Through 4 Games the Ducks have Been Good, but a Better Rushing Attack Can Make Them Great

While Oregon has looked elite on defense, their offense has been hindered by the lack of a consistent running attack, which they’ll need moving forward.

Four weeks into the season, Oregon appears poised to make a run for the Pac-12 championship and potentially a chance at the Rose Bowl, or even better: the College Football Playoff.

The defense has been the key, as the Ducks have gone three straight games without allowing a touchdown. The offense, on the other hand, has looked above average, yet inconsistent — their inability to get the run game going has held the team back from all-around dominance.

If the Ducks want to contend for the Pac-12 title and more, they’re going to have to do better on the ground than they did last week against Stanford (25 carries for 85 yards). No team wants to rely on just one side of the ball to win games, and with a veteran offensive line, the team knows they can do better. 

Mario Cristobal spoke briefly on Wednesday to address problems with the run-game.

“We’re off, we’re out of synch a little bit," he admitted, according to 247Sports. "It starts with making sure we’re on the same page. We are. So that’s not an issue. Technique and fundamentals come into play. If the box is loaded we still got to find a way to make some yards.

“We know it’s not good enough. We take a lot of pride in it. That’s what we’re working on in the bye week. We expect to have better results going forward."

The Ducks, who have been known as “Running Back U” since the early 2000s, have looked like everything but that in the past couple of seasons. When the team faces tougher offense opponents this season, the defense is going to need some help; and if Oregon can establish a healthy run attack, they should be able to provide just that.