When you lead a game for 59 minutes and 51 seconds and trail for a total of nine seconds, a defeat can be heartbreaking. The Ducks’ 26-21 loss to Auburn in Arlington, Texas will certainly be classified as such by Oregon fans, who flocked to the Lone Star State to support their program which is clearly on the rise under second year head coach Mario Cristobal.

While the result is acutely painful, the team showed promise in all phases, and today I play Monday morning quarterback to give you my five takeaways.

Offense can click

The Oregon offense came out of the gates like they were going to dominate the game. Facing a vaunted Auburn interior defense, the early game plan was to get the ball away from the box, and quickly. The Ducks marched down the field on their first three possessions and came away with two touchdowns, a missed field goal and a 14-3 first quarter lead.

191 of their total yards came on those three drives, but then only 141 yards on their next 12. Auburn did not improve much between the third and fourth series, but execution began to suffer and the playcalling seemed to become more clock and lead preservation oriented.

It was like the Ducks said, “we have the lead, now let’s try to grind it down their throats.”

Except that is exactly what the Auburn defense was built to stop.

But the takeaway is that the offense can obviously be highly potent but must be unpredictable to be most effective.

Defense appears improved

The ESPN announcers seemed surprised by the stout interior of the Oregon defense but those of us familiar with Jordon Scott, Austin Faoliu and the active group of linebackers were not. That was refreshing to see, as was the improved effort and fundamentals from the group as it transitions from Jim Leavitt to first year defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.

The defensive backs, linebackers and line were all solid for most of the game. When they were not was when they seemingly got winded in the late third and fourth quarters. By the end of the game Jordon Scott had played 51 snaps with Popo Aumavae his lone backup at 18 snaps. In the fourth quarter, Auburn ground the ball down the field for seven first downs and 14 points.

What would be very helpful is if some DL develop enough to keep the snaps for the ones: Scott, Faoliu and Carlberg, closer to 40 total. That depth would help ensure the DL is fresher for that crucial fourth quarter which on Saturday, the Ducks lost.

Tight ends

The entire receiver corps for the Ducks has been smashed with an unfortunate rash of preseason injuries. For this huge game, the Ducks were missing three of six wideouts off their two-deep, plus potentially starting tight end Cam McCormick, who suited down and tried but was scratched by the trainers after warmup.

As he did last season, tight end Jacob Breeland helped fill the void. And then redshirt freshman Spencer Webb stepped up with a nice game. In the end, the TE group had seven of the team's 28 catches, and the lone receiving touchdown.

Oregon would win the next two games if they played an offensive lineman at tight end, but to know that two-tight end sets are a viable option, the loss of so many WR’s is easier to manage.

Offensive line

The Oregon offensive line has gotten quite a bit of attention lately, with many pundits proclaiming them at least one of the best groups in the country. And why not? They have played together forever, and last year graded out by far as the best in the Pac-12, with everybody coming back.

Yesterday they more than held their own against one of the top defensive lines in the nation and had three of the top four individual game grades on the team. In rank order of top individual grades for the Auburn game it went:

1. Penei Sewell

2. Calvin Throckmorton

3. Jaylon Redd

4. Jake Hanson

After game one I think we can say that despite all the preseason laurels, the Oregon offensive line is not overrated. And it is definitely well-coached.

Never give up

One of the first things we are taught in sports is never to give up. Whether it be a game or a play, we are supposed to give it everything we have got until it’s over.

This year’s Ducks have clearly learned that lesson, and redshirt freshman WR Bryan Addison and his teammates nearly parlayed that attitude into a game-saving tackle. Following Herbert’s fumble deep in Auburn territory, an Auburn defender scooped it up and appeared to be on his way to a long fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Oregon offensive players switched quickly to defense, chasing, clawing at and slowing down the ball until finally Addison was able to drag him down at the Oregon seven yard line. The defense proceeded to hold, forcing a field goal, resulting in a 14-6 halftime lead when it easily could have been 14-10, while it should have been 21-0. It was a huge hustle play that could easily have been the difference in the game.

It was a nutshell of the effort we saw on Saturday, and a loss cannot take that away.

Jake’s Take

I remember walking off the blue turf field in Boise with Chip Kelly in 2009. Their fans were in an uproar of boos, throwing chairs and other objects at the Duck players as they made their way to the locker room. Oregon had just lost Chip’s first ever game as head coach 19-8, and LaGarrette Blount had just punched the taunting Byron Hout, and the BSU scoreboard was playing video of the punch over and over.

It was dismal.

But the Ducks won their next seven games in a row and ended up in the Rose Bowl.

There is no reason this team, with its athletes and coaches, cannot do the same thing.