Tomorrow's D Line

[Quack U!]

The D tackle position or lack there of it for our 2014 Duck class has many people freaked out a bit. Myself at first included. That said, I'm not so sure we should be quite yet. In 247 Sports top 100 for this class, only 2 DT's made the top 50 and 7 for the entire 100. Andrew Brown is a stud, he's 6'4 282 and a five star going to UVA, a team we crushed, that was winless in conference last year, and a place he'll never see a BCS bowl. Next on the list is Gerald Willis, 6'3 275, not huge probably ending up as a DE for the Gators. From there it's about every 30 guys till ya see another one pop up. Just not a strong DT class this year!

So let's look at what we have for next year:

Starters: 3-4 Buckner- DT, AA- DE and Balducci -NG, all 300 with size.

After this point on the D line panic sets in right, if injury happens?

Second String: Bair DT 6'9 298, Talia 6'5 280 and about four DE's we can slide around to fit our purpose who have tons of game experience. Kamp, French and Washington come to mind.

Now throw in this raw prospect Maloata who I think will not be redshirted at 6'1, close to 300 pounds, that's a perfect backup NG to Balducci. Yes he raw, but he's damn disruptive and that's what we need for a NG. Something also tells me in under 10 days Ratu will be a Duck as well.

So let's project to the following year and our D line... Let's assume AA leaves for the pros k? I more fear Buckner will but that's another day....

NG- Balducci, Maloata, both 300 +
DT- Buckner, Bair, Ratu, 300+ height across the board
DE- Kamp, Talia, Prevot, French, Hollins

If we need to go Jumbo?

Balducci, Maloata, Buckner, Ratu and Talia! That's 4 300 pounders and the Rock coming off the end. For those who haven't seen this Talia kid it's pretty damn close. Not a bad Jumbo package. That also makes our line almost all Samoan except for Balducci.

The Gravy on top is 2015 DT class is packed with talent for us to reel in.

I think we'll be okay this year!

 

[STOMP]

I think we'll be okay this year!

thats been my view on the DLine for a while now. I don't think it will be a great line, but the talent and depth is a lot better then some are characterizing it. Oregon needed to land some Freshman in the 2014 cycle not so much for the 2014 season, but so when the 7 DLine Juniors move on following the 2015 season they aren't starting over from scratch.

As opposed to the 2014 class, 2015 prospects looking at Oregon's depth chart will see that they don't have 2 full seasons fighting over scraps of garbage time snaps before they've a real shot at playing. Combined with projections of much better West Coast DLine prospects in this next cycle, I remain optimistic that they'll continue to land the sort of talents that they need to stay on a roll

STOMP

 

[Targus]

I disagree. We will get exploited on the DL next year. Guaranteed.
Look how the season basically ended:

Stanford 274 rushing yards 4.2 yards per rush
UA 304 rushing yards 4.7 yards per rush
OSU 283 rushing yards 6.3 yards per rush

How did this happen with multi-year starters and big bodied Taylor Hart, Wade Keliikipi and Ricky Heimuli? Simple. What was supposed to be one of our strongest areas of team got exploited and the pathetic play of MLB didn't help. 2014 season starts soon and we will have a rough time making plays behind the LOS or at the LOS. NA knew what he was doing by picking this year to retire. Sure. We will be OK in some games. The ones that matter? Not so much...

Don't believe me. Maybe you'll believe Addicted to Quack:

Over the last month of the season, Oregon's defensive line was nothing short of a failure. They were dominated by Stanford, Arizona and Oregon State.... Unless someone steps up on each side of the line, things are shaping up to be a challenge in the trenches.

The title of the article? Why Oregon Won't Win Pac Champ in 2014.

http://www.addictedtoquack.com/2014...otball-why-oregon-wont-win-the-pac-12-in-2014

The Oregon Ducks have a serious issue when it comes to the defensive tackle position.

Another signing day has come and gone without the signature of a prototypical defensive tackle coming through the fax machines of Oregon's swanky football facilities.
The defensive tackle position is always a primary target for all programs, but even more so for the Ducks.
The Ducks have been repeatedly exposed when facing off against physical teams like Stanford, Auburn and LSU. The Ducks suffered massive losses on the defensive line after the 2013 season...

For the sake of its championship dreams Oregon needs to adapt to what its failures have told it and finally adopt a new philosophy. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...t-position-continues-to-be-an-issue-for-ducks

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I disagree. We will get exploited on the DL next year. Guaranteed.
Look how the season basically ended:

Stanford 274 rushing yards 4.2 yards per rush
UA 304 rushing yards 4.7 yards per rush
OSU 283 rushing yards 6.3 yards per rush

How did this happen with multi-year starters and big bodied Taylor Hart, Wade Keliikipi and Ricky Heimuli? Simple. What was supposed to be one of our strongest areas of team got exploited and the pathetic play of MLB didn't help. 2014 season starts soon and we will have a rough time making plays behind the LOS or at the LOS. NA knew what he was doing by picking this year to retire. Sure. We will be OK in some games. The ones that matter? Not so much...

