university of oregon ducks football

In 2022, Oregon Offensive Coordinator Kenny Dillingham unlocked a version of quarterback Bo Nix that had never been seen before in his days at Auburn.

The blue-chip prospect looked, for the first time, like a true Heisman contender.

Part of this was due to Nix’s arm strength and Dillingham unleashing it with deep shots throughout the season. Nix’s 2022 highlight reel was littered with touchdown passes of 40+ yards.

The following year, with current OC Will Stein behind the controls, Oregon was no less successful, but the bombs weren’t being drawn up with nearly as much consistency.

This, understandably, had some fans a bit frustrated, having already seen firsthand Bo’s abilities in that realm.

In 2024, the Ducks had only their second undefeated regular season in program history. Stein utilized new quarterback Dillon Gabriel very well, capitalizing on his shiftiness and escapability.

Though an extremely efficient passer, Gabriel was not particularly known for having a cannon arm, and thrived more off of methodical drives where he could meticulously dissect a defense.

That’s completely different now that Oregon will be relying on Dante Moore and Austin Novosad, who are less elusive and more centered around pocket passing.

Each has got a cannon arm, and at 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4, have the advantage of downfield visibility over the shorter Gabriel.

There’s few things opposing defenses like to do more than pressure young, first-time-starter quarterbacks, and not that Moore and Novosad can’t make plays with their legs, but I think it would be an added bonus for Stein to reopen the deep ball more frequently.

It could keep defenses more honest and the new quarterbacks under less duress.

Would it be easier to do if Evan Stewart, Oregon’s leading returning wideout, wasn’t going to miss majority of the season?

Yes.

Does that mean Oregon doesn’t have a talented enough crop of receivers to still get the job done?

No.

Oregon’s only losses the last couple of seasons have come at the hands of teams that picked them apart with downfield shots. Why not return the favor?

Not that it’s a guaranteed recipe for success, but it certainly wouldn’t seem like taking a step back either.

With Fall Camp approaching next month and the season drawing ever nearer, it will be interesting to see if this becomes a reality or not.

In the hands of Moore and Novosad, Footballs could be like Ducks, and the best thing to do may be to let em’ fly.