2019 University of Oregon Football Preview

Even with the University of Oregon Ducks finishing with a 9-4 record last season, which included an upset win over Michigan State University in the Redbox Bowl, the “beauty” of Oregon’s record last year remains in the eye of the beholder.

Supporters will point to the fact that Oregon flirted with double-digit wins in head coach Mario Cristobal’s first season, defeated the eventual Pac-12 champion Washington Huskies, and were only two games out from winning the Pac-12 North themselves. Detractors will point to the fact that the Ducks followed that win against the Huskies by losing three of their next four games, including a couple of bad losses at Arizona and Utah, and that the defense will be led by its third coordinator in four years.

But Cristobal is very aware that while many college football prognosticators believe the Ducks should once again contend for Pac-12 North supremacy, it’s on him, the coaching staff, and the players to take that next step towards truly being contenders.

The headline story for the Ducks, of course, remains quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert turned down the chance to be selected very early on in the NFL Draft, and returned to Eugene to fulfill the opportunities he believed the team had in front of him and them. While he will no longer have the services of his top receiver (Dillon Mitchell) from last year, he’ll still have six players who caught at least 10 passes last season in Oregon’s lineup, and the luxury of handing off the football to a pair of dynamic running backs like CJ Verde and Travis Dye, who combined to run for more than 1,700 yards and had 14 rushing touchdowns between the two.

But if there was a secondary headline for the Ducks, it would have to be the additions they made to the defense. After parting ways with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, they brought in Andy Avalos from Boise State University, who oversaw Broncos’ defenses that consistently finished near the top of the Mountain West Conference.

Specifically, Avalos’ track record of building defenses that attack opposing quarterbacks and generate turnovers juxtaposes well with an Oregon defense that saw an incredible infusion of talent, thanks to its top 6 recruiting class from 2018. Kayvon Thibodeaux, the #1 prospect in the nation who spurned the University of Alabama in favor of Oregon, will line up at defensive end and be looked upon to contribute right away. But Thibodeaux will join a front seven that has five upperclassmen in its ranks, and a boatload of talented and experienced depth behind the starters.

Regardless of what things look like on paper, the Ducks will have to make things a reality very early on in the season. Starting with a tough test against Auburn University in the season-opener, the Ducks have a very tough schedule through the end of October, including road games at Stanford and Washington. For a team that’s picked as one of the favorites before Labor Day, the last thing they’ll want is for all hope to be gone by Halloween.