Unity and Maturity. Great article in the R-G from Rob Moseley, with reactions from the players on the quarterback battle. We sometimes forget that these are college kids, and their relationships off the field can be a strong factor in team chemistry. On a lesser team, without the character and maturity and focus on winning this group has, a quarterback competition could divide the team in two. There's no hint of that here. Chances are both guys will play this year, and this group is ready to go to war with either one of them.
Multiplicity of Weapons Without Masoli, the thinking was, Oregon's offense won't be as dynamic or difficult to stop. That's why many casual observers downgraded Oregon from national championship contenders to a question mark.
People forget Masoli was a fifth-string quarterback in 2008, a short, stubby guy with an erratic arm. The system made Masoli. It wasn't the other way around. This year, the Ducks have two capable quarterbacks. They may not be ready to be the triggerman Masoli became by the end of his junior year, but consider the buttons they have to push in this offense. Here's a quote from Ken Goe, after observing Friday's practice:
The Ducks split Barner and James wide and then motioned them back to the backfield. They started them in the backfield and motioned them wide. They ran options and fly sweeps. They threw screen passes and sent them deep. They used them in single-back sets and sometimes had them on the field together.
Factor in the talented, speedy newcomers, Seastrunk, Huff and Williams, and the Ducks have a frightening number of ways to stretch and attack a defense. A lot of these are simple, hard to defend, and use the whole field without putting a lot on an inexperienced quarterback's shoulders: drag routes, screens, flares, hitches. Both Costa and Thomas should be more precise and reliable in the passing game than Masoli. Speed kills, and Oregon's inventive offense exploits their advantage in speed.
Good Players Who Get Better Because they Want to Be Great. Mel Kiper says Brandon Bair is the most NFL-ready Duck, and he stands to make a lot of money if he eliminates the facemask and hands-to-the-face penalties that plagued him last year. Those are drive extenders and momentum killers, and with another year of tutelage under Coach Azzinaro, Bair will harness his rangy athleticism to be a disruptive playmaker in the middle. He showed glimpses of that last year, particularly in the Washington game.
Jordan Holmes has dramatically improved the consistency and accuracy of his snaps, and that's a five-play-per-game boost in the efficiency of the Oregon offense. High snaps (and a puny quarterback) threw off the timing of a half dozen plays per game last season, and his improvement will make the whole offense sharper.
Eddie Pleasant is everything you want in an open space defensive player, fast, agile, and a little mean, but when he blitzes, he'll absolutely destroy a few quarterbacks if he just learned a little more control as he comes off the edge. Last season there were several times he whiffed or let the qb slip out of his grasp. With a running start from the safety position and a year to study film Pleasant will emerge as a devastating and dynamic player. He combines the skillsets of Wesley Mallard, Blair Phillips and TJ Ward. One hit from Pleasant can convince you that today will be a very bad day, and tomorrow won't feel good either.
Jeff Maehl brings his former defensive player toughness to the receiver position, and both the qbs have a lot of confidence in him. He's durable and smart with flypaper hands. He reminds me of Fred Biletnikoff. Comparisions are always imperfect, but Maehl has an old school grit that makes him perfect as the third option in the Oregon offense. You can't forget about him. His feet always come down in bounds, and he beats defenders to the ball.
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