Oregon Football: Ducks Only Scratching the Surface of Their Potential

It’s hard to get off to a better start to a season than the Oregon Ducks have in 2014. The decimation of South Dakota in the season opener was expected. A follow-up performance against Michigan State, especially in the second half, was not. 

The Ducks are riding high after a 28-3 post-halftime performance against the Spartans. While the final box score will show that Oregon took home a 19-point victory, it is a fact that the point differential does not tell the entire story.

What we do know is this: The Oregon Ducks are one of the finest college football teams in the nation, and they have a real shot at claiming a national title this season. What we don’t know is how much better this Oregon team can be. Or do we?

The Oregon Ducks, in my opinion, are just scratching the surface of their potential. Here’s why:

Chris Pietsch/Associated Press

The Youth Movement

Despite the fact that the Ducks are considered one of the best teams in the nation, and rightfully so, they are inexperienced on both sides of the ball.

The defense was forced to replace six starters from the 2013 team, while the offense had to replace its top four receivers from last year. On top of that, Oregon’s offensive line has been hit by the injury bug, pressing the team to use inexperienced replacements, such as true freshman Tyrell Crosby.

While the Ducks may lack experience at some key positions, the young guns have made an imprint on the program and established themselves as not only effective but also dynamic.

Chris Pietsch/Associated Press

The stars of the youth movement have been mostly on the offensive side. True freshman running back Royce Freeman, who has only carried the ball 23 times, is already Oregon’s most explosive running back and may be the featured back as soon as this week.

While sophomore Thomas Tyner and junior Byron Marshall have played decently, especially Marshall, Freeman has made the most of his opportunities, scoring four touchdowns already this season, including two game-changing scores in the second half against Michigan State.

The young wide receivers, Devon Allen and Darren Carrington, have been impressive as well.

Carrington has proved to be an excellent downfield receiver with strong hands. His 69-yard catch-and-run against Michigan State proved that he is capable of getting separation from the secondary.

However, Oregon’s most impressive receiver so far this season has been Allen, who caught three balls against Michigan State for 110 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown that was simply jaw-dropping.

Allen, who won the NCAA’s 110-meter hurdle title as a freshman last year, may be the fastest receiver in the entire country. Mark Helfrich quipped that Allen’s performance in the 110-meter hurdles “might have been too fast” in his weekly teleconference.

Oregon’s inexperienced players will only get better as the season moves forward. That’s a scary proposition for Pac-12 opponents.

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Defensive Cohesion 

The Ducks came into the season with questions on defense. Not only were they only returning five starters from the 2013 team but they were also bringing in a new defensive coordinator in longtime assistant coach Don Pellum.

While Oregon’s defense was downright horrendous in the second quarter of the Michigan State game, the other seven quarters so far this season have been nothing short of fantastic.

In the second quarter against the Spartans, the Ducks gave up 24 points, failed to put any pressure on quarterback Connor Cook and couldn’t stop Michigan State in 3rd-and-long situations. However, take out that second quarter and you’re left with the fact that the Ducks have only allowed 16 points, and a single touchdown, in the other seven quarters this season.

The young defense, led by All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, rose to the occasion and blitzed Michigan State’s offense after halftime. It won the turnover battle for the second-straight game and finally got consistent pressure in the backfield. Dan Woike of the Orange County Register commented on the defense's performance:

Players such as defensive tackle Arik Armstead, defensive end DeForest Buckner, linebackers Tyson Coleman and Joe Walker, and cornerback Troy Hill played like four-year starters in the second half.

The defense is only going to grow and get better as the season goes along. Pellum, only in his second game as defensive coordinator, proved that he is extremely apt at making halftime corrections. He too is only going to get better as the season progresses.

Sure, there are mistakes to be corrected and concerns with some of the young defenders. However, if the first two games are a baseline for Oregon’s defensive prowess, it’s going to be a long year for opposing offenses.

Chris Pietsch/Associated Press

Mark Helfrich 

Helfrich, who is in his second year as head coach, was questioned relentlessly in the media for his performance in 2013. Yes, he went 11-2, and the Ducks finished the season ranked ninth in the country. However, a loss to Stanford last November cast a cloud over his ability to prepare his team mentally and physically for premiere matchups.

Then came the Arizona game. That game didn’t just cast a cloud over Helfrich’s abilities; it created a thunderstorm.

That loss in Tuscon, by the egregious score of 42-16, led to serious questioning of Helfrich and whether or not he was the right choice to succeed the indomitable Chip Kelly as head coach of the Ducks was asked ad nauseam.

Helfrich took those losses in stride. Now, two games into his second year, Helfrich has proved he can not only coach the Ducks in high-pressure situations, but he is also fully capable of getting the best out of his team in moments of chaos.

The Ducks, down 27-18 early in the third quarter to Michigan State, could have folded as they’ve done before against Stanford, Arizona, LSU and Boise State, to name a few.

However, Helfrich led his guys onto the field in the second half with the knowledge they were the better team and were fully capable of not only beating the Spartans, but they could also dominate the game on both sides of the ball. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports spoke favorably about the Ducks under Helfrich's leadership:

No one knows outside of the Ducks' locker room what Helfrich said at halftime, though he called his halftime speech “Gettysburg Addressish.” But the second half results speak for itself.

Helfrich is only growing as a head coach. There’s no doubt he’s learning on the job and adapting to the position. But he’s heading in the right direction. That’s a great sign for the Ducks going forward.

Just remember that Chip Kelly’s first year began with a loss to Boise State and ended with a loss in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. In his second year he took the Ducks to their first-ever trip to the national championship. A repeat second-year coaching performance may be in the cards for Helfrich.

It also helps that he has one of the best players in the nation leading his team.

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The Contender

Great teams usually take on the identity of either their head coach or their star player. In this case, the 2014 Oregon Ducks have assumed the personality and identity of their best player, Heisman Trophy front-runner Marcus Mariota.

While Mariota is a cerebral person who doesn’t like the spotlight on him, he is one of the most fiercely competitive athletes on the planet, just ask his mom about his video-game fits as a child.

"As a kid he would throw controllers in his room," Alana Mariota said in a 2012 interview with Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. "I would tell him, 'You dent my wall, and you're in big trouble.'"

While he’s likely done throwing video-game controllers at the wall, his competitive spirit remains.

The 2014 Ducks, at least so far, have assumed that maniacal competitiveness, while simultaneously focusing on the team and the future rather than basking in the individual spotlight. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit tweeted about Mariota embracing the "team concept":

While there is a lot of football left to be played, Mariota is off to a fantastic start. The scary part for Pac-12 teams and the rest of the nation is that he has a ton of room to grow and is only going to get better as his young offensive line develops into a stronger unit, pending injuries, and his inexperienced wide receivers mature.

Mariota has played incredibly well this season and put on a show in the second half against Michigan State. It was his finest hour. However, outside of two long throws he hit, he struggled in the first half against the Spartans' strong defense.

Mariota’s ability to think critically in high-pressure situations and make plays with his arm and legs while chaos surrounds him is what sets him apart.

The Ducks are the second-ranked team in the nation right now, according to The Associated Press, and they already have the best nonconference win in the country under their belts. But these Ducks are just scratching the surface of their potential.

If the Ducks reach their potential this season, something they’ve failed to do in years past, there could be a parade in Eugene come mid-January.

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow him on twitter @TheSportsGuy33.