Don't believe me. Maybe you'll believe Addicted to Quack:

Over the last month of the season, Oregon's defensive line was nothing short of a failure. They were dominated by Stanford, Arizona and Oregon State.... Unless someone steps up on each side of the line, things are shaping up to be a challenge in the trenches.

The title of the article? Why Oregon Won't Win Pac Champ in 2014.

http://www.addictedtoquack.com/2014...otball-why-oregon-wont-win-the-pac-12-in-2014

The Oregon Ducks have a serious issue when it comes to the defensive tackle position.

Another signing day has come and gone without the signature of a prototypical defensive tackle coming through the fax machines of Oregon's swanky football facilities.
The defensive tackle position is always a primary target for all programs, but even more so for the Ducks.
The Ducks have been repeatedly exposed when facing off against physical teams like Stanford, Auburn and LSU. The Ducks suffered massive losses on the defensive line after the 2013 season...

For the sake of its championship dreams Oregon needs to adapt to what its failures have told it and finally adopt a new philosophy. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...t-position-continues-to-be-an-issue-for-ducks

That's based on the assumption it's the fault of the d-line. It is to some degree, but our linebackers and overall defensive schemes are also to blame. We have a new DC and I am willing to take a wait and see approach. STOMP has convinced me our d-line isn't as bad as I thought.

 

[Quack U!]

I thought Eddie Vanderdoes was a meat puppet till I read why he didn't want to come to Oregon and how the DT was being used as a "punching bag" vs. an aggressor on the field. I think this article is in Bleachers today or yesterday, but worth the read. I've wondered why our DT's were never very productive and this whole "BEND DON'T BREAK" crap just doesn't work to the level we are hoping to achieve now. I think Pellum knows this and thus why we are going after 6'3, 6'4 300 pound DT's now.

Targus your stats are dead right! But there is another part that BP nailed which is we are running the wrong DAMN SCHEME and proper utilization of our DT's that we simple aren't using correctly out there! Our DT's should be getting penetration not playing on their heels as we've seen for many years. If we stay the same as last year we'll get smoked by 3+ teams next year. You're dead right on that Targus! However Pellum knows what was killing us and I think we'll adjust in kind, we better or his being named DC will be attacked and so will Helfrich's first coaching promotion. Helfrich can't afford to waste Marcus and Olomu coming back, this is a defining coaching year for him!

We could run a 4-3 or a 3-4 cheat DDE with AA, Balducci, Buckner and Daniel who I hear is damn near 290 now and 6'6. That's a big a freaking line and if we allow Balducci and Buckner to really attack the O line it could make all the difference in the world! We have a slew of now seasoned LB's ready to rock next year including 6'5 Mattingly who's 260 now at the ILB not to mention Prevot, Robinson, Walker and Coleman. These are some big LB's! Our secondary is deep, it's just how we SCHEME this damn thing!

If we attack instead of playing on our heels on the D line trying only to react to offensive development, we'll be deadly!!! Our secondary is good enough to go man up and allow our D line and LB's to get evil every play!

 

[STOMP]

The defensive scheme has been (for a real long while now) for DLman to tie up multiple guys on the OLine to free up the LBs to clean up. Matthews, Clay & Kiko recorded huge stats doing just that and the D has been very effective helping the Ducks dominate. I'm sure new coaches are going to add their thing to the mix, but we'll just have to see if they've decided the system needs a complete overhaul. I'm predicting more frustration for those who think they know better then Oregon's coaching staff

STOMP

 

[Targus]

The defensive scheme has been (for a real long while now) for DLman to tie up multiple guys on the OLine to free up the LBs to clean up. Matthews, Clay & Kiko recorded huge stats doing just that and the D has been very effective helping the Ducks dominate. I'm sure new coaches are going to add their thing to the mix, but we'll just have to see if they've decided the system needs a complete overhaul. I'm predicting more frustration for those who think they know better then Oregon's coaching staff

STOMP

Have to disagree with the simplicity approach to DL tying up and LB's making plays. Oregon's approach has been to force plays inside and the reason Clay and Kiko made so many plays is because they are Clay and Kiko. Those LB's played behind a lot of the same starting DT's as 2013's LB's, but the talent level dropped off big time at LB and we were exploited.

Our DL could be a key reason Ducks may begin the season 2-2 in 2014.

Here's an insightful, but basic read into Oregon's defensive scheme, alignment and shifts.

