** Editor’s note: Oregon will be in an unfamiliar position on Saturday when it faces Colorado. The Ducks are 2-2 and unranked for the first time since 2009. Questions about the quarterback and secondary continued to mount during their 62-20 loss to Utah last week, making this game all the more interesting. Staff reporters Christopher Keizur and Andrew Bantly discuss these questions in this week’s roundtable.**
Heading into its game versus Colorado, what’s Oregon bigger concern: Who is playing quarterback or how can the secondary improve? Why?
Keizur: The biggest issue with the 2015 Oregon Ducks is the secondary. This is a group that has looked lost and confused out on the field — especially against Utah. The Utes were able to put up 257 passing yards and five touchdowns, and things were even worse than those numbers show. The most glaring error came in the third quarter when running back Devontae Booker was able to toss the ball to an unmarked Britain Covey for a 25-yard score. This could be ignored if it was one bad game, but all season Oregon has failed to stop the opposing teams from throwing the ball.
Bantly: No question: quarterback. There has been no consistency at the position. Jeff Lockie entered the game against Utah with a promising opening drive — 4-for-5 passing, a touchdown and a 20 yard run. Then he proceeded to throw two interceptions as Utah continued to increase its lead. Vernon Adams Jr., who’s been dealing with a lingering injury on his throwing hand looked awful against Utah. He also couldn’t get out of the pocket and use his speed, an aspect thought to be a significant advantage over Lockie. If Oregon’s quarterback can’t utilize one of its best wide receiving corps in recent memory, and over rely on running back Royce Freeman, then you’ll see more of punter Ian Wheeler.
How can Oregon play like Oregon again, and do you expect it will?
Keizur: Watching Oregon the past few years, two things have really stood out. The first was a focus on the run game. The Ducks looked to really attack the corners and try to churn out yards on the ground. The second was the speed and tempo of the offense, how quickly they could fluster a defense by keeping the ball moving. If the Ducks can return to these two things, then I think fans will begin to recognize their team once again. The running backs will shoulder the load, but I think the speed with which a team can snap the ball correlates to how comfortable the quarterback feels under center, which is a real problem right now. So expect to see a partial return to form for Oregon.
Bantly: It starts with coaching. Don Pellum’s defense got beat up. Scott Frost’s offense was stagnant and uncreative. And Mark Helfrich didn’t make a significant enough halftime adjustment. Utah scored 28 unanswered points in the third quarter. For the Ducks, they’ll have three very beatable opponents before their road matchup against Arizona State. By that time, Oregon will hope to be playing like Oregon again. Do I think the team will improve? Yes, but I’ll need to see much more production if I’d give them the nod on October 29 against the Sun Devils.
Prediction. Why?
Keizur: I think Oregon will win, though that speaks more to how bad Colorado is than anything else. The Ducks will force the issue on the ground, extending the time they have to evaluate who they want to go with at quarterback in the future. You couldn’t ask for a better bounce back game for Oregon, as it gets to flex its muscles against a program that has been struggling for several years. This will be a one-game respite from the issues plaguing this season. Final score: Oregon 42, Colorado 27.
Bantly: I got Oregon in this one. Royce Freeman will be a dominant offensively. Don’t dismiss the Colorado offense though. Quarterback Sefo Liufau is playing with confidence — he hasn’t thrown an interception in his last three games. And its rushing attack is one of the best in the Pac-12. Still, I see Oregon playing flashy football and many Ducks fans asking “why couldn’t you do this against Utah” when it’s all said and done. Final score: Oregon 45, Colorado 17.
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