OSS: Oregon Duck Midseason Grades and More...

The Oregon Ducks sit at 5-1, 3-0 in conference and control their own destiny on the road to Pasadena.  This is where many people thought the Ducks would be before the season started, but they have gone about it in a very different way than most people would have thought.

We all know about the debacle at Boise State on Sept. 3rd.  The week that ensued was a tough one for Duck fans to swallow, but the team climbed back up on the horse without LaGarette Blount and knocked off a Purdue team in a great show of heart and will to win. 

Purdue may not be the best team (although the win against Ohio State last weekend shows they are not horrible), but with everything Oregon had gone through the previous week, the win against Purdue was the point where the Ducks decided they would not let Boise beat them the entire season.

We have seen players step into roles that were vacated by stars in 2008, and we have seen groups, such as the offensive line, grow together in only a couple weeks of action.

This team has lost Walter Thurmond III, Willie Glasper, TJ Ward, Jeremiah Masoli, and Blount for either significant time or for the rest of the season.  This was a team that already only had seven seniors in the entire two deep roster. Four of the five players above are impact seniors for this team (Masoli is a junior).

The Ducks are young and are gaining valuable experience for players early in their careers.

Lets give out some mid-season grades to each unit:

Quarterbacks: B

After looking awful during the non-conference schedule, Masoli seemed to turn things on against Cal and Washington State before getting hurt.  Nate Costa struggled against UCLA, but considering it was the most live game action he has seen since high school, he didn’t play that bad.

Running Backs: A-

If you told me I would give the Ducks this grade and that LaGarette Blount would have nothing to do with it, I would have thought you were crazy.  LaMichael James has been as good as advertised and Kenyon Barner has also impressed.

Receiver: B-

Take out Ed Dickson and this unit is really struggling.  Through six games, excluding Dickson, the receivers have caught a combined one touchdown.  Part of this is caused by poor quarterback play, but it seems clear at this time, that the Ducks just don’t have a ton of big playmakers on the outside.

Offensive Line: B+

A big concern heading into the season has grown quickly and become a strong point of the offense.  If this unit can stay healthy, they could drive this offense towards a conference championship.

Overall Offense: B+

The Ducks have not played super-talented teams for the most part, but they are well-equipped to handle whatever the Pac-10 can throw at them.  It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see this offense clicking the same way it did at the end of the 2008 season.

Defensive Line: B

I did not have high expectations for a unit that lost three-fourths of its starters after 2008, but they have surprised me and many others.  Will Tukuafu has demanded double teams, while Simi Toeaina and Brandon Bair have done a pretty good job stopping the run.

Linebackers: A-

Coming into the season, it was speculated that this was the deepest the Ducks had ever been at linebacker and that is the truth.  So many players have contributed over the first six games that Duck fans are excited to watch these players grow.

Defensive Backs: A

This unit looked strong heading into the season, but the way they are getting it done is somewhat unexpected.  The Ducks have suffered major injuries in this group and seemed to have not skipped a beat. 

Freshmen and sophomores riddle this unit now after major injuries to TJ Ward, Walter Thurmond III, and Willie Glasper.  Freshmen John Boyett and Cliff Harris as well as sophomore Javes Lewis have looked impressive in the secondary.

Overall Defense: A

This unit has won basically three games for this football team and carried the team during the offensive struggles.  This is probably the best defense Oregon fans have seen since “Gang Green” in 1994.

Special Teams: B

The returns have been special this year, but the team has struggled kicking field goals and covering kicks.  Tom Osborne will get these things worked out, but those are the things holding this unit back from an A grade.

Now, lets take a look back at some predictions I made at the beginning of the season .

The Ducks aren’t undefeated and they haven’t blown everyone out, but the offense seems to be coming around when they need it the most.

Blount will certainly not be the MVP, but one of my players to watch might be the MVP in LaMichael James. 

The corner opposite Walter Thurmond III looked to be a concern heading into the season, but Talmedge Jackson III has played very well, and silenced most of his critics last week against UCLA.  He returned an interception for a touchdown that helped propel Oregon to a victory, 24-10.

The defensive line has come around since the Boise State game as well and has been picked up by the play of Simi Toeaina.  The senior has shown how hard work pays off and really has been a force stopping the run along with Brandon Bair.

Looking Ahead:

The Ducks have six games left and dangerous games include USC and Oregon State in Eugene, as well as Arizona, Stanford, and Washington on the road.  Talent-wise, Oregon is better than everyone except USC. 

As I have said before, USC can be had this year.  They still have a good all around team, but as was shown last week, they still make mental lapses and Autzen on Halloween night will be the toughest place the Trojans play all season.

The game that scares me the most has to be Arizona.  The Wildcats are sneaky good this year and have a star in the making in Sophomore quarterback Nick Foles.  The Wildcats ended the Ducks' championship hopes on a Thursday night in November in 2007, and the Ducks must travel to Tucson in November once again.  

I still see the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl this year losing one conference game and finishing the season 10-2. 

After the way the season started, Duck fans should be very happy with that.