Oregon Offense in Good Hands with Vernon Adams, but Defense Must Get Much Better

Life after Marcus Mariota sure looked a lot like life with last year’s Heisman Trophy winner at Oregon.

A quarterback running around, extending plays with his legs? Check.

Plenty of points, scored at break-neck speed? Check.

An injury scare following a scramble? Even in that case, check.

Yes, life with quarterback Vernon Adams behind center didn’t seem all that different from what Ducks fans have become used to the past few seasons as the Pacific Northwest power rolled over FCS opponent Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon 61-42.

Such blowouts of an overmatched opponent have become common the past decade in Eugene, but this season opener appeared different. The team’s safety valve of the past few years—Mariota, arguably the best signal-caller in school history—is following a new path in the NFL. The raucous Autzen Stadium crowd filled in with cautious optimism and hopes of adding another Pac-12 title to the building’s facade, but there were still plenty of "what ifs" that needed to be answered.

Enter Adams, an FCS transfer from the same Eagles he was facing Saturday, and one who has spent all of 22 days in an Oregon uniform. The damage done against his former team? A total of 340 yards of offense and two touchdown passes in a sharp performance that showed no signs of a player who has barely worked out on a field since the end of 2014.

That is certainly one way to make an entrance. And, later, an exit as it turns out.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Adams was sliding to pick up a first down but suffered a blow to the head after a nasty play by Eagles linebacker John Kreifels. The play, which resulted in a targeting foul and an ejection for Kreifels, marked the end of the evening for Adams as he returned to team facilities to undergo concussion protocols before finding his way back to the sideline with a large smile.

The injury scare seemed to be the only thing that could slow down Adams. It was his 27th game with multiple touchdown passes, and he operated the up-tempo offense he learned on the fly like a seasoned pro.

There was one moment on his first drive where Adams whirled out of a sack, flushed to his left and fired a bullet to a wide-open receiver for a big gain. It was eerily reminiscent of Mariota’s scramble against Michigan State last season that proved to be a game-changing play, albeit this version came with a dart of a pass instead of a flip play.

It may only have been an FCS squad, but if those kinds of plays are a sign of things to come, the Ducks remain a threat to book a return trip to the College Football Playoff.

Perhaps the bigger news for the Ducks offense was not the steady play from their new signal-caller, but the emergence of 6', 210-pound tailback Kani Benoit behind a retooled offensive line. The redshirt sophomore proved to be quite the capable backup to starter Royce Freeman, rushing for 83 yards and one touchdown. Benoit ran hard and proved to be elusive when given an opening in space.

The continued development of a player who flashed in last year’s resounding Rose Bowl win should continue to alleviate concerns over the departure of injured junior Thomas Tyner this season and provide a nice one-two punch with Freeman, who ran for a career-high 180 yards and is a Heisman contender himself.

For every positive on offense, though, there were an equal number of red flags on defense.

If there is one unit that has been a thorn in the side of the Ducks during their run to national prominence, it has been sorting out the defense. Despite a number of returning starters and a handful of future NFL draft prospects on that side of the ball, Oregon still allowed 42 points and a staggering number of big plays—including a number at the hands of EWU’s backup quarterback.

Blame it on defensive rotations or fresh faces not knowing what to do, but those are the kinds of issues that loom large with a trip to East Lansing and a top-10 showdown with fifth-ranked Michigan State on the docket.

The Spartans feature a potential first-round quarterback in Connor Cook and one of the best coaches in the country in Mark Dantonio. Oregon has fared well against Big Ten teams, including last year against MSU in Eugene, but Week 2’s marquee game won’t be much of one if Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum’s group doesn’t tighten things up.

Particularly troubling was the lack of a consistent pass rush despite the presence of stars like defensive end DeForest Buckner. Numerous times the team rushed only three players, and they were promptly picked apart by Eastern Washington’s quarterbacks in a clean pocket.

Perhaps it was simply the Ducks not wanting to tip their hand completely heading into one of the biggest games of the season, but it’s quite clear that can’t happen again or Cook will enhance his Heisman candidacy in seven days by doing the same. 

Oregon is used to dealing with—and adapting to—such deficiencies nonetheless. If Adams remains as advertised, the Ducks won’t skip much of a beat as they look to remain in the national spotlight.

On Saturday, the names and faces of some key players may have changed, but it certainly seemed like more of the same from Oregon.

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.