New Wrinkles Help Spark Victory At Colorado
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
BOULDER, Colo. — Oregon's coaching staff has been trying to find the right buttons to push with the 2015 Ducks, and on Saturday night they used just about an entirely different keyboard.
Looking to get the UO football team back on track after its loss to Utah, the coaches used new formations and trick plays on offense, instituted a rotation at quarterback and put a familiar face back in the defensive huddle. The changes helped spark the Ducks to a 41-24 victory at Colorado.
“We needed this win,” said safety Reggie Daniels, whose return to the starting lineup was among the wrinkles employed defensively. “We needed to bounce back from last week. Colorado’s a great team. They’re doing really good this year. They’ve gotten a lot better. I’m proud of my team, and our defense.”
The most high-profile change Saturday was the use of both Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie at quarterback. With transfer Vernon Adams Jr. limited for the second time in three weeks, both Lockie and Alie did enough in practice leading up to the Colorado game to merit playing time, UO coach Mark Helfrich said.
Oregon was committed to the rotation, whatever the results. Lockie played through two scoreless possessions to start the game, then finally led a touchdown drive — and was promptly replaced by Alie. In the fourth quarter, Alie directed the Ducks’ final touchdown drive, then was himself replaced, before Lockie led a game-clinching drive to a field goal.
“It was something we talked about during the week, that we were going to rotate through and go with what was working,” Lockie said. “That was something that went according to plan, and we came out with the win.”
Lockie and Alie finished a combined 12-of-20 for 137 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Lockie was more accurate, completing 8-of-11 passes, but also threw the interception, in the end zone in the first quarter. Alie went 4-of-9 but threw the touchdown pass, of 43 yards to Jalen Brown in the fourth quarter.
Neither was as efficient as Bralon Addison. In the second quarter, with the offense yet to establish the rushing attack that tilted the scales after halftime, Addison got the ball on a reverse and looked to pass. The former high school quarterback was patient enough to influence a Colorado safety with his eyes before throwing a 39-yard TD pass to Charles Nelson.
“I’ve kind of been in those situations before,” Addison said. “I saw a dude running wide open, (but) I didn’t panic and just throw it out there. I wanted to look the safety off and give Charles more time to develop it, and then lay it out there for him to do the rest.”
Addison was also used out of the backfield Saturday, one of several wrinkles employed in the running game. The Ducks opened the game in a two-back set, using Royce Freeman as a lead blocker for freshman Taj Griffin; tight end Johnny Mundt also was later employed as a blocking back.
Freeman ran for 163 yards and Griffin added 110, becoming the first pair of UO running backs in three years to surpass 100 yards each.
“I definitely think it’s a cool duo thing,” Griffin said. “I got ‘em with the speed, Royce definitely got ‘em with the strength. Kani (Benoit) did a great job too. And none of that would have been possible without the O line.”
Defensively, the Ducks changed it up with coordinator Don Pellum moving back to the sideline, where he spent last season before moving to the press box for the first four games of this fall. Pellum’s unit came up with five sacks and three turnovers, swarming Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau.
“Our main thing was getting pressure on him,” defensive end DeForest Buckner said. “We did a really good job today. After we hit him a couple times, I felt like he got a little fatigued. We just executed our jobs well.”
The Ducks had spoken all week about simplifying their defensive scheme, to fix communication and assignment errors that led to big plays through four games. Colorado had a couple in the first half Saturday, but the Ducks held the Buffs to just seven points after halftime.
Young cornerbacks Glen Ihenacho and Arrion Springs generally tackled well, as they continue to progress as full-time college players.
“I’m really proud of those guys — they stepped up big-time,” Daniels said. “The main focus was, don’t let nothing get behind you, no deep balls. Make them catch everything in front of us, and just make the tackle.”
