FanPost

So...how about that defense?

I was lucky enough last night to sit high up at Autzen to watch the UO-UW game. And there was no disappointing. The offense was up to its usual tricks, but the defense was and should be the story of the game.

I don't think I've ever seen a better display of open-field tackling from an Oregon football team. Walter Thurmond, Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward were wrapping up everybody. Spencer Paysinger had a couple chances at Jake Locker that he couldn't capitalize on, but he finished with 12 tackles, a sack and 2.5 TFL...a remarkable performance stepping in for the departed Kevin Garrett.

Nick Reed was playing with so much vitriol that he was killing offensive linemen before the snap was exchanged (a hilarious play). Will Tukuafu had that one-armed sack of Locker that seemed superhuman and had a pretty good night overall. Pressure on Locker was consistent if not overwhelming, and he got hit quite a bit after releasing the football (most notably by Paysinger).

They only forced one turnover on a fumble, but they only allowed 2.2 yards per run and 4.2 yards per pass. (By comparison, Oregon was at 5.8 and 8.6, respectively.) The defensive performance was consistent, the pressure persistent and the tackling precise. I'm a huge critic of Aliotti normally, but he and his charges deserve the credit. For God's sake, no Husky play went longer than 20 yards! After cringing when a defensive miscue led to an 83-yard TD pass from Locker last year, this was a very welcome change of pace. I can only hope we'll see this effort against Utah State and Boise State.

My only real complaint was that John Bacon was his usual ineffective self. Once the coaching staff figures out that Casey Matthews is miles beyond Bacon with a very high ceiling, this problem will be easily rectified.

 

One more interesting point of debate: Don't know if anyone caught Schroeder's blog, but he had some words for the student section:

http://rgweb-c.registerguard.com/blogs/index.php/georges/comments/pit_crew_comes_to_autzen/

As a student, I know Schroeder is right but it's hard to control 5,000 screaming (and often drunk or high) people. The "Fuck the Huskies" chant is used mostly because it's about the only one people can really work together on. The Autzen student section is not the Pit Crew, where one creative chant can emanate throughout the student body.

Where the Pit Crew is concerned, the students just have to up the ante. (That may happen this year, as the product on the court will be questionable at best.) But any creativity brought to the student section cannot and does not translate to Autzen. The best comment was the one about Duck fans taking the next step: acting like we've been there before. Problem is, we still haven't.

I love the underdog mentality and I think Oregon fans are wise to hold onto it...that is where we've come from. But we do have a ways to go.

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