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

It wasn't easy, but the No. 2 Oregon Ducks managed to escape Pullman, Washington, with a 38-31 victory over Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars. 

Marcus Mariota proved to everyone yet again why he's potentially the best player in the country. The signal-caller went 21-of-25 for 329 yards. He only threw one incompletion in the entire second half. 

The offensive line does need a bit of work. Mariota was sacked seven times on the day. Heading into Saturday's game, Oregon had only relinquished three sacks. 

A mark of a good team is winning on the road in adverse conditions. The Ducks were able to do just that. 

A full box score of the contest can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. 

Check out the first-half grades and final grades for the Ducks. Additional analysis for different position units will also be addressed.

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

Pass Offense

Mariota was nearly flawless on the evening. Despite being under constant pressure, the quarterback kept his eyes up and found Devon Allen and Keanon Lowe (among others) down the field for huge gains. 

His poise in the face of adversity was simply exquisite. Having only one incompletion after halftime (and despite being sacked seven times on the evening) is extremely impressive. Mariota finished 21-of-25 for 329 yards and five touchdowns. 

Pass Defense

The pass defense did have its troubles, especially in the first half. The secondary in general did not tackle well in space. Many times, WSU receivers were able to break tackles and rack up yards after the catch. 

As is the case with any defense facing a Mike Leach offense, Oregon gave up passing yards. WSU quarterback Connor Halliday threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns. In addition, Oregon's secondary was unable to create any turnovers. The soft zone also allowed WSU to pick up good production over the middle of the field. 

Run Offense

Oregon's vaunted zone-read rushing attack was bottled up for the most part in the first half. Credit the Cougars defensive line for getting off blocks and making plays. In the second half, the ground game got going a bit. 

Oregon finished the first half with only 45 yards on the ground (most of which came from Mariota scrambles). The Ducks did ultimately finish with 172 yards rushing. While it wasn't the usual amount of production rushing the football, it was effective enough. 

Run Defense

Washington State came into this game averaging 40.0 yards per game on the ground. This was good for 126th in the country. 

Oregon did allow 63 yards on the ground. In the second half especially, the defensive line closed running lanes and tackled with more effectiveness. WSU's Gerard Wicks and Jamal Morrow did slash the unit at times. However, for the most part, Oregon put forth an effective effort. 

Special Teams

On a special teams error by Washington State, the Ducks were able to recover a muffed punt. A Matt Wogan 32-yard chip-shot miss ultimately lowered the special teams grade down into the "B" range. He did convert later from 34 yards out. 

Coaching

In the first half, Mark Helfrich didn't really account for Washington State's pressure up front. Mariota was sacked five times and often was restricted to the pocket. In the second half, Oregon opted for quicker throws and opportunities in which Mariota was rolled out to either side of the field. This was a nice adjustment. 

Defensively, Oregon rarely attacked Halliday with blitzes. He was able to stand comfortably in the pocket and throw the ball down the field without facing much pressure.