The Oregon Ducks went into this season with a lot of hype. Two weeks into the season, the product hasn’t matched that chatter. On Saturday night, the Boise State Broncos challenged Oregon all the way until the end. The Ducks won 37-34, and while they’re 2-0, frustration has emerged in Eugene. Head coach Dan Lanning assessed his team after their win and admitted that things aren’t rosy.
“We sure like sweating around here,” Lanning joked via ESPN. “I have a sense of relief because of the result, but there are certainly a lot of things to fix,” he admitted.
The Ducks haven’t looked sharp or aggressive on offense yet. New quarterback Dillon Gabriel has had trouble gelling with pass protection and with his own pocket presence. The defense has looked sharp, but Boise scored 34 points against the Ducks last night in Eugene. They gave them everything they could until the very end, when Oregon’s Atticus Sappington drilled a game-winning field goal.
Oregon will need to look better as Big Ten play approaches. The Ducks face rival Oregon State this weekend down in Corvallis at Reser Stadium. It will be another interesting test for Oregon, who needs to shake off the cobwebs soon beore things go down the chute. College football can often be very cruel.
[ESPN]
