Focus For Ducks On Cleaner Play

With Justin Herbert on the shelf while his broken collar bone heals, Oregon's margin for error is razor thin.

So the Ducks can't afford for the backup quarterback to improvise rather than execute a called run play, only to get blasted by a blitzer from the back side. They can't afford for a quarterback and running back to get their feet tied up during an exchange, causing the runner to trip and lose yardage in the backfield. And they can't afford for a receiver to run an incorrect route, or for the QB to force the ball downfield anyway and have it picked off.

All of those circumstances befell Oregon, however, in the second half of last week's loss at UCLA. After an encouraging second-quarter rally, the Ducks were shut out in the second half for the third straight game, and suffered their third straight defeat since Herbert's injury.

This week, the Oregon football team returns home to host Utah, in Autzen Stadium on Saturday (2:45 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Network). Attention will be paid to the return of Utes receiver and UO transfer Darren Carrington, but UO head coach Willie Taggart is focused on getting his team back in the win column.

"It's not about who we're playing; it's about us," Taggart said Monday at his weekly press conference with local reporters. "If you look at the ballgames, we're not getting dominated. We're in our own way. And we've gotta get out of our own way."

Usually the Ducks would have returned to the practice field Sunday, but Taggart opted for extended meetings and film review with his team. With several veterans sidelined by injuries at this point, Oregon's depth is stretched thin and its young players are being counted on more than expected.

For no player is that more true than quarterback Braxton Burmeister. The true freshman was on track to redshirt and getting scant practice reps just a month ago. Since Herbert's injury he's been forced to learn on the job, experiencing in games before tens of thousands of fans what might otherwise have happened in practices.

"He's about where you expect for him to be," Taggart said. "They make the mistakes they would have made in spring and training camp; he's making them in games. It's unfortunate; he cut back on those mistakes (last week at UCLA), but he's still making some."

Until team doctors determine that Herbert's collar bone has sufficiently healed, the Ducks will continue to roll with Burmeister at quarterback. Taggart said Burmeister's teammates can be better around him, and that coaches can do more for him as well.

"I just constantly talk to him about trying to get better – not necessarily trying to win the game for us, but just run our offense and be efficient with it," Taggart said. "Don't try to do too much. That's hard, because he is a competitive guy, and really wants to help this football team."

Taggart said Herbert should return "sooner rather than later."

"He's so eager to get back out there," Taggart said. "It's cool to see, but you hurt for him, because it's killing him. He's trying every which way he can to get back out there."

For the second week in a row, the Ducks will take on an opponent equally as desperate to get a win.

Utah began the season 4-0, but like Oregon has lost three straight entering this week. The Utes had played two games without injured quarterback Tyler Huntley, though he returned in last week's 30-10 loss to resurgent Arizona State.

The Utes are playing typically stout defense, though they'll be without starters Donavan Thompson and Corrion Ballard in the first half Saturday due to second-half targeting ejections last week. Carrington leads the Utes with 45 receptions for 649 yards and five touchdowns, one year after making the game-winning touchdown reception for the Ducks at Utah.

"I don't think we're going in saying, 'We've got to stop Darren Carrington,'" Taggart said. "We've gotta go in and play better than how we've played; it doesn't matter who's on the other side of the ball."

With Carrington now at Utah, Oregon's leading receivers through seven games are Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell.

Nelson and Mitchell each have 19 receptions. Nelson has accumulated a team-high 283 yards, while Mitchell is tied for the UO lead in TD receptions with Brenden Schooler and tight end Jake Breeland, at two.

With the Ducks struggling to mount a passing offense since Herbert's injury, Taggart said his receivers can do a better job of getting separation – particularly against press coverage – and also when protection breaks down and Burmeister looks to throw on the run.

"We've gotta do a better job as coaches of getting our guys to react when he does scramble, and get open," Taggart said. "One thing we're lacking is explosive plays in the pass game, and we've got to try to get those."

The Ducks used two different lineups on the offensive line at UCLA, by design, Taggart said.

With Jake Pisarcik not on the trip due to a concussion suffered at Stanford, redshirt freshman Jacob Capra started at right guard against the Bruins. In the second half, right tackle Calvin Throckmorton moved inside to guard, and Brady Aiello played right tackle.

"Just trying to find ways to get movement and spark our offense," Taggart said. "Both those guys (Capra and Aiello) had a good week of practice."

Taggart said after the UCLA game his keys to victory were taking care of the ball, avoiding penalties and forcing turnovers.

The Ducks had just three penalties for 15 yards, but they turned it over twice. And they didn't force any turnovers, despite the defense getting about a dozen interceptions in practice last Wednesday.

"We need to get some takeaways," Taggart said. "It's hard to win if you don't get any turnovers. So it's important we take the ball away."