Avalos Ready To Help Oregon's Defense Raise The Bar

Not much went Oregon's way in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl. But if the Ducks end up fulfilling expectations for 2019, it could owe in no small part to that game.

That was the UO head coaching debut of Mario Cristobal, and the Ducks lost to Boise State. Most of the impressions the Las Vegas Bowl left in the minds of Oregon fans were negative. One that stuck with Cristobal could result in Oregon's defense reaching new heights next season, when the Ducks are projected to get back to contending for the Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff.

Boise State's defensive coordinator that day was Andy Avalos. His Broncos allowed only 280 yards of offense, and 1.7 yards per rush. They had four sacks, and allowed the Ducks only four third-down conversions on 14 attempts. Half of Oregon's points came via defensive touchdowns; the other two were scored by the offense in the fourth quarter, which the Ducks entered trailing 31-14.

The impression Avalos' defense left on Cristobal went beyond the statistical, to the schematic.

"It was as diverse as being in an odd front pre-snap, then a quick stem and all of a sudden they are in four down," Cristobal recalled Monday, at a press conference introducing Avalos as the new defensive coordinator at Oregon.

For those of us still on the opening chapter of Football 101, Cristobal was marveling at the way Boise State began a play with three down linemen, moved players at the snap and presented the offensive line with a formation using four linemen. Oregon's blockers had laid out meticulous, precise assignments for each other based on the pre-snap look. Changing it up wreaked havoc on the UO offense.

Beginning this fall, Avalos will be tasked with sowing similar confusion in the Ducks' opponents.

"We've got to be able to present the offense with ID issues, movement issues and structural issues," Cristobal said. "In other words, complexity for the opponent, simplicity for us."

Avalos arrived just before the start of practices for the Ducks, later this week. The first practice was originally scheduled for Thursday, but will be moved back to Saturday for the sake of giving Avalos a couple extra days to meet with his new players and begin installing his defense.

"It'll take a little bit of time, but not too much more; there will be some overlap of concepts," Cristobal said, while also acknowledging that, "a lot of the stuff we're going to be doing is going to be new to these guys. We do have a very intelligent group of guys, so we think the couple of extra days provided is going to be more than enough."

An outside linebacker at Boise State from 2001-04, Avalos returned to his alma mater as an assistant in 2012 and spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator. His defenses were disruptive, pressured the quarterback, forced turnovers and got off the field on third down – all qualities Cristobal wants to improve with the Ducks.

Oregon's defense took a big step forward under a new coaching staff in 2017, though the bar wasn't set high; the UO defense ranked No. 126 in yards per game allowed in 2016, out of 128 teams. In 2018, there was a small step back, despite the presence of talented seniors Jalen Jelks, Justin Hollins and Ugochukwu Amadi, who spent the past few days posting eye-opening performances at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite the presence of those talented veterans and others including linebacker Troy Dye and nose tackle Jordon Scott, the Ducks saw slippage statistically against Pac-12 opponents in 2018 versus 2017, in fundamental areas like rushing yardage, third-down conversions and red-zone chances allowed. Those playmakers masked the issues by forcing teams to settle for field goals rather than touchdowns in the red zone, at one of the best rates in the country. But Cristobal was alarmed.

With Avalos now in place, leading a staff that includes safeties assistant and newly promoted assistant head coach Keith Heyward; associate head coach and defensive line assistant Joe Salave'a; cornerbacks coach Donte Williams and new linebackers coach Ken Wilson, Cristobal is confident in the defensive direction for 2019.

"This week we've progressed really, really fast on things we needed to get done," said Avalos, whose hiring became official Friday. "Because, No. 1, they're a bunch of great guys, and No. 2, they bring a lot of experience and knowledge, and are able to get through things and find solutions quickly – come to a common ground on what's going to be best for Oregon."

Avalos said his philosophy is based on the idea that "fundamentals and mentality make the scheme." He said "a lot of the pieces are in place" at Oregon from a personnel standpoint to field a quality defense, one that can stop the run, confuse and pressure the quarterback, and eliminate explosion plays.

Avalos will coach some of those pieces himself, an outside linebacker group he calls the "STUD" position. Senior La'Mar Winston Jr. is the top returning veteran, joined by redshirt sophomore D.J. Johnson and newcomer Dru Mathis. The position is a key to the confusion Avalos caused Oregon in that 2017 Las Vegas Bowl, employing guys who can set the edge on the line but also drop into coverage; a player like top-rated true freshman Kayvon Thibodeaux could be a fit once he learns the fundamentals of playing defensive end this spring.

Cristobal said another enticing aspect of Avalos' candidacy for the defensive coordinator position was the way it melded together the front seven and defensive backfield. In doing that at Oregon, Avalos will work closely with Heyward, who figures to be a Power 5 defensive coordinator himself in the very near future.

"He's a great mentor, a great man," Avalos said of Heyward. "To work alongside someone like that, and with someone who can help me grow as a man, help me grow as a football coach and ultimately help all of us lead this defense is very exciting."

For as much as Avalos made an impression on Cristobal in the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl, that goes both ways. What Oregon has accomplished since – winning nine games including a bowl in 2018, and assembling the No. 7 recruiting class in the nation this winter – caught the eye of Avalos.

"There's a lot that coach is doing, and it's a very exciting place to be right now," he said. "I'm excited to be a part of it."