Eastern Washington vs. Oregon: Game Grades, Analysis for the Ducks

Oregon was led by new quarterback and Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams past his old program en route to a 61-42 victory.  While the final score wasn't as lopsided as Oregon fans are used to seeing against season-opening FCS competition, the 61 points should have most Ducks offense lovers happy.

The question marks on defense will linger all week heading into the Ducks' Week 2 showdown with Michigan State in East Lansing, but we'll have to wait until next week to get those answers.

In the meantime, let's break down the Ducks' performance against Eastern Washington in our Week 1 game grades for Oregon.

Here's the box score for tonight's game, via NCAA.com.

Position	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B+	B+
Run Offense	A-	A
Pass Defense	C	C-
Run Defense	A	B-
Special Teams	A	A-
Coaching	B+	B+

Oregon Pass Offense

We had some questions coming into tonight's game about Vernon Adams and how well he'd be able to handle the Ducks' super-fast, high-flying offense.  After a 19-of-25 performance for 246 yards and two touchdowns, we're content with a final grade of "B+."

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Adams handled himself well, with only a few minor hiccups in terms of protection reading and passing decisions.  To be clear, we fully expect these issues to fade with time, as Adams clearly has all of the talent necessary to excel in Oregon's system.

Oregon Run Offense

With 485 yards and a whopping six touchdowns on 57 attempts, Oregon's rushing game was back at its usual high output.  While there was the minor blemish of a lost fumble in the first half, the Ducks ran around, over and through the Eagles all evening—so much so that we can't give the run game anything less than a solid "A" for the show.

Royce Freeman was particularly impressive with his 180 yards and three scores on 21 carries.  He's going to be a major factor in Oregon's success moving forward.

Oregon Pass Defense

If we had a few questions about Oregon's quarterback situation coming into tonight's game, we could have filled volumes with our inquiries about the defensive secondary.  After giving up a whopping 438 yards through the air and five passing touchdowns, the Ducks' secondary didn't do anything to allay our worries.

Eastern Washington had success all evening on the perimeter, and there was significant success over the middle, as well.  The last five FCS opponents Oregon has faced put up a combined 35 points on the Ducks.  The Eagles managed to hang 42 on Oregon.

Yes, Eastern Washington clearly has some playmakers on offense.  Jordan West, who backed up Vernon Adams quite well last season at EWU when Adams missed four weeks due to injury, is a big-time player. Freshman Reilly Hennessey has one heck of a future in front of him.  Wideout Cooper Kupp, with his 246 yards and three scores, is clearly one of those guys who was simply missed by FBS coaches during the recruitment process.

But all of that pales in comparison to the depth of talent possessed by Michigan State.  The Ducks will need to fix some things in a hurry to avoid 42 (or more) points at the hands of the Spartans next week, and it's doubtful whether Oregon can put up 61 points on one of the nation's perennial leading defenses.

Oregon Run Defense

The Ducks gave up 111 yards on 31 carries from the Eagles, while giving up just a single score on the ground.  The 3.6 average per carry isn't particularly bad, but it's not particularly good, either, especially considering the level of competition.

Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon defensive line was about to prevent any big plays (longest EWU rush was 13 yards), but what's of particular concern was the Ducks' inability to bottle up the quarterback and prevent scrambling for positive yards (that 13-yard rush was a scramble by EWU freshman quarterback Reilly Hennessey).

It's also worth noting that most of Eastern Washington's rushing yards came after halftime.  We look for the rushing defense to get better as the game goes on against overmatched competition, not worse.

We're certainly going to pass the Ducks here, but it's probably not a grade that will earn a spot on mom and dad's refrigerator.

"

College GameDay headed to Michigan State-Oregon http://t.co/0nuBm8zUyp

— ESPN Big Ten (@ESPN_BigTen) September 6, 2015"

Oregon Special Teams

It's only a matter of time before Byron Marshall starts putting points on the board with his return ability. Marshall returned three kickoffs for a total of 99 yards, and two of those returns were a half-step away from ending up in the end zone.

The Ducks' kicking game doesn't usually get a whole lot of work, but Aiden Schneider was two-for-two on field goals.  So there's that...

Oregon Coaching

It's not usual that we see Oregon relying on its starters into the fourth quarter against season-opening FCS opponents.  But in the end, Oregon did what it usually does: Put up more than enough points to win.

Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Helfrich and company have continued Chip Kelly's break-neck offensive pace, and if anything, Oregon is getting more adept at speeding past the competition.  While the level of opponents will only rise from here on out in 2015, tonight's game was a great dress rehearsal (offensively, at least) for one of the nation's more difficult schedules coming up.

The Ducks prepare well, but it remains to be seen whether Oregon will have the personnel necessary to match up with MSU, USC or a host of other 2015 opponents.