COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi did not mince words when assessing the fifth-ranked Ducks’ defensive performance in a 51-34 win over No. 12 James Madison in a College Football Playoff game.
While three of James Madison’s touchdowns came after Oregon built a 48-13 lead, Lupoi was still upset with the Ducks allowing a whopping 509 yards of offense.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling that we get to move on and very thankful for that,” Lupoi said. “But if we played anywhere remotely close this next game the way we did in the second half, we’re going to have a disappointed feeling after the game.”
What looms next for Oregon (12-1) is a bout with Texas Tech in a quarterfinal game at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. The Ducks opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite, per BetMGM College Football odds.
The fourth-ranked Red Raiders (12-1) should pose a much stiffer test for Oregon than James Madison did, considering they have the top run defense in the country and one of the best defenses in the nation overall.
Only three opponents have rushed for over 100 yards in a game against Texas Tech this season, and no team has rushed for over 200 yards against them since Arizona State did so in a 26-22 loss to the Sun Devils on Oct. 18.
“Texas Tech is a really great team, a really good defense,” wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan said. “Keeping our composure, everybody just going out there and doing our (job) should be the key for us.”
It’ll be critical for Oregon to avoid some of the mistakes that plagued it against James Madison, albeit none of them too consequential. While the Ducks established the run against a defense that ranked second in the nation in total yards allowed per game on the ground and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw four touchdown passes, he also tossed a pair of interceptions.
Moore, who has started all of 13 games for the Ducks in his Oregon career, has quickly learned of the standard coach Dan Lanning expects of his team, and that his latest performance left plenty of room for nitpicking ahead of a critical clash with the Red Raiders.
“Everybody knows how Coach Lanning is. He’s psycho,” Moore said. “He’s going to make sure he’s going to pressure us at practice. He’s going to put that fire under us and it’s needed.”
No fly zone
Oregon’s secondary struggled a bit in the second half against Sun Belt Player of the Year Alonza Barnett III, who completed 23 of 48 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. The 323 total yards passing allowed by the Ducks was their second-most yielded all year. USC had 330 on Nov. 22 in a 42-27 win.
Oregon’s third-ranked pass defense will be challenged again in the Orange Bowl by Texas Tech, which is led by fifth-year quarterback Behren Morton and features the second-ranked scoring offense. Morton leads the Big 12 in completion percentage (67%) and has tossed 22 touchdowns against just four interceptions.
The Ducks’ defense will have a shot at redemption against a superior offensive team, or at least one Oregon perceives as a better overall unit.
“JMU is a good football team, I’ll give them their credit,” linebacker Bryce Boettcher said, “but Texas Tech is better. So, we got to play good football, and I’m excited for what’s going to happen down in Florida. Should be fun.”
Reinforcements running aplenty
Oregon received a pair of key reinforcements Saturday when dynamic freshman Dakorien Moore, who missed four games with a knee injury, and redshirt senior Gary Bryant Jr. also returned to the lineup. Bryant missed three games with an injury.
While the two wideouts combined for just one reception for 5 yards, their respective returns signaled that Oregon’s depleted receivers room is getting stronger at an opportune time. Unsung heroes such as senior receiver Malik Benson, who had a career-high two touchdown receptions Saturday, have stepped up in Moore and Bryant’s absences.
Regardless, against a Red Raiders defense that is 25th nationally against the pass, Oregon will gladly take any help it can get. To have Moore and Bryant operating closer to full capacity would only buoy the Ducks’ chances at fully exposing Texas Tech’s biggest weakness.
“It’s really exciting when you get your guys back,” Benson said. “A guy, his last season, you don’t like any injuries, but for (them) to come back now just (makes) our offense even more special.”
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