NCAAF · 1 year ago

Breaking Down the Oregon Ducks Scare Against Idaho: 5 Takeaways

Zack Cook

Host · Writer

Matayo Uiagalelei Flashes Potential
Even though a team with talent on both sides of the football, like the Oregon Ducks, shouldn't be allowing 14 points to Idaho, there was still a bright spot on defense. Matayo Uiagalelei had a strong showing for the Ducks, recording a pair of sacks in the victory. A big year for the sophomore defensive end will go a long way in helping the Ducks find production off the edge. There's work to be done for the Ducks, but Uiagalelei was one of the few shining lights in this win.

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Dan Lanning Lays an Egg
Have expectations become too high for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks? Last year, the Ducks looked like a team inches away from playing in the College Football Playoff. Despite some changes on both sides of the football, the Ducks entered Week 1 among the top four shortest odds to win the national championship. They didn't fit that mold against the lowly Idaho Vandals. The Ducks quietly mustered up a 24-14 victory despite being nearly 50-point favorites. If that doesn't sound the sirens, I'm unsure what will. Lanning is used to create explosive plays on both sides of the ball, and we didn't get many glimpses of that on Saturday. It's not as though the Ducks had a prime lookahead spot where we could at least make some excuses for them. The Ducks don't play a ranked opponent until their massive clash against No.2 Ohio State on October 12. It's Lanning's job to prepare the Ducks for these spots against lackluster opponents, and saying he didn't do his part in this matchup would be an understatement.

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Empty Calories for Dillon Gabriel
Entering Saturday's Week 1 clash against Idaho, Oregon Ducks starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel was listed as the unanimous Heisman trophy favorite across sportsbooks. You can tell who watched the game on Saturday and who looked at the box score and was discussing the outcome. Sure, Gabriel finished with a stat line that saw him throw for 380 yards and two touchdowns. If you watched the Ducks offense, there were a lot of empty-calorie yards for Gabriel and Company. In addition, those are the numbers you're expected to have against poor competition. Gabriel didn't look like the Heisman favorite everyone thought he was in this matchup, and multiple players have already closed the gap on him with their odds for the coveted award.

Dillon Gabriel Heisman Odds: +850 (Entered Week 1 at +500 on the FanDuel Sportsbook)
Jordan James Pops
On Saturday, one of the highlights on offense for the Oregon Ducks was with running back Jordan James. James is in the driver's seat as the top running back on the Ducks roster, and he played like it on Saturday, tallying 95 yards on the ground, 40 through the air, and a touchdown. The ground attack will be crucial to Oregon's offensive success, knowing what Gabriel can do through the air. More performances like this from James will go a long way in comforting Ducks fans.
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Evan Stewart has a Dud
It's no secret that the Oregon Ducks have plenty of talented weapons on offense. You can make a pretty good case that they have one of the best one-two punches at wide receiver in the country. It certainly didn't look like that on Saturday, which saw highly-touted wideout Evan Stewart record just three catches for 15 yards in his Ducks debut. If the Ducks will be a serious contender in the College Football Playoff landscape, they need Stewart to have much better Saturday showings.
Matayo Uiagalelei Flashes Potential
Even though a team with talent on both sides of the football, like the Oregon Ducks, shouldn't be allowing 14 points to Idaho, there was still a bright spot on defense. Matayo Uiagalelei had a strong showing for the Ducks, recording a pair of sacks in the victory. A big year for the sophomore defensive end will go a long way in helping the Ducks find production off the edge. There's work to be done for the Ducks, but Uiagalelei was one of the few shining lights in this win.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
Dan Lanning Lays an Egg
Have expectations become too high for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks? Last year, the Ducks looked like a team inches away from playing in the College Football Playoff. Despite some changes on both sides of the football, the Ducks entered Week 1 among the top four shortest odds to win the national championship. They didn't fit that mold against the lowly Idaho Vandals. The Ducks quietly mustered up a 24-14 victory despite being nearly 50-point favorites. If that doesn't sound the sirens, I'm unsure what will. Lanning is used to create explosive plays on both sides of the ball, and we didn't get many glimpses of that on Saturday. It's not as though the Ducks had a prime lookahead spot where we could at least make some excuses for them. The Ducks don't play a ranked opponent until their massive clash against No.2 Ohio State on October 12. It's Lanning's job to prepare the Ducks for these spots against lackluster opponents, and saying he didn't do his part in this matchup would be an understatement.

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Breaking Down the Oregon Ducks Scare Against Idaho: 5 Takeaways

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