Every week we evaluate Oregon's performance. We award grades for the entire team, for the offense and defense and for each individual position group. These ratings are completely subjective and are supported by what DuckTerritory staff has seen on game days as well as the numbers.
Overall team grade: A
Explanation: Imagine, this game was both an excellent sendoff for a bevy of notable Duck players and a completely incongruous finish for a team of this caliber. Liberty posed a threat on an offensive series and a few defensive possessions, and then this game turned into a real ass whooping. While it was a blast watching Bo Nix After breaking school and NCAA records, the game itself was a real disappointment considering how this season could have gone, and by the end of the night there were a lot of what-if questions among the fan base.
Nix was fantastic in this game, just as he has been all season and throughout his two years with the program. After Liberty jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, the Ducks scored 45 unanswered points, with Nix leading all seven scoring drives and finishing with five passing touchdowns, a new Program Bowl record. I found his piece and the piece by Bucky Irving and countless others who may or may not have played their final games in green and yellow are incredibly admirable. The team executed the game plan perfectly in the final three quarters, and at a certain point the Ducks might as well have been playing Arizona State, Colorado or Stanford again rather than an undefeated G5 Conference champion.
After all, this was a special season. It is one of six Duck seasons that have finished with at least twelve wins. Those 12 wins were achieved by an average of 32.8 points. Only in very few programs do the relays regularly dominate. This is a season for celebration, even if so many of the biggest goals haven't been achieved, even though this time felt particularly achievable.
Gary Bryant Jr. (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, 247Sports)
Overall offensive grade: A
Explanation: The middle two quarters were played as well as possible. Five touchdowns were scored on five drives, with an average of 10.3 yards gained per play. These series could just as easily have been played against air. Nix himself was also near perfect during this time, completing 22 of 25 passes in the middle two quarters with five touchdown passes.
The game started slowly. The first drive sputtered in the red zone for a field goal, and a missed third down pass on the second led to a rare three-and-out. But overall, this game was a gem of offensive execution and ingenuity.
I give Nix a lot of credit for how he pulled it off, but I think Will Stone also earned a lot for the game he also called. Stein is still a young play caller and for my money this was one of his better games. The Ducks attacked the Flames in all the right places, and how about that creativity on Nix's final touchdown?
For the game, Oregon gained 584 yards, scored 28 first downs and left this fan base with a warm and fuzzy feeling, a month after hearts were ripped out in Las Vegas.
Bo Nix (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Quarterback grade: A+
Explanation: Breaking multiple school records and becoming the NCAA's most accurate passer in a season is like additional recognition. How can one not give Nix the highest possible grade after this performance and the career it crowned?
Nothing was magical in Glendale. He may have opened the game going 4 of 8 (although only one of the four incompletions was a bad pass), but he finished the game as the owner of nearly all the school season passing records. By the end of the game he had surpassed Marcus Mariota for the most completions in a season (364), for the most yards (4,508) with the most touchdowns (45) with the best pass efficiency (77.4 percent completion percentage).
Monday was a special day for Nix. His legacy as one of the program's best was already established before he stepped on the field, but the way he performed helped cement it. In many ways, this game was about celebrating his greatness and what special greatness this fan base was able to celebrate.
Mariota remains the “GOAT”. However, from a passing perspective, Nix's 2023 season is statistically better than any season Mariota has ever had, and I didn't think I would ever be able to pull that off.
Bucky Irving (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, 247Sports)
Running back grade: A
Explanation: Nix will of course get the most attention for his curtain call, but I hope fans were able to appreciate No. 0's career too. Irving won't end up at the top of numerous school leaderboards, such as Nix, Oregon. He never committed enough to the run to achieve this, but his talent was undeniable, and on Monday he showed off in great fashion what he can do on a football field.
In his final college game, Irving ran for 117 yards and a touchdown. My lasting memory of his performance will be his 44-yard web run where he nearly went airborne. So much of what was so enjoyable about his piece was there to see. We saw the vision, the speed, the change of direction and the balance.
It also matched that Irving scored a touchdown with Nix on his second-to-last play. The two came to Oregon together as transfers in 2022 and will leave Oregon as Duck legends.
However, the Ducks are in good hands in the post-Bucky era. Jordan James is primed and ready to be a feature runner next season and that was evident again on Monday. It was also nice to see freshmen Jayden Limar got a bit of run with the top offense and emerged as the lead blocker on two of Irving's better runs in the third quarter.
Tez Johnson (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Pass catcher grade: A
Explanation: It's also possible that this was Tez Johnson's last game with the Ducks. Johnson has a career decision to make, and while all signs point to a return, there are no guarantees in this sport.
Regardless, Johnson made his own history at the Fiesta Bowl. Troy Franklin's school record for most catches in a season was short-lived. It's Tez now. Johnson finished the 2023 season with 86 receptions. This is the highest performance by a duck in a season. That's not so bad for a skinny kid from Alabama who dreamed of playing here, and how cool is it that this record, as well as Nix's, can be shared between two siblings?
With Franklin outside, Traeshon Holden And Gary Bryant Jr. were forced into more integral receiving roles. Aside from an early Holden drop, the two experienced outside receivers played excellently. Both found the end zone and both also made crucial catches away from the end zone. Bryant took the Ducks out of their own end zone with a nasty double move for the longest completion of the game, and Holden also threw a few high-point passes down the sideline for first downs.
