Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Ducks Make Most Of Meager Possession Time
October 01, 2013 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - For those who need proof that the most overworked, underwhelming statistic in college football might be time of possession, we present the 2013 Oregon Ducks.
Actually, we'll let Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre present No. 2 Oregon as well as his argument - a pretty sound one at that - as to why the Ducks having the ball for lengthy possessions might contribute to their downfall. (Hey, something has to, right?)
Sound convoluted? It's not - at least not on paper or a laptop screen.
Two statistical categories might be the most telling about the Ducks, their up-tempo offense, their blurring speed and their big-play capabilities:
(1)Â Â Oregon is averaging 59.8 points a game - second in the FBS behind Baylor at 69.7. The Ducks already have set a school record for the highest scoring average through their first four games, which pretty much have been yawners by halftime (38-3, 28-10, 38-7, 41-3; a tip of the facemask to Virginia for being down only 18);
(2)Â Â But Oregon is next-to-last in the FBS - No. 122 - in time of possession. Although their four wins have been by an average of 40 points, the Ducks have been on offense for 23:43 per game. Only San Jose State - MacIntyre's former team - has a lower time of possession (23:31) but the post-Mac Spartans are struggling (1-3).
The upshot here is that Oregon, which visits Folsom Field on Saturday (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network), doesn't need a lot of time to punch up a lot of points. So against the Ducks, MacIntyre theorizes that time of possession is quackery.
"I don't think that makes a difference," he said at his weekly media luncheon Tuesday. "You better score and you better stop them. You might be better off if they have the ball a long time. If it's longer drives, there's more chances for turnovers, there's more possibilities of making them have to do more third downs. So if you come out of it and they got it 30 minutes you might have played better.
"I'm being serious because then they'd have to put drives together and there'd more times they might turn the ball over. They'll have more third downs. That's more long-down situations where you can kind of go after them. A lot of times they slow down on third down and longs so they can see what they want to do (rather) than just keep moving. So if they get first down, second down, first down, second down they just got you in such a rhythm that it's tough."
In their two meetings with Oregon since becoming members of the Pac-12 Conference three seasons ago, the Buffs have gained firsthand knowledge about how quickly the Ducks can score. The last time Oregon visited Folsom Field (2011), the Ducks had first-quarter scoring drives of 80, 58, 87 and 80 yards. Time-wise, the longest required 2 minutes, 11 seconds; the shortest took only 50 seconds. Oregon won 45-2.
MacIntyre says the Ducks play at "hyperspeed" and that redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota reminds him of San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick when Kaepernick was at Nevada. Pretty good comparison, although Mariota has been every bit as effective but has better, faster players surrounding him.
In addition to ranking No. 2 in scoring offense, the Ducks are No. 1 in the FBS in rushing (332.5 yards a game), No. 3 in total offense (599.3), No. 4 in scoring defense (10.8 points a game) and No. 3 in punt returns (24.78 yard average).
If the Buffs concentrate too much on those numbers and those allowed (or not produced) in last weekend's 44-17 loss at Oregon State, they'll be overwhelmed by bad vibes. MacIntyre conceded he saw some "disheartening things" in Corvallis, but added there's nothing uncorrectable for this week - specifically eliminating turnovers.
Plus, he said, "You watch the Oregon film and I think you focus more" - which undoubtedly helps the Buffs rid themselves of any hangover from losing their Pac-12 opener. Sunday's and Tuesday's practices, said MacIntyre, were crisp and energetic: "When we came out Sunday they weren't dragging, no one showed up late and there were no mysterious injuries . . . I know our kids are excited (and) ready to move on."
That requires learning from errors made in the Oregon State loss and dismissing the "here we go again" rumblings from outside the program based on the lopsided score.
"That's what really upset me more than anything in the Oregon State game," said senior linebacker and captain Derrick Webb. "You look at the score at the end of the game and it looks like, OK, these are the same Buffaloes as last year. I know that's not the case.
"We're not the same football team, we're not the same defense as last year. You can pull up whatever stats, turnovers - we're better there - we're better on third down, we're better stopping the run. After those three (games) we're just a lot better on defense.
"We're not the same team; we don't give up . . . we play to the end (and) we play hard. We just had a couple of hiccups in that (OSU) game. It's something to learn from; it's a learning experience. You've got to make the plays that you have to make."
"This is a new regime, a new program with new people," added junior defensive end Juda Parker. "Last year's in the past; we can't think about that. We always have a goal in mind. You win some, you lose some. But you always have to stay focused. We'll keep our heads up and press forward toward our goal."
NOTABLE: MacIntyre's critique of his O-line against OSU: The guys up front "weren't as big a problem as maybe the wet ball." He said for whatever reason - maybe it was the long layoff - "we weren't on our game early as we should have been." Right tackle Stephane Nembot, he added, continues to progress: "He's getting better every game; one day they're never going to get around him." . . . . Freshman Michael Adkins II ran for 98 yards in his college debut and will see Duck duty Saturday, with that role to be determined by Thursday. MacIntyre said Christian Powell, who has opened at running back in the first three games, likely will see playing time at fullback to get him and Adkins in the same backfield. Who gets the most tailback carries depends on who's the most productive . . . . MacIntyre worked under Bill Parcells in the NFL (Dallas) and picked up this from the coach formerly known as "The Big Tuna:" You can learn a lot about your quarterback after both bad and good games - specifically if he rebounds from bad ones and takes the good ones in stride. He added that CU starter Connor Wood won't be facing a pedestrian 'D' on Saturday . . . . CU has scheduled Charleston Southern University (another CSU) on Oct. 19 for its 12th game. MacIntyre said Athletic Director Rick George "exhausted himself" in the search for an opponent to replace Fresno State. As for MacIntyre's part in the process, "I felt like a used car salesman; I never got so many 'no's in my life." He called being able to schedule a 12th game at this point of the season "great for the community and the university . . . we're excited about the opportunity to do it." . . . . Former CU coach Bill McCartney, who is to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December, will be honored at Saturday's game. "I've known about him since I was a player and I've gotten to know him here," MacIntyre said. "I respect him as a person and a football coach . . . I know what he did for his young men as a coach; all that I've talked to respect him as a coach and a person." MacIntyre's roster features McCartney's two grandsons - freshman defensive end Derek and offensive graduate assistant T.C. Bill McCartney will be honored at a Thursday banquet on campus.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
