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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Duck Dynasty in decline? Cougs get next crack at Oregon

Oregon will count on backup quarterbacks Jeff Lockie (pictured) and Taylor Alie to fill in for the injured Vernon Adams when the Ducks play host to Washington State on Saturday. (Associated Press / AP)

PULLMAN — Everyone thinks they know Oregon.

The Ducks haven’t exactly been secretive during their decade-long run as the Pac-12’s prestige program, at least not relative to their peers during college football’s Age of Paranoia.

Marcus Mariota was the face of the conference for two years, and the Ducks coaches trust their players enough to let them be open with the media and, by extension, their fans.

The vaunted UO offense has received intense scrutiny from college and NFL fans alike, now that Chip Kelly is in the NFL, and no Pac-12 program has been better marketed since the early 2000s.

You think you know what the Ducks are all about. But nobody knows the UO better than beat writer Andrew Greif of The Oregonian. That’s why you should give him a follow on Twitter @AndrewGreif and take a gander at his Ducks coverage.

Greif was willing to share some of his knowledge about WSU’s upcoming opponent by answering five questions.

1. As much as local fans would love the chance to see former Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams on Saturday, it looks like there is a chance the Cougars will get to play a backup. Do you expect Adams to play and, if not, what can you tell us about Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie?

Greif: I do not expect Adams to play. He does not want to until he is fully healthy, he said Monday, and he’s not there quite yet, though his pain from the broken finger has lessened considerably in recent weeks.

Lockie (8-of-11 passing) and Alie (4-of-9) played seven and eight series, respectively, against Colorado in a planned rotation that didn’t appear to settle much as neither was able to throw accurately downfield with consistency.

Alie had the game’s big highlight on his 43-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter, but he sailed several passes over open receivers’ heads and Lockie threw an end-zone interception. Neither will be confused with Marcus Mariota, but each is comfortable running the read-option.

Alie is a former state-title winning QB from Eugene’s Sheldon High School – the same school that produced former WSU QB Alex Brink – who walked on at UO two seasons ago.

2. With Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall out for the season, the UO offense is still formidable because Royce Freeman is one of the country’s best ball carriers. Has anybody been able to stop him?

Greif: Utah limited Freeman to 77 yards rushing on 14 carries, because the Ducks were so one-dimensional offensively, but that’s been the best anyone has done so far. And even then, he caught two passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. There was, of course, an inkling Freeman could be this good as a sophomore, given he was only the fourth true freshman in Pac-12 history to gain more than 1,000 rushing yards.

He’s followed that up by going for a career-high 180 against Eastern Washington, 92 against Michigan State, 101 on Georgia State – on 10 carries – and 163 against the Buffaloes. No one – not even Leonard Fournette – has as many rushes of 10-plus yards as Freeman’s 25 this season.

3. Prior to this season, the UO had not spent a week unranked in the AP Top-25 since 2009. Is the Ducks dynasty on the decline?

Greif: This has been the only season since 2006 where the Ducks haven’t been able to plug in an answer at quarterback, and with questions about who’s in the pipeline down the depth chart at the position, and lots of scrutiny on the defensive scheme, I think the fear from the fanbase about regressing is real and warranted.

That said, the last five teams that lost a Heisman Trophy winner all went 8-5 the next season; struggling to replace a generational talent – not to mention the four other NFL draft picks UO lost last winter – is not Oregon’s burden alone. UO has shown an ability to innovate when faced with challenges, both in Xs and Os and recruiting geography, and I wouldn¹t necessarily expect it to all come crashing down soon.

4. The Ducks defense has been downright abysmal on fourth down, a fact you can be certain Mike Leach has circled in his notes. Why is UO struggling to get off the field this year?

Greif: The secondary is very young, replacing three of four starters to start the year before the only returning starter – corner Chris Seisay – was lost for an unknown amount of time with a foot injury. Because Oregon doesn’t want to leave them without help, it’s been reluctant to blitz, which allows quarterbacks more time to pick apart said secondary. As you can see, it’s been a bit of a vicious cycle.

The Ducks were noticeably improved against Colorado, holding it to seven points in the second half thanks to better tackling and a pass rush from three or four players that allows it to get more creative in coverage. Colorado’s passing attack is nothing like WSU’s, however, which makes Saturday an interesting test as to whether UO’s progression can continue.

5. Gabe Marks averages 8.8 receptions per game, two more than any other Pac-12 receiver. Do the Ducks have anyone that can slow him down?

Greif: It will have to be done by committee. The Ducks play sides of the field, rather than locking in on man-to-man, so anyone from redshirt freshman Glen Ihenacho, true sophomore Arrion Springs, true freshman nickel man Ugo Amadi and safety Tyree Robinson could check Marks. After Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp annihilated the secondary by himself in Week One, and Georgia State¹s Penny Hart had more than 100 receiving yards in the first half in Week Three, the Ducks did a solid job limiting Colorado wideout Nelson Spruce’s output to 87 yards. Perhaps that can act as the blueprint for covering Marks.