that’s exciting, but it should also be met with a dose of realism for what to expect early in the year.
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This Ducks’ team feels like last season’s offensive line. At the beginning of the season, you could see some rough patches and you knew there was going to be a breaking-in period. But once guys gelled and the right people were in the right places, things clicked.
Oregon’s first four games this fall also allow the Ducks to get messy and make mistakes.
The green and yellow open with Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State. Those are opponents where mistakes can be made, lessons can be learned and multiple-possession wins can still be achieved.
By the time Sept. 27 rolls around and the Ducks have to travel to rural Pennsylvania to face Penn State, these highly regarded young players will have multiple games under their belt. You should start to see the first glimpse of the high ceilings these new stars possess.
I hold the strong opinion that November is when this team is going to start to play its best, when we will see just how high this flock can fly. When other teams are wearing down, the young depth at positions like defensive back, defensive line and wide receiver will have the game experience to make big plays reliably at the right time.
Playoff time.
There’s no doubt the blue chip prospects that have been recruited the last couple of cycles may have a lower floor to start as compared to some of the transfers over the last few years. But these players provide another level that is needed for the Ducks to take that next step up as a program.