Tight ends Terrance Ferguson and Kenyon Sadiq also found the end zone. Sadiq's first-ever collegiate score was also Nix's record-setting touchdown pass. This is a very special moment for the newcomer.
Iapani Laloulu (Photo: © Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports)
Offensive line grade: A
Explanation: An underrated part of Nix's dominance at Oregon was that he was rarely sacked or even pressured. In 27 games with the Ducks, he was sacked just ten times total (five each season). In three years at Auburn, he was knocked down 50 times. He wasn't brought down once on Monday, and aside from a few deflected passes in the first half and a rush, he wasn't influenced at all by the opposition.
I would like to highlight the newcomer's game Iapani Laloulu. The teenager started college for the first time on Monday. “Poncho,” who replaced the Rimington Trophy winner, was sharp in his debut at center. There were no bad snaps, the defense was good and the youngster can hold his own on runs and pass downs. We'll see what path A'lique Terry takes this offseason, but I believe Oregon has found its starting center for the next two or three seasons.
After all, this was Steven Jones' last game with the Ducks. This marks the end of a six-year career. Remember, Jones started a game at Utah in 2018 as a true Frosh. That's how long he's been around and how long he's been a contributing member of the O-line room in this program.
Nikko Reed (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Overall defensive rating: A
Explanation: Liberty proved to be a one-hit wonder offense. They looked extremely convincing on the first drive of the game, going 75 yards in six plays and taking an early lead. Everything after that was wrong. They went without a point in their last nine drives. Additionally, these drives included just 13 first downs, 219 total yards gained, and just three trips past midfield. The Duck defense also forced two turnovers.
Liberty had simply overwhelmed their Conference USA opponents. They have Power 5 size on offense, a quarterback with NFL aspirations and a few talented skill players. However, there could have just as easily been an intra-team duel between juniors and universities on Monday.
When a team goes on a 45-0 run, it's easy to focus on how an offense dominated the game, but in this case, I hope you understand how impressive that defensive performance was in the last 50 minutes or so of the game .
Jordan Burch (Photo: Rob Schumacher / The Republic, USA TODAY Sports)
Degree of defensive line: A-
Explanation: Coming into the game, I had a feeling Oregon's run defense would be the key to success. Liberty had rushed for more yards than any other team in the country, and the school's triple-option attack was sure to present unique challenges. Guess what? It did, and the Flames actually ran pretty well and were still completely in the boat race. Yes, Oregon held them to a season-low 168 yards, but that's the second-most the Ducks have given up all season, and their 6.0 yards per carry average is also second-best.
Overall, however, it wasn't a bad day beforehand. Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter was regularly under pressure and most of Liberty's running successes came on option fields. Except for a 41-yard Quinton Cooley Run, next there was nothing between the tackles. Salter was held in check as a runner. One of two FBS quarterbacks to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 2023, his season low was 25 yards.
Jestin Jacobs (Photo: © Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)
Linebacker Grade: A-
Explanation: If we're going to point the finger at some of the successes of the Liberty run, they probably belong here first and foremost. Option attacks like this deploy target supporters in space, forcing them to recognize and respond to all possibilities. There were actually only two long runs of these actions (both to gain the receiver). Aaron Bedgood), and these came early.
We'll soon find out if this was Jeffrey Bassa's last college game. If so, then it was one hell of a way to go out. The junior receiver defensive MVP is honored for his play after leading the team with eight tackles. I thought Bassa was excellent in this game (PFF rated him an 88.0 overall) and took a big step forward overall this season. Bassa's return would be a huge boon for the 2024 defense. He is the leader of the group and has developed into an all-conference caliber player.
Steve Stephens (Photo: © Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
Defensive Backs Grade: A
Explanation: One of the bigger defensive issues before the Fiesta Bowl was that the team's corners would perform well. Without their two starters and one of their top reserves, Nikko Reed And Dontae Manning were forced to start. Both held their own on Monday. Each player was credited with a pass interception and allowed for a combined 25 yards in coverage, according to PFF data. Reed was particularly good, giving up just one reception for five yards.
I would also like to highlight the fact that both turnovers were forced by the defenders. Steve Stephens ended his long college career with a first-half interception while still a true freshman Rodrick Pleasant and his helmet combined to form the team's second takeaway, which was recovered by walk-on safety Zach Grisham.
Because of the way Oregon lost its two games this season, this group suffered more heartache than it deserved, at least in my opinion. The Ducks have certainly improved in pass defense this season, and Monday was a final example of that improvement as Liberty was held to just 101 yards through the air after its first drive.
Special teams grade: A-
Explanation: At least we can say Camden Lewis played a clean final game. Lewis made his only field goal (a 37-yarder), made all five of his PATs and none of his kickoffs went out of bounds. Lewis has had one of the most polarizing careers for a Duck specialist, and it was nice to see the school's all-time scoring leader put in a strong performance.
The Ducks struck twice all day. Joe Lorig allowed Ross James and Luke Dunne to split those reps, and both performed well with a combined average of 43.5 yards per punt.
The team once again had very little to say in the return game, and in fact the closest they came to winning was when Johnson made his first punt return, but it was muffed. Luckily, Johnson got the ball again, and an interference with the kick catch made the whole ordeal irrelevant.