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 entirely subjective and are supported by what DuckTerritory staff has seen on game days as well as the numbers.
Overall team grade: C
Explanation: I gave this team a B grade after their first loss to Washington. I had the feeling that the Ducks actually outplayed the Huskies for long stretches. That wasn’t the case on Friday in Las Vegas. While the margins were identical, the content of the game was not. The Huskies dominated the first half and fourth quarter. A 21-0 win at Oregon gave them a brief hope of a lead and some hope late, but when the game mattered, the other team played the better ball.
What was particularly disheartening about this particular result was how and where Washington won. The Huskies overwhelmed Oregon’s strengths. They ran the ball better. They had more success passing vertically. They dominated on third and fourth downs. They won in the red zone without much difficulty. This game was mostly lost in the trenches. This is an area this year’s team is proud of. The most impressive wins of the season came when Oregon defeated opponents like Utah, USC and Oregon State at the line of scrimmage. This time they were pushed around.
I’ve already explained why this hurts so much. The Ducks played for everything and ended up leaving Las Vegas with nothing. The 2023 team is undoubtedly one of the better squads this school has ever produced. Unfortunately, it won’t be among the 14 other conference champions or those who played for it all.