Oregon vs. LSU: 7 Ways Oregon Can Rebound from Week 1 Loss

The highly proclaimed matchup of the Oregon Ducks and the LSU Tigers was a football game that looked all too familiar to Duck fans all over the country.

Oregon was only seven months removed from its loss against the Auburn Tigers in the National Championship last season and the bitter taste of that loss was still existent in the mouths of Duck fans.

After the loss to LSU, it's safe to say that the Tigers are simply a better team than the Ducks, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. LSU was the fourth-ranked team in the country and has one of the best defenses in all of college football.

Despite the tough loss, Oregon is likely to still be ranked near the Top 10 in the country and still has a legitimate shot at playing in a BCS bowl game, hence the reason why the sky is not falling over Duck country.

Here is a list of seven ways that Oregon can rebound from its Week 1 loss to LSU.

7. Continue to Integrate DeAnthony Thomas into Offense

To what was a surprise to many, DeAnthony Thomas—Oregon's top recruit from 2011—saw an extended amount of playtime against LSU.

Even though it is likely that "DAT" only sniffed the field because LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner sustained injuries during the game, he proved that he has the ability to contribute to this offense right away.

Yes, he did fumble the ball on back-to-back plays, but what do you expect from a true freshman making his first career start against the LSU defense?

I envision Thomas being used similarly to the way Chip Kelly used Josh Huff in his freshman year. A slot receiver who will get occasionally run the ball.

6. Recommit to the Running Game

Running the ball with LaMichael James and Darron Thomas was the bread and butter of the Ducks' high-flying offense in 2010.

However, Oregon realized they wouldn't be able to run all over the LSU defense and decided to put the ball in Darron Thomas' hands and try to score through the air.

This strategy worked better than it did against Auburn last year, but it still proved to be unsuccessful as Thomas threw for only 240 yards on a career-high 54 attempts.

Since the Ducks won't be facing any defenses who are comparable to LSU's, they should recommit to running the ball.

The return of Kenjon Barner will only add another weapon to the already multidimensional offensive attack.

5. Returning to the Friendly Confines of Autzen Stadium Should Help

There is nothing like home, and the Oregon Ducks know this as well as anyone else in the country.

Oregon has won 16 straight home games at Autzen Stadium, and their last loss came against Boise State back in 2008.

The Ducks will have seven more home games in 2011 and will be playing out the rest of their schedule on the West Coast.

4. Get Cliff Harris Back on the Field

Oregon needs Cliff Harris back not only because he's the team's best defensive player, but he's also their best return specialist.

Harris' absence in the secondary has been tempered by the emergence of cornerback Anthony Gildon who thrived in coverage against LSU. However, the Tigers are not known for their passing game which made the loss of Harris tolerable.

When Oregon matches up against the premier quarterbacks in college football like Nick Foles, Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley, Harris will certainly be needed to match up against the opponent's top wide receiver.

3. Chip Kelly Needs to Continue to Trust Darron Thomas

While LaMichael James—the nation's top rusher in 2010—is the cornerstone of this Oregon Ducks team, I believe Darron Thomas is the most vital player to the team's success in 2011.

Thomas is an adequate passer who can get the job done when Oregon has a balanced offensive attack. However, what Thomas is better known for is his running ability, which was a staple in Oregon's offensive success in 2010.

Thomas has the uncanny ability to make that split-second decision whether to hand the ball off to LaMichael James and the other running backs, or to keep it to himself and run with it.

However, Thomas rushed for only 12 yards on two attempts against LSU, which is an unusually low number of rushes for Thomas.

Oregon will need Thomas to run more frequently, especially since the Ducks lost their top two wide receivers from 2010.

2. Blitz, Blitz, Then Blitz Some More

If the Ducks have a strength on defense, it is certainly their secondary.

Oregon has returned three starters in the secondary—Anthony Gildon is only a substitute but still played often in 2010—and they all played tremendously against Jarrett Lee and the LSU passing game.

However, what left a little to be desired is Oregon's run defense, which surrendered 175 yards on the ground to LSU.

What the good news was—if there is any—was that LSU only gained an average of 3.6 yards per carry, which isn't all that great.

The Ducks' front seven is undersized on defense and must continue to bring the blitz on every potential running play. There is no doubt that future opponents were took notes on Oregon's game with LSU and discovered a hole in its defense.

Oregon's secondary is strong and should be able to withstand man-to-man coverage in case the opponent decides to pass when the Ducks bring the heat.

1. Team Now Feels Like They Have Somthing to Prove

I wouldn't necessarily say that the target is off of their back, but the Ducks will now play the remainder of the season with something to prove.

After losing two straight nationally recognized games against SEC opponents, the word "overrated" is now being thrown around when mentioning the Ducks.

Oregon is the two-time defending Pac-10 champion, so every opponent from here on out will be looking to take down the conference's top dog. 

However, Oregon undoubtedly views themselves as one of the nation's elite and will be out to back that statement up for the rest of the season.

Oregon's toughest game of the year is over and done with, and will now spend the rest of the season climbing upwards to reestablish themselves as a top-three team in the nation.

I believe that playing with something to prove is a lot easier than playing with the pressure of being one of the top-ranked teams in the country for the entire season.