Number three: the Oregon running game has to become less predictable and more consistent.

They won nine games with a run-first attack, but the Ducks season average of 179.4 yards per game was the lowest in ten seasons.

The running game wasn't a consistent or reliable weapon for Mario Cristobal's offensive unit. In four of their games they were held under 120 yards rushing, three of them losses.

The ground attack had big days against Portland State, Cal, UCLA and Oregon State that pumped up the averages, masking the fact that Oregon's experienced and much-hyped offensive line did an uneven job of dictating the line of scrimmage over the course of the season.

Even so, redshirt freshman C.J. Verdell and true freshman Travis Dye did a workmanlike job of replacing the man, the myth and the legend, Royce Freeman. They combined for 1748 yards and 14 touchdowns, very Freeman-like numbers, averaging just over 5 yards a carry as the bellcows of the Oregon offense.

The two proved capable as receivers also. Verdell slipped out of the backfield for 27 catches for 315 yards, good for third among returning players. Dye chipped in 12 catches for 69 yards a score.

What was missing from the 2018 rushing attack was the explosiveness of prior years. At times the scheme lacked creativity.

The Pistol Formation drew a lot of fan ire, but it's important to note that offensive set was responsible for some of the Ducks biggest moments in their 9-4 campaign, including the winning touchdown in overtime versus Washington and the flawless opening drive against Stanford.

In 2009 Chris Ault and the Nevada Wolfpack unveiled their Pistol-based attack, leading the nation in rushing at 345 yards a game. Their running backs coach at the time? Jim Mastro, currently with the Ducks.

It's a look that works best with the threat of a running quarterback, but UO only wants Justin Herbert to keep the ball sparingly.

Running backs in the Pistol have to have a mindset like an I Formation tailback: run downhill, and run with great vision. Think Terrell Davis or Eric Dickerson. One cut and go. Make the first guy miss. Hit top speed and run to daylight.

Vision is absolutely crucial. The hole isn't always where the play was designed to be run. Running blindly straight into the pile is often disastrous.

Year two, Verdell and Dye have to make subtle adjustments in their game. They've got to be more decisive and explosive, creating big plays on their own on occasion, saving the play with a heady and quick adjustment on others. Sometimes the best option is gaining a yard when the line of scrimmage is blown up. Sometimes a cutback or a limp leg can turn two yards into eight. Any play can be a touchdown if it's executed properly.

It helps that the running back room is deeper this year. Cyrus Habibi-Likio had a terrific spring. He's shown he's ready to be more than just a short yardage/goal line back. Darrian Felix is back from a leg injury. Of the Oregon stable of tailbacks, he may be the quickest to the hole. True freshmen Sean Dollars and Jayvaun Wilson will push the veterans. Dollars is in the Barner/DAT scatback mold; Wilson has a bit of the Blount/Freeman punch. Not that kind of punch.

Set back in the I, a Pistol running back has to be decisive and not pussy foot around. The math of football is always 11-on-10, ten blockers, one ball carrier, 11 defenders. To make first downs, an RB has to be faster to the point of attack, use his blockers with great patience and instincts, or make someone miss.

Another off season of strength training and three full seasons of playing together puts this offense squarely on the mammoth shoulders of Oregon's o-line, the most experienced in the country. They need to establish more consistency in that running attack, put the offense in more favorable and fewer unfavorable downs and distances. They've got to make it a personal mission to rush for 200 yards a game, moving the pile with some effectiveness even against the toughest defenses. They must achieve a higher rate of productivity on first down runs.

Cristobal's made a huge commitment to the running game as the core of the Ducks identity, taking dead aim at winning the mano a mano challenge at the line of scrimmage. To be a "cool bowl" team, they have to live up to this identity, as well as being able to recognize how and when to make effective adjustments. In the words of the immortal Mike Tyson, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.