Sometimes when you’re in the heat of the battle, it’s difficult to keep the big picture in mind. Yes, the Ducks should have beaten Washington and Oregon State. Yes, they should be preparing to play No. 4 USC for the Pac-12 title.
But considering where Oregon was at this time last year, going 9-3 with a possible trip to the Holiday Bowl, and an incredible recruiting class poised to sign. the Ducks are in a very good spot and they’ll be a player on the national stage soon enough.
Despite those two disappointments, there were a ton of exciting games and individual performances that will go down in the history of Oregon football. We also had some breakout stars, and some great transfers, including a senior quarterback that showed how tough he really is in a win over the defending Pac-12 champs.
The Ducks also had to endure some growing pains with a first-time head coach. Questionable decisions, playcalling, and Pac-12 refs (calling them questionable is generous) all contributed to Oregon’s nine wins and three losses.
We break it all down here as we take a deep dive into what was the 2022 Oregon Ducks football regular season.
Quarterback
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A+
It’s easy to say that Bo Nix is the greatest senior transfer Oregon has ever brought in. The Ducks have a history of mixed results when it comes to QB transfers, but Nix was simply incredible. Before he was injured in the Washington game, Nix was on track to being a Heisman finalist.
Overall, Nix completed 71.5 percent of his passes and threw for 27 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also rushed for 14 more scores, the most rushing touchdowns by a Duck quarterback since Marcus Mariota.
Oregon is set to bring in the No. 2 QB recruit in the country in Dante Moore to replace Nix, but with one more year of eligibility available to him, there are not many Duck fans who wouldn’t welcome Nix back for 2023.
Running Backs
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
Considering neither Bucky Irving or Noah Whittington had not carried the ball one time for the Ducks before 2022, these two turned out to be great additions to the football program.
Irving just missed the 1,000-yard mark with 909 total yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and scored three times. He also showed a nice ability to catch the ball out of the backfield with 30 catches, 300 yards, and three more scores.
Whittington gained 752 yards and rushed for five touchdowns, completing a solid 1-2 punch for the Ducks at the tailback position. Both he and Irving are sophomores and are expected back in 2023.
Jordan James, a highly-touted recruit from Tennessee, managed to get 43 carries and scored five times. He was Oregon’s goal line runner not named Bo Nix. He has a bright future ahead of him. The Ducks are also bringing in highly-touted recruit Dante Dowdell, so Oregon might have an embarrassment of riches at running back in 2023.
Wide Recievers/Tight End
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A
How fun was it to see the emergence of Troy Franklin? The sophomore turned into one of the best receivers in the conference. Franklin had 56 catches for 867 yards (72 ypg) and eight touchdowns.
But it wasn’t just Franklin. Chase Cota had a successful homecoming after wasting away at UCLA. Cota missed three games and still managed to catch 33 passes for 455 and two touchdowns, including a circus catch for a score against the Beavers.
Kris Hutson also came into his own. He was second on the team with 42 catches for 462 yards.
As far as tight ends go, it was definitely a group effort between Terrance Ferguson, Cam McCormick, Moliki Matavao and Patrick Herbert. Those four combined for 51 catches for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns. All except for McCormick, a senior, should return for 2023
Offensive line
AP Photo/Young Kwak
Grade: A-
If this group had been able to stay healthy for the entire season, a tough task we know, the grade would be even better. Still, the Oregon offensive line was one of the best in the conference and in the country. They kept Bo Nix upright all season long and were able to push back opposing defensive lines consistently.
Unfortunately, injuries took their toll and really showed up in the second half of the Oregon State game where for the first time the line was ineffective. The inability to get the game-winning touchdown with four tries from the 5-yard line was a glaring lowlight of that game. But all in all, the offensive line was really, really good for Oregon, and considering how well the Ducks are recruiting in this area, the line will be a strength for some time to come.
Defensive line
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
Grade: B-
Oregon’s defensive line was a good group and should become even better in 2023. They helped hold opponents to just 125 rushing yards a game and that number would have been even better without OSU’s 270 yards in the regular season finale.
Brandon Dorlus and DJ Johnson both have a good chance of being all-conference performers. Dorlus had 34 tackles, nine for loss and 2.5 sacks at the nose tackle position. Johnson found a home as an edge rusher with 39 tackles, 8.5 for loss and six sacks.
Linebackers
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Grade: C
This was the group that had the toughest time adjusting to the new defensive scheme. Noah Sewell still had 56 tackles, but he wasn’t the dominating, take-over-a-game defensive player he has been in the past. Sewell will still play on Sundays next season should he choose to, but one has to wonder how much his stock would go up if he stayed and played under Lanning’s system for another year.
Jeffrey Bassa was the breakout star of the group and was second on the team with 56 tackles, three for loss and a sack.
But for whatever reason, players such as Mase Funa and Justin Flowe could never get on track with this defense. One can only hope with another offseason and spring practices, those talented players will come into their own in 2023.
