Oregon football had a season to forget in 2016. Here’s a look at why the Ducks will turn things around in 2017.
The Oregon football program had one of the worst seasons in a long time under former head coach Mark Helfrich in 2016. The Ducks went just 2-7 in Pac-12 Conference play, their worst performance since 2006, when they went 4-5 under Mike Bellotti.
They began the season 2-0 before things fell apart in a hurry, losing their next five games, including a 70-21 drubbing at the hands of the Washington Huskies. The Oregon Ducks allowed 378 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in the game.
Taggart inherits a defense that allowed 518.9 total yards per game, 11th in the Pac-12, and 3.2 rushing touchdowns per contest. While the Oregon offense was putting up impressive numbers, the defense was giving up even more.
However, that was then and this is now. Head coach Willie Taggart comes off a strong tenure with the South Florida Bulls looking to work more of his magic. It is Taggart’s third stint as a head football coach. He began his head coaching career at Western Kentucky in 2010.
Taggart brings a refreshing style to the Ducks that can allow for playmakers like Justin Herbