Oregon vs. Utah: Game Grades, Analysis for Ducks

Amidst a tough environment, the Oregon Ducks were able to go on the road and defeat a stubborn Utah team by a score of 51-27. 

Heisman front-runner Marcus Mariota finished with over 350 yards of total offense. It was the seventh time this season in which he's accumulated at least four total touchdowns. Perhaps most impressive is the fact he was able to complete this feat against a very good defense. 

With the win, expect Oregon to catapult itself into the top three in regards to the College Football Playoff Standings. This will go down as one of the more impressive victories on its resume. 

A full box score of the contest can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. First-Half grades and final grades will be addressed below. Additional analysis on position units will also be touched upon. 

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

Oregon Ducks Analysis

Passing Offense

Outside of a long 41-yard pass play to Devon Allen, Oregon didn't look to attack the field too often down the field. As a means to combat Utah's immense pressure, Mariota got the ball out quickly on shorter throws. Dwayne Stanford and Byron Marshall both were excellent in run after catch situations. 

Mariota finished with a solid stat line: 17-of-29 for 239 yards and three touchdowns. While Utah's pressure was effective at times, it did nothing to disturb Mariota's ability to deliver the ball to his receivers.

Pass Defense

Utah quarterback Travis Wilson was able to gash the Ducks on a big pass play for 78 yards to Kaelin Clay. Had it not been for Clay's boneheaded mistake, the play would have resulted in a touchdown—and could've easily spun the game in a different direction. 

Oregon's defenders blanketed Utah's average wide receiver corps for the duration of the night. Without Dres Anderson, there wasn't much in the way of a deep threat. 

The Oregon pass defense was hurt considerably by Devontae Booker out of the backfield. Utah's tailback had eight catches for 110 yards, with much of his production came on screens or simply leaking out of the backfield. Clay led Utah with 152 yards receiving on only five catches.

Rushing Offense

It was tough sledding in the first half. The offensive line wasn't getting consistent push up front against an active Utah front seven. There were breakdowns in protection, which resulted in four first-half sacks. 

However in the second half, the emergence of freshman Royce Freeman stemmed Utah's relentless pressure. Freeman ended the game with 99 yards on 15 carries. He had a number of punishing runs late in the game, where he broke multiple tackles. 

The story on the ground tonight involved Mariota. The signal-caller had a season-high both in carries (18) and yards (114). When the play broke down, he was able to escape and make positive yardage with his legs.

Run Defense

Credit Oregon's run defense for playing a whale of a game. The reason Utah had success throwing the ball was because Oregon virtually shut down its electric tailback Devontae Booker. The third-leading rusher in the Pac-12 finished with only 56 yards on 18 carries. The Oregon front seven—in particular its linebackers—were extremely active in penetrating gaps and getting into the backfield. 

Both Danny Mattingly and Joe Walker consistently made plays. Walker's bizarre 99-yard fumble return for touchdown completely changed the complexion of the contest. Tyson Coleman also had an acrobatic interception in the second half. 

Special Teams

Walk-on freshman kicker Aidan Schneider was perfect on all three of his field-goal attempts. In terms kick return coverage game, the team did a solid job against Clay.

Charles Nelson had one very nice punt return, and Jonathan Loyd would've had a punt return for touchdown in the final seconds of the contest—were not for a shoestring tackle by Utah punter Tom Hackett. 

Coaching

Credit Mark Helfrich and his staff for combating Utah's pressure after the first quarter. A heavy diet of quick throws and plays to the perimeter enabled Oregon's skill players to use their speed in space. 

Also credit the team in general for answering the bell every time Utah mounted some sort of a comeback effort.