Monday Mailbag: Oregon Moves on From Utah to Prepare for Oregon State

Answering reader questions as we turn the page from Utah and focus on Oregon State.

It's Monday and I think a cool way to start the week is by checking in with the fan base and answering some questions.

Without further ado let's tackle some questions.

Question: "Why are our offensive plays so predictable? When will we try some trickery?"

This is something that I think has been on fans' minds through much of the season. Oregon is a run first team and many times they'll run it until the defense proves they can stop it. I think part of the reason why the plays against Utah were so predictable was because they weren't able to run the ball early. After that they got into a huge hole and were forced to try and pass their way back into the game to pick up chunk yardage on big plays, something we haven't seen much of this year, at least not through the air. 

Question: "Why does Cristobal never has his team prepared to play from the get-go? We always start slow!"

I wouldn't say the team isn't prepared to play from the get-go. At least not completely this season. We saw strong starts in a couple games, specifically against Ohio State when the Ducks were able to take Ohio State's best punch and then respond with an attack of their own. We also saw early 14-0 leads built against Colorado and Washington State. 

I'd agree starting fast isn't really a strength for this team, but the real problem feels like consistency. Apart from a handful of games, when the offense does get going early, it can take steps back on drives in between finding the end zone and then sometimes having to settle for field goals.

Question: "Is the Cristobal show nearing its end? Team never seems prepared unless it’s Ohio State."

I don't think the show is nearing its end. 

Cristobal brings in elite talent and will continue to do so, but now the goal is sharpening the on-field product. We need to see the Ducks come out with the fire, tenacity, execution and discipline that we see from playoff caliber teams, and to do it from start to finish.

If the show does come to an end, I think it'd more likely be because he got hired away by another school, and I don't think Oregon will let him go without a fight.

Question: "At the end of the game, it looked like the WR corps were throwing their hands in the air after each errant pass. AB doesn't throw picks but it's not like his passes are very catchable either. Is there any evidence that would lead you to suspect a divided locker room?"

I don't think there's necessarily evidence that would lead me to suspect there is a divided locker room. However I can certainly understand frustration with some of the passes after what we saw against Utah and throughout the season missing fairly routine throws. 

Question: "Why has third down D been so poor this season? Is there a consistent theme? Long runs, long pass…D has had a hard time getting off the field all year."

This seems like the million dollar question on defense right now. I'm not sure there is any one reason for the third down defense being so poor. Whether intentional or not, the defense has been very bend don't break this season and it feels like there might be too much of a reliance on big plays and turnovers. 

Obviously all of the injuries won't make that any easier and the lack of a consistent pass rush this season, especially from someone not wearing No. 5 could be part of the reason we're seeing opposing offenses thrive on third down.

Question: "Would hiring a quarterback coach help develop our young QB’s better? Seems like MC qbs get worse especially if AB is the best option."

Moorhead has a pretty strong track record working with quarterbacks and Nate Costa is also a member of the staff that I'm sure is working on quarterback development. I think it's tricky to evaluate where the young quarterbacks are since they've hardly gotten any snaps with the exception of Ty Thompson. 

Furthermore, I think part of the problem with developing the younger quarterbacks is that Oregon has played in so many close games that they haven't had the ideal situation to get some of the younger guys reps.

Question: "What happened to oregon's High flying offense with QBs like Mariota and Herbert? I think this is why Micah Pittman signed with and finally left because they no longer had."

Simply put, Oregon's offense isn't flashy like it was in the Chip Kelly days. I don't think that words like high-flying, fast-tempo, or explosive should be used to describe this offense. The Ducks love to run the ball and that, in large part, dictates how much success they can have runnin the ball.

The most straightforward answer I can think of is that the scheme and offensive philosophy doesn't line up with the days of old anymore. 

Question: "We gonna have to take a look at S&C given all the injuries?"

I understand the frustration with the injuries, but I have a hard time attributing it to anything other than bad luck in a bizarre year. The strength staff has been very consistent from a personnel standpoint, led by Aaron Feld, who has done a great job getting players' bodies ready for Saturdays. I don't think that's the issue.

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