Duck Defense Lowers the Boom on Spartans
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
There’s a difference between being aware of outside opinions, and being distracted by them. The Oregon defense knew that some folks questioned their toughness after recent losses to Stanford, and other teams with old-school power rushing games.
Power rushing games like the one Michigan State brought into Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The one that managed but 123 yards on 36 carries, in Oregon’s 46-27 victory, for an average of 3.4 yards per carry.
“We were tired of people calling us soft, and words like that,” junior defensive end Arik Armstead said. “We had to go out there and get it done.”
Oregon’s defense stepped up to the challenge Saturday, quieting the Spartans on the ground, and perhaps doubts about the Ducks’ ability to stop the run in the future. The Ducks obviously had their struggles against Stanford and Arizona up front in 2013, but this seems like a different group.
Armstead continues to blossom into stardom, with five tackles, two for lost yardage and a sack Saturday. His fellow end, DeForest Buckner, continues to be underrated, as he finished with seven tackles, giving him 13 in two games.
Thanks to Michigan State’s mostly methodical pace on offense, the two bruising, sky-scraping UO ends were able to play most every snap, whether in Oregon’s base defense or as the two linemen in nickel situations. Perhaps they did enough to change some perceptions about the Ducks.
“I hope so,” Buckner said. “Our play kind of spoke for itself. We prepared for the run, they came out trying to run in the beginning, and we stopped that. Second quarter didn’t go our way, but that second half, only three points? That’s nice.”
As Buckner broke it down, the Spartans put the game on the arm of quarterback Connor Cook, and he passed them into the lead in the second quarter. Thus the Ducks shifted their focus from stopping the run to putting pressure on Cook, and the Spartans managed only a field goal in the second half.
Senior outside linebacker Tony Washington said the Ducks might have become a little complacent with the lead, something they fixed at halftime. They were also trying to prove that some suspect moments against South Dakota to open the season a week earlier wouldn’t be long-term concerns.
“Coaches and players really stressed this week that we had to pick it up; that was not to our standard,” Washington said. “When we go out and play as hard as we can, we’re in good position to win football games.”
Oregon’s defense featured a new starter Saturday, inside linebacker Joe Walker. Capitalizing on a breakout performance in preseason camp, Walker tied for the team lead with nine tackles Saturday, two for lost yardage.
Walker replaced Derrick Malone in Oregon’s base defense, but Malone replaced Walker in nickel packages, something the Ducks used extensively as Michigan State increasingly looked to pass. “Our coaches put in great packages this week,” Walker said. “And we killed it, had a great week of practice.”
It showed Saturday – maybe even enough to change some opinions nationally about the character of Oregon’s defense against physical football teams.