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2013/7/24/4545768/oregon-ducks-46-defense-nick-aliotti

 

[Quack U!]

Dead on Targus! If you have an O line the size of Stanford's last year and they pushed our D line back two yards a down just blowing our guys off the line that's enough for their success. Our inexperienced Duck LB's last year met Gaffney not behind the line of scrimmage, or even on it, rather two positive yards into picking up another Stanford 1st down. Gaffney needed to only pick up 2 to 3 yards a carry from that point to work the clock and keep our offense off the field. This is how Stanford, Bama, LSU and MSU are built to come at us. So this let's have our D line meet their O line and just hope for a line of scrimmage bear hug until our LB's show up, is ignorant as it is arrogant. We didn't have the experienced LB's last year to go head to head with the likes of the RB's that Bama, LSU, FSU, AZ or for that matter Stanford can put on the field. You really think Joe Walker or Lokombo is going to stop a T.J. Yeldon type or a Gaffney for that matter after our D Line has lost the trench war, given them a gap and 3 yards + a head of steam behind them? Laughable and shows complete ignorance of the game! Your LB's have to be amazing for this to happen and last year we were playing with some guys who hadn't had a year of the play book under their belts when Stanford enormous O line came a calling in Palo Alto. Not to mention we had no Kiko, Clay or a DDE like Dion on the field to get edge penetration. We played them straight up and they crushed us! Not even at half time did we make adjustments. That game was truly Aliotti's resignation game in my eyes. He just refused to adjust.

The reason Oregon has been so successful is our D only had to weather the storm during a game or "BEND DON'T BREAK" because our offense for the last 5 + years gives our D an 18 point cushion to be AVERAGE in. Typically it's been our secondary not our D line that makes the big defensive stops which is why many thought Neal should be D coordinator!

Please note teams have figured out that scoring slow and slower against us works the best. Stanford could have cared less if they only scored 10 points that game, as long as Marcus was on the bench and our D was giving them 4 to 5 a carry. They achieved clock management and our D was getting beating up and couldn't get a stop! We weren't beaten on the big plays just simple smash mouth. Teams now know Oregon's D line is schemed wrong and they are exploiting it. Arizona was an average team that we allowed to Stanford us. Stanford was a huge O Line one dimensional offense that we could have jumbo sized into throwing into the strength of our defense. We should have blown them out, instead we made Shaw look like a genius yet again! Hell Stanford didn't even have any of their signature book end TE's to use as weapons. Unreal!

Now how do you combat that and beat teams like Stanford, Bama and LSU? You force them into an uncomfortable offensive flow. For our defensive line that means LEVERAGE and UNPREDICTABLITY! You don't line a 6'7 guy up at NG who's talent is better served coming off the end or going man up vs. taking on a double . You're taking away AA's and Buckner's athletic long bodied strengths at that point. You get a 6'4 305er like Balducci and tell him to swim block the centers right under arm and beat his man with QUICKNESS at the snap and motor past him to the back field. When that hole is exposed your LB's follow it to plug his gap at the line. Positive penetration and DT leverage opens the gaps for LB's and safety's to bring the shock and awe. If our DT's can stay lower and be more explosive than slower bigger O lineman we wont be successful. At the same time our huge DE's AA and Buckner can collapse the edges and our Weak side LB's and Safety's can blast through and make plays. This all comes from our DT's establishing early the "lower leverage" at the line. It's a must against good O line teams!

I don't see us doing that the last few years and hopefully this part can change in a hurry but it's a coached philosophy. Some defensive coordinators are happy with the DT's just not losing ground at the line. That said if you have a lock down secondary like we've had and a slew of LB's to rotate in along with DE's you can take some freaking risks on the D line. Without those risks you're allowing the offense to decide what part of the defense they want to dissect. That's a reactive defense not an attacking one and unfortunately that's why it's called BEND DON'T BREAK. Great teams have attacking defenses. BAMA, FSU, LSU, STANFORD, MSU and GEORGIA. They get after you, the next step for Oregon must be a Great D Line and an ATTACKING philosophy.

I'm encouraged when I hear recruits like Springs saying Pellum said they'd be attacking a lot more next year when he was named DC.

 

[PapaG]

If size was everything, then Pac-12 schools would have been recruiting this Portland State signee.

http://www.goviks.com/roster.aspx?path=football&rp_id=1853

Willie Eteaki
Position: DT
Height: 6-1
Weight: 355
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Beaverton, OR
High School: Southridge

 

[Quack U!]

Yup! Perfect size for NG and DT! We need a few kids like that PapaG, although I'd like maybe 2 more inches in height. Poona is barely 6'1 but that kid was squatting 500 pounds like it was 225! If Poona gets under a O Lineman's pad he's getting past no trouble.