DSC Inside Read: 3-2-1 Look at the win over Oklahoma State

 

 

Photo by Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

3-2-1 after Oklahoma State — and a wet, windy 9 a.m. at Northwestern up next

Three observations

1) Will Stein’s offense is a moving target — and it travels

Geoff Schwartz called Will Stein the best OC in the country. Hard to argue after Oregon averaged 10.2 yards per play while going 300+ rushing / 300+ passing for the second straight week. This is Year 3 for Stein and his third starting QB at Oregon; the first two were one-year rentals who became Heisman finalists. Now, in Year 2 with Dante Moore, you can see the continuity pay off: Moore was 16-of-21 for 266 and 3 TDs with full-field command, changing tempos and protections and hitting explosives when OSU rotated coverages.

Stein’s openers are humming. Dan Lanning said they “put a real emphasis on our openers” and that the offense is calling plays the players already expect, which is when “you have the most success.” The very first series showed it: quick rollout to TE Jamari Johnson, then a crease for Noah Whittington’s 59-yard house call. Next drive, a blitz pickup by Whittington sprung Moore to his left and triggered the More-to-Moore 65-yard connection. Oregon layered in a double-reverse flea/flicker, a direct snap to Kenyon Sadiq on short yardage, and even a jet sweep to Dakorien Moore from under center — and Lanning called those “core plays,” not gimmicks.

Stein’s multiplicity is matched by buy-in at the edges. WR Gary Bryant Jr. raved about the fun of an offense where “if we do our job, it’s going to be total domination,” and both Bryant and Jayden Limar emphasized perimeter blocking as the hidden engine behind the explosive runs. It’s not a one-man show; it’s an 11-man operation with a QB who, as Lanning put it, is “maturing real quick” and even advocating for what he likes in real time. That offensive identity — scripted precision, perimeter strain, and player-driven comfort — is exactly what you want to pack for a 9 a.m. PT kickoff in less-than-perfect conditions.

2) Don’t crown anything yet — the standard is the point

Yes: two weeks, two boat-races, and 631 total yards with 12 points off two pick-sixes on defense. But Lanning was blunt: “We’ll have to measure that when we play somebody that measures up well against us.” He praised Autzen for forcing five pre-snap penalties and loved the defense going 8 straight stops to open the second half, but he also circled the run fits late: “We can be better” when everyone knows the opponent is running.

The message inside the building hasn’t changed: it’s Oregon vs. Oregon and “the standard” — fewer penalties (five in the first half, just one in the second), cleaner leverage against the run, and carrying the same detail on the road without Autzen’s tailwind. The real like-for-like talent bar arrives in three weeks at Penn State. Until then, the job is stacking habits, not headlines.

3) Bear Alexander is doing star work in a crowded DT room

Early buzz rightfully centered on A’Mauri Washington, but Bear Alexander quietly posted the highest PFF game grade of his college career against OSU and owns the best rush-defense grade on the team. He’s tied for 13th in defensive snaps — more than many realize — with 7 total tackles through two games (third on the team) and steady interior knock-back that lets the second level play fast. Add emergent snaps from Tionne Gray and Terrance Green, plus edge discipline from Matayo Uiagalelei and a timely sack from Teitum Tuioti, and you get the complementary picture Lanning praised: a defense that limits explosives, tightens in the red zone, and turns pressure into points (back-to-back pick-sixes by Jerry Mixon and Peyton Woodyard). Woodyard’s own description of the INT — “rush and coverage” working together — is exactly the structure this front can sustain against any offense.

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Two questions for Northwestern (Saturday, 9:00 a.m. PT, temporary lakefront venue; forecast wet & windy)

1. Body-clock + ball-security game: Can Oregon bring the same scripted sharpness and protection rules to an early road kick with wind and rain? Lanning spotlighted protection as the real key to the deep shots (“unbelievable protection”), and Moore admitted he “took a lot of shots” he shouldn’t have. Northwestern will muddy cadence and edges; the QB-RB-OL communication that freed explosives vs. OSU must travel — with two hands on the ball.

2. Run fits when everyone knows it’s a run: In wind off Lake Michigan, drives shorten and field position matters. Oregon’s late-game rush defense is still under the microscope. Can the interior duo (Washington/Alexander) plus downhill safeties replicate the red-zone stinginess (OSU 1 trip, FG only) when the script becomes heavier personnel, QB keepers, and cross-winds?

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One prediction

Oregon leans into Stein’s perimeter-first run menu and quick game, wins a lower-possession slog, and holds Northwestern under 275 total yards. Expect fewer fireworks but the same distribution: WR blocking springs a couple chunk runs, Sadiq/TE motions create short-yardage answers, and the interior DL squeezes rushing lanes as special teams and hidden yardage decide the middle quarters. In a gusty game, the Ducks’ multiplicity — not just their speed — is the separator.

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Numbers that still matter from OSU

• YPP: 10.2

• Explosives: 15 plays of 20+ yards (465 yards on big plays)

• Balance: 312 rush / 319 pass; 7.0+ sack-adj YPA and 8.4 sack-adj YPC

• Third down: 7-of-12 (58.3%)

• Defense: 211 yards allowed; 7 PBUs, 2 INT TDs; red zone 1 trip → 3 pts

And the quote that fits the week ahead: “Our team is the secret sauce… It’s us versus us each week.” — Lanning / Bryant Jr.

Sleep fast. Pack the run game, the screen game, and the standard. The wind’s coming off the lake at 9 a.m.