DSA Roundtable: What to like about the first five games

The Oregon Ducks are in a bye week after their dominating win against Cal at Berkeley. Duck Sports Authority analysts Scott Reed, Dale Newton and A.J. Jacobson take this pause in the action to look back at the first five games in the latest edition of DSA Roundtable: What to like about the first five games

Reed: The Oregon football team is close to the halfway mark of the season. There were several big questions heading into the season mostly surrounding the reality of its third head coach in three seasons. While it is too early to call the first season a success, the thing that I would say I like the most is a singular word: discipline.

Setting aside the reality that this team is guided by a Heisman Trophy caliber quarterback who is likely to be a top five pick in the next NFL draft, the thing that has really stood out is that this team has gone from one of the least disciplined teams in the nation to one of the most. And it’s not just about the reduction in penalties – which has been significant – it’s about the little things. Wide receivers are running better routes. Linebackers are displaying better eye discipline. Linemen on both sides of the ball are using better discipline.

One of the most important positions, though it has been underwhelming as a group, is the defensive backfield which has shown better discipline in coverage. While they have given up some big plays, they have shown growth in other aspects – mostly the reduction in pass interference penalties through five games.

If a staff is to build a championship caliber team, talent is important, but a talented yet undisciplined team has a much more difficult road. The discipline instilled this year is the biggest takeaway from the first five games.

Newton: There's much to like about the growth and development of the Oregon team through five games and their 4-1 start. This is a team that was largely an unknown/uncertain quantity going into the season, yet they've started as the #19 team in the country, just a couple of plays away (one play, really) from being 5-0 and a national contender.

In many ways that progress is way ahead of schedule.

One area that's most encouraging is the play-making ability in an athletic, aggressive defense. The Ducks rank 13th in the country in "havoc rate," a statistic from the analytics crowd that combines the percentage of plays where a defense records a tackle for loss, forces a fumble, breaks up a pass or intercepts one.

Jim Leavitt's crew gives up yards, sometimes in chunks, and sometimes they make stars out of pedestrian opponents. But the one thing they do exceptionally well is cause disruption and make big plays.

The Ducks rank 9th in the conference in pass defense, giving up 238.2 yards a game through the air. They've surrendered 10 touchdowns, 2nd worst in the league, although they do lead the PAC-12 with 8 interceptions.

They've given up 7.8 yards per pass play, also second worst behind UCLA.

Jacobson: There was plenty to like in Oregon’s first five games on both sides of the ball. On offense, Justin Herbert has progressed as we expected and the Duck junior now looks to be one of the better quarterbacks in the nation. He is making all the throws and without the drops, his numbers would be sick.

I thought the offensive line would be good but they have been better than that. They have done a great job of protecting Herbert, and most of the time, have controlled the line of scrimmage. Throckmorton and Lemieux have been outstanding but it was the additions of Penei Sewell and Dallas Warmack that have made this line into one of the best in the Pac-12.

Of the skills, the emergence of Dillon Mitchell the last two games has been breathtaking. We thought he could do it, great to see him doing it.

Defensively the stars have been the defensive line and most games, Troy Dye and Justin Hollins. The three DL starters, Fat Mac, Jelks and Faoliu, have been top notch. The play of backups Carlberg, Baker and Cumberlander has exceeded expectations.

And while Dye and Hollins continue to be playmakers, Lana Apelu has quietly graded out very well this season.

And penalties? Well, the thing I complained the most about under Taggart has been largely rectified.