As with all game, we traipse into the week with diverse predictions for how issues are going to turn out. It’s the nature of the alternate that we are in.
I, for one, thought that this matchup between the Oregon Geese and Washington Remark Cougars became going to be a blowout. I figured the Geese would continue to roll, coming off a large BYU victory, and set it on the Cougars in Pullman. Others figured Washington Remark would preserve issues shut and offers the Geese a race for their money.
I’m not high-tail any individual predicted this , though.
Oregon became getting beat for diverse of the day. It fell on the lend a hand of as many as 12 factors a few cases, and simplest attributable to a miracle comeback, scoring 21 factors in the closing two minutes of the game, had been they ready to dawdle out of The Palouse with a victory.
There became lots to adore about the performance, and a ton to be pissed off by. Within the pause, a consume is a consume, though, and the Geese will roll into a rather easy share of their agenda with a 3-1 file.
Listed right here are some of my greatest takeaways from the victory:
Horrid Wins Topic
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Up to now this three hundred and sixty five days, we’ve considered an array of outcomes from the Geese. There’s been a blowout loss, a blowout victory and a cheerful consume over a extremely solid, prime-25 team.
On Saturday we won one other originate of winning.
This became an grotesque game for the Geese. For the significant three and a half of quarters, they didn’t look cheerful, and so and they also resembled the team we seen closing week interior Autzen Stadium. The offense moved the ball extremely successfully, but became incapable of capping drives. The protection had some high-quality plays, but as soon as against struggled with tackling. Mental errors set the result in jeopardy.
The Geese played badly ample to lose, no ask about it. However, they came across a formulation to consume, which is a huge accomplishment. This could well no longer be every game the attach the protection is requested to coral a cell quarterback who regarded adore a clone of Kyler Murray. This could well no longer be every game that Oregon is unable to punch plays in from the three-yard line and has to resolve for field objectives. However the actual fact the Geese had been ready to attach all of that depraved play on the lend a hand of them and buckle down when crunch time came offers me diverse self belief going ahead.
You don’t repeatedly desire 30-point wins the attach the result will not be any longer essentially in ask. In most cases you snatch to can maintain to be examined, and look your team step up when the stress is on. Oregon did appropriate that on Saturday.
Is it time to chat about Bo Nix?
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Consuming asking the ask right here … please repeat me if I’m overstepping.
Are we giving Bo Nix ample credit rating?
Excluding the struggles of the offense contained in the 10-yard line and the one, egregious, EGREGIOUS interception that went for a Washington Remark landing, Nix became rather spectacular on Saturday. He achieved with a profession-excessive 428 yards and 3 touchdowns on 33-for-44 (75%) passing. That’s a well-known stat line, no topic who you play, let alone a protection that ranks contained in the conclude-20 in most courses.
While you occur to snatch to need to harp on his interception, I will no longer conclude you. It became a telegraphed pass on a depraved play name that will traipse on the educating tape for younger quarterbacks to be taught what no longer to attain in the purple zone. Those are the form of plays we knew came with the Bo Nix package, though. I didn’t know any of the choice issues we had been getting from him had been seemingly, though.
Working below offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, it appears Nix is cheerful and assured, and he’s willing to push the ball down the sphere when the protection offers it to him. Can he continue to give a boost to? Pointless to disclose. Every QB has diverse throws per game that they need lend a hand. The ceiling that we’ve considered from No. 10 through these first four games though has been great, and entirely unexpected if I’m being true.
The Defensive Errors
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As significant as I need to withhold issues sure in what became a well-known consume for the Geese, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the mistakes. None larger sums up the day than Brandon Dorlus’ blunder in the fourth quarter.
With appropriate over 8 minutes to play and Oregon trailing by five, the Geese had been in a house to preserve Washington Remark to a field aim and preserve it a one-possession game. It became third-and-18, and a conclude would maintain given Oregon’s offense the ball with a possibility to tie the game.
Dorlus obtained the wished stress on quarterback Cameron Ward, who threw the ball away. Dorlus then hit Ward in the face with his fingers, getting flagged for roughing the passer. Fresh situation of downs, and more wreck day the clock. Three plays later, WSU made it a 12-point game with a TD.
Those are no longer the actions that you just must per chance per chance be ready to let occur if you occur to snatch to need to consume games. The Geese obtained lucky and pulled out this victory, but when a outdated member of your protection has rookie mistakes in the greatest moments, it’s worrisome. In all places in the game there had been penalties — DJ Johnson became ejected for a focused on name in the second half of — and neglected tackles galore.
Comprise fun the victory now, but I wouldn’t can maintain to be subjected to Oregon’s practices this week.
A range-it-out offense
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I came across it considerably humorous after the game to search spherical Oregon fans appreciate in the actual fact that they lastly maintain a WR1 adore Troy Franklin to pepper with targets, vivid that he can step up when the second issues. It’s no longer normally the Geese maintain had elite huge receiver skills tremendous of breaking the game originate adore Franklin.
What’s ironic is, despite this elite skills on the conclude of the WR depth chart, Oregon’s offense is as balanced as we’ve considered it in moderately some time. Test out this record of touches for the Geese on Saturday:
Bucky Irving — 16 touches
Noah Whittington — 11 touches
Hurry Cota — 7 touches
Troy Franklin — 5 touches
Kris Hutson — 5 touches
Terrance Ferguson — 3 touches
It’s sure the Geese are ready to spread the ball spherical and feel assured with whoever they’re going after. Within the closing couple of games, it’s been Franklin and Ferguson who had been on the receiving pause of many high-quality plays. Going ahead, I would be enormously surprised if we didn’t look Hutson pop up or Dont’e Thornton salvage a splash. No topic the attach you look, the Geese maintain somebody to spread the ball to. That can salvage them dangerous down the stretch.
Those unsettling purple zone struggles
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As true as you’re feeling about the Geese correct now, I need to strive for a second to articulate you lend a hand to actuality. This became an exhilarating victory, evidently, but don’t let the result blind you of the plays that made a wild comeback significant in the significant house.
If we’re being true, the Geese could per chance per chance aloof maintain never been in that house, and it became the purple zone offense that obtained them there. The stat sheet will repeat Oregon became 5-for-7 scoring contained in the 25-yard-line, but shall I remind you how a few of these journeys into scoring house went?
Oregon ball, first-and-aim from the 5. Ensuing plays: unsuitable open; no fill; fill of three; loss of two; field aim.
Oregon ball, first-and-aim from the 2. Ensuing plays: Loss of 1; loss of two; loss of 5; field aim.
Oregon ball, first-and-aim on the 7. Ensuing play: Interception, taken lend a hand for a WSU landing.
Oregon ball, first-and-10 from the 11. Ensuing plays: Attain of two; fill of 1; loss of three; field aim.
While you occur to salvage it contained in the opponent’s 10-yard line four cases in a half of and pause up with 9 factors, you maintain extreme complications to fix. Whether it became the play-calling or the execution is above my pay grade, but I an definitely certified to disclose that the Geese had been abysmal in the purple zone on Saturday, and they also’re lucky that it didn’t worth them the game.