Secondary
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
As big as Bo Nix’s arrival was to the offense, Christian Gonzalez transferring to Oregon was just as important. The Ducks knew he was good at Colorado, but in Eugene, Gonzalez took it up a notch. With his 50 tackles, four picks and seven pass breakups, it will be a shock if Gonzalez wasn’t a Pac-12 First-Teamer.
He also mentored the likes of Trikweze Bridges (three picks), Bryan Addison (two picks), Jahlil Florence and the rest of the secondary. Except for the Washington game, the secondary was very good. Safety Bennett Williams led the team with 67 tackles and had two interceptions.
Special Teams
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Grade: D
The grade has nothing to do with kicker Camden Lewis, who was nearly perfect with 14-of-15 on field goals. The only one he missed was a 53-yarder that was just out of his range. He probably should have utilized a lot more.
But the rest of the special teams were not special. Oregon may not overestimate not having a quality punter ever again. Unfortunately, the Ducks lost Tom Snee in spring ball and never found an adequate replacement for him and it hurt. Oregon went through three punters where no one particularly stood out. Andrew Boyle was a very good kickoff specialist with 50 touchbacks, however.
The punt and kickoff returners were something to be desired though. As a team, the Ducks averaged five yards a punt return. Hutson had the longest return of 21 yards. Hutson also returned most of the kickoffs and averaged just over 21 yards. This is something Lanning needs to address. With all of the athletes on the roster, there has to be a great returner in there somewhere.
Overall Grade
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Grade: B
For a first-year and first-time head coach, this grade is a good one. Before the season, nearly everyone would take a 9-3 record in a heartbeat. But those losses to Washington and Oregon State, their two main rivals, really stick out like a sore thumb and the Ducks were a very slim margin from going 11-1.
It would be one thing if the Huskies and Beavers were just better at this point of time, but they’re not. Everyone in the Ducks program will say they let those games slip away. Oregon is just a couple of plays here and there to be preparing for the Pac-12 title against USC with the winner probably going to the College Football Playoff.
Considering where they were just a year ago, that’s an incredible improvement and there’s no reason to think Oregon’s trajectory won’t keep from going up.
Top Performer not named Bo Nix
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
WR Troy Franklin
Quarterback Bo Nix was hands down Oregon’s top performer for the 2022 season, so we wanted to recognize someone else who had an outstanding year in Eugene. That distinction goes to sophomore receiver Troy Franklin, who broke out as a star.
The 6-foot-3, 178-pounder from East Palo Alto, Calif. showed that he can be a possession receiver and a deep threat. He led the Ducks with 56 catches, 867 yards (72 ypg), and eight touchdowns. Franklin caught just 18 balls for two scores last season, so the improvement was awesome and with another year of eligibility remaining, 2023 should be an even better year for him.
Biggest Surprise
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RBs Bucky Irving/Noah Whittingham
Not many Oregon fans knew who Bucky Irving was when he came out for the first offensive series against Georgia. They all know him and Noah Whittington now.
It was assumed Byron Cardwell, who had a nice freshman season last year, would receive the bulk of the carries in 2022. Now Cardwell is an afterthought and will transfer.
Irving, who came to Oregon via Minnesota, led the Ducks in rushing with 909 yards and scored three times. He also proved to be a very good receiver out of the backfield.
As for Whittington, the transfer from Western Kentucky, gained 752 yards and found the end zone five times. Both of them found a good home in Eugene and both will be juniors in 2023.
Best single game performance
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Bo Nix vs Utah
We could have gone with a number of Nix’s great games such as scoring six times throwing for 412 yards at California or going 22-of-28 for 282 yards and five touchdowns against UCLA.
But his game against Utah was something of legend and will be remembered in Oregon history for quite some time. Just being on the field after sustaining a major ankle injury the week before was in itself a minor miracle.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s revised game plan to protect Nix at all cost also helped out tremendously. And this wasn’t against a cupcake. This was against No. 10 Utah and the defending conference champs on national television.
Nix willed his team to a victory. He was 25-of-37 for 282 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a first down on the last drive to seal the win.
Player who we need to see more from
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
LB Justin Flowe
The picture above was from Flowe’s debut a year ago where he racked up 14 tackles and a forced fumble against Fresno State. Then he got hurt and for some reason, he’s never come close to putting a game like that together again.
Whether it was injuries or not gelling with the new defensive scheme, Flowe was oftentimes a complete non-factor. As one of the highest rated recruits to ever commit to Oregon, a season with just 35 tackles and 2.5 for loss and no sacks isn’t good enough. He needs to be better.
The frustrating part is that Flowe has showed he can be dominating and hopefully with a healthy offseason and more time deciphering the Duck scheme, Flowe can finally turn into the player we all expect him to be in 2023. Oregon needs him and he needs it to turnaround his career if he ever wants to play on Sundays in the not-to-distant future.
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