As anyone who followed Oregon football last year knows, its secondary was abysmal. Nationally, in 2015, the Ducks’ 301.2 passing yards allowed per game were the third worst in the country, surpassed only by conference foe Arizona State (321.7) and Indiana (326.3).
Oregon’s secondary last year was the cause of many of its defensive problems, so it’s no surprise that it has been an area of focus for the Ducks as they entered fall camp this week.
So how is Oregon’s secondary doing after only four days of camp?
“I think that (mixed bag) would characterize every skill area,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said after practice on Thursday. “We had a couple pick-sixes this morning and a couple ‘oh my gosh, how is that guy 30 yards wide open’ moments.”
But as Helfrich put it, “that’s fall camp.”
The good news for the Ducks is that it’s early. Fall camp serves as a useful way to highlight areas of concern and Helfrich and his staff sound like they are aware of the issues and are working to fix them. The other good news is that Oregon returns a majority of its core from last season. Tyree Robinson, Arrion Springs, Reggie Daniels and Chris Seisay are just a few of the returners who will once again anchor the back line for the Ducks, but this time all with another year of experience under their belt.
Helfrich did mix in some praise for his secondary, too, saying that the competition, physicality and aggressiveness have all been there.
“It’s positive,” Helfrich said. “But obviously we have a long way to go.”
The implementation of Brady Hoke’s new 4-3 defense contributed some to that “mixed bag” metaphor, Helfrich explained.
“It’s a mixed bag right now because there’s new coverages, new routes that they see for the first time,” Helfrich said. “And sometimes those are explosive one way or the other.”
Other Notes
– Oregon’s first inter-squad scrimmage will take place early next week. Helfrich is looking for better communication out of both units and will let the players “play freely” with minimal assistance from the coaches. Key veterans like Charles Nelson, Royce Freeman and Darren Carrington will not participate but will help serve as player-coaches on the sidelines. Helfrich wants this scrimmage to highlight the younger players.
Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris