Oregon Football: 5 numbers that have defined the Ducks' 5-0 start to the season
Oregon is 5-0 at the start of its bye week.
So far, so good for coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks, who are unbeaten through five games for the first time since 2013. That Oregon team lost a top-10 battle with Stanford in November that essentially determined the Pac-12 champion that year. This Oregon squad could very well be playing in a similar game on Oct. 14 when it heads to Seattle.
If there’s a team in the Pac-12 this season that can go head-to-head with Washington at its best and walk away with a win, it’s Oregon.
The Ducks have looked incredibly promising throughout the 5-0 start, and they move into a “work week” with very few clear flaws.
Here are five key stats that have defined the season thus far for Oregon.
7.1
Oregon leads all of college football in rushing efficiency through five games. The Ducks are averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
Given how much experience Oregon lost on the offensive line from last season, folks had questions about how efficient the Duck offense would be in 2023. Would it be able to recreate the potency with which it operated last season under Kenny Dillingham?
So far, that answer has been a resounding yes. The pieces up front have fit seamlessly. New offensive coordinator Will Stein has come in and given quarterback Bo Nix — now up to an 80% completion rate through the air — the same kinds of looks that made him successful a season ago. The balance has been there, with the Ducks clearing 200 yards on the ground in four of their five games.
Bucky Irving leads the way with 393 yards on just 50 carries. Jordan James had 297 yards on 34 carries. Noah Whittington (146 yards) was starting to get rolling before he went down with an injury. If the two-man game in the backfield continues for an extended period of time after the bye, the Ducks are on pace to have two backs each clear 700 yards on the ground just like last year.
4.8
Oregon ranks third nationally in pass efficiency defense. The Ducks are giving up just 4.8 yards per pass attempt.
That number was at 7.1 a year ago. The quarterback rating Oregon has allowed through five games thus far is 24 points lower than what it allowed a year ago.
Khyree Jackson has been excellent. Tysheem Johnson, Evan Williams, and Nikko Reed are all making plays. The Oregon secondary has looked stout.
18
Oregon has 18 sacks in five games, which goes hand-in-hand with the success of the secondary. A year ago, the Ducks had 18 total sacks in 13 games. It was one of the real weak points of the defense — an inability to generate significant pressure on the quarterback. This year, newcomers have led a revamped pass rush.
Jordan Burch has three sacks. Evan Williams has 2.5 sacks. Jamal Hill, Popo Aumavae, and Brandon Dorlus all have two each. The Ducks are getting pressure from all over thanks to a defensive front that looks like one of the most explosive in the conference.
535
Troy Franklin ranks ninth in the country in receiving yards. He has seven touchdowns in five games and he’s averaging 16.7 yards per reception.
The chemistry between Franklin and Nix is obvious. The talent has been clear from Day 1. Franklin is finding ways to consistently win his matchups and get open.
“I think our coaches do a good job of finding ways to move him around to where we can find matchups,” Lanning said after the Stanford game. “I think our quarterback has heightened awareness to where he’s at.
“And then he does a good job finding the ball in the air. He adjusts to the ball really well. Certainly, he’s a strength of our team but what’s great is we have other strengths around so you can’t just dedicate all your time to one player, because there’s some other players that are gonna hurt you on the field if you do that.”
Gary Bryant Jr., Tez Johnson, and Traeshon Holden were all brought in from the transfer portal this offseason and they’ve given the Ducks a quality rotation. Teams haven’t been able to just key on Franklin, who now has four games with at least 100 yards receiving and three games with multiple touchdowns.
Oregon has only had 11 1,000-yard receiving seasons in school history, and Franklin is currently on pace for the best one ever. His current 12-game pace would put him at 77 receptions for 1,284 yards. The receptions would tie a program record, the yardage would set a program record.
11.8
We know Oregon has one of college football’s top offenses. With Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, and Troy Franklin returning in 2023, the high-flying Ducks were expected to be a potent attack.
The nation’s No. 2 scoring offense has been paired with the nation’s No. 8 scoring defense. Oregon is giving up just 11.8 points a game through five. Of course, all the big names are yet to come; Oregon has games against Washington and USC still on the schedule. Washington State is also a top-10 scoring offense so far.
But at just under 12 points a game allowed, we’re talking about a 15-point defensive improvement year-over-year.