Great coaches adapt their schemes to the strengths of their personnel, and Chip Kelly is a great coach.
Oregon got to 12-1 with a sophomore starting quarterback, after losing a potential Heisman trophy candidate and two-year starter to off-field problems.
Few people expected this season to be as magical as it turned out to be.
But now the question is, how do the Ducks make the next step? How do they get back to the future, and play four points better in 2011?
It starts with tweaking the offense to suit the talents of their now-experienced quarterback.
Darron Thomas did a great job as a first-year starter. He threw for 2881 yards and 30 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. He ran for 486 and 5 more scores. He led an offense that helped produce 611 points and 12 wins.
Oregon's fusion-powered DeLorean offense thrives on spreading the defense and giving them too much to cover. The problem is, Thomas is no Dennis Dixon or Jeremiah Masoli in the running game. He doesn't have the burst of Dixon or the stumpy pitbull running style of Masoli.
That's okay. What Thomas can do, as well as any sophomore qb the Ducks have had, is toss the football. He reads well, checks down, and studies the game. In his first season starting he completed 61.5% of his passes and was sacked just 10 times.
The Oregon spread needs to morph to take advantage of what Thomas does well, and disguise what he does less well.
Thomas isn't a threat to consistently break big gains running the football. He's a decent runner, but he doesn't have the acceleration and quickness to beat elite teams to the edge. But what he can do is spread defenses sideline-to-sideline and vertically with his arm.
In 2011, the Oregon spread needs to become more of a Colt McCoy/Chase Daniel spread. Three fast receivers are coming in, Devon Blackmon, Tacoi Sumler and Rahsaan Vaughn. Out of the underclassmen, Keanon Lowe, Blake Cantu, Eric Dungy and Nick Cole, one or two must continue maturing in body and toughness to become contributors.
Lavasier Tuinei and Josh Huff are back, and they'll play with more confidence in a bigger role. The rangy Tuinei runs hard after the catch, and Huff has gamebreaking speed and a sturdy body. Both showed a lot of promise this season, and they'll be counted on as starters and go-to guys next season. Both block well, an essential element in Oregon's big-play offense. They'll create opportunities for each other and for the running backs at the second level with their continued focus on downfield blocking. Tuinei has a knack for the tough catch, and when Huff gets open behind a defense, it's six. Mark Helfrich will find plays for both of them.
Together with the newcomers, younger developing receivers and the backs in the Tazer roles, Huff and Tuinei form a good arsenal of targets for a quarterback who is ready to blossom into a star.
The Ducks can create space for their talented running backs to run by forcing defenses to respect the pass. They can't put 8 and 9 in the box if Thomas shows he can beat them on the edges and downfield with his arm, that Oregon can chew up ground with efficient passes underneath to the backs and tight ends. LaMichael James had four receptions in the Auburn game, for 39 yards and two touchdowns, and as he prepares himself for the NFL that can become another exciting dimension to his game.
The Ducks also have three talented tight ends in David Paulson, Curtis White and Brandon Williams. White and Williams have decent speed, and Paulson is a tough blocker with good hands. Barner and Seastrunk can also catch the ball out of the backfield.
After Ohio State, Cal and Auburn stymied the Oregon spread by stuffing the run, ramping up the passing game is the way Oregon can crumple and burn the supposed blueprint.
With all its success, the Oregon attack struggles mightily when the ground game is contained, especially near the goal line or when pinned deep in their own territory. The spread also struggles to recover from a penalty or a negative play. Second or third and long situations break their rhythm and fizzle drives. Developing efficiency in the passing game, especially underneath, breaks the chokehold in those pressure situations. Thomas can torment defensive coordinators with precision, good reads, and a multiplicity of weapons, 5-10 yard throws to a variety of open spaces, then long routes to burn the safeties. Frustrate them. Move the chains. Force those linebackers to have their heads on a swivel. Get playmakers in open space with downfield blocking ahead of them, simple throws to every possible seam and soft spot.
Don't abandon the run, just make it tougher to cover by pressuring them with the pass. Thomas can't consistently frustrate defenses with his feet. But he can, readily and consistently, with quick reads and an accurate arm. In year two his completion percentage will vault to 65-70%. The guy behind him, Brian Bennett, is the same kind of strong-armed gunslinger with good athletic ability.
The Ducks don't want Darron Thomas running the football any more than as a change of pace. They have a stable of fleet, shifty running backs to do most of the running. Thomas can make room for them by throwing the football with maximum effectiveness.
When he does run, he can become significantly more effective by being confident and assertive, improving his recognition in immediately sensing the right read is to keep and go upfield. On the opening drive Monday night, for example, he had a sure first down if he cuts ahead, but instead he made an awkward pitch to a covered running back.
In a way it's ironic. Everyone has compared Darron Thomas to Dennis Dixon. But probably a better comparison, skillset-wise, is Kellen Clemens. He has the same toughness and passing ability, a decent-enough runner who is smart in the pocket. They should use him in a way that makes the most of his strengths.
Another thing the Ducks must develop is a protector and safety valve for him in obvious passing situations. That might be a combination of players, maybe Dontae Williams, sometimes David Paulson. Someone with the strength and agility to chip punishing, penetrating defensive tackles (like Nick Fairley) and give Thomas time to see the coverage and make a throw. Also, as an experienced starter with another off-season to study the video, Thomas will learn to better recognize those situations when he has to abort the play, heave it out of the back of the end zone or beyond the sideline instead of forcing a throw into traffic or risking a strip in a collapsing pocket. Additionally, he must continue to work to improve his footwork, learning to set his feet and deliver the ball better, particularly on the run or rolling out.
The next question is, does Thomas have the maturity and hunger to improve to make this team his own? Will he respond to being the man, and lead the Ducks to the next level of success? What he does this offseason, and how he plays September 3rd in Cowboy Stadium versus LSU, will tell Duck fans a lot about his readiness to win another PAC-10 Championship and another shot at the big prize.
As always, great commentary and right on the mark
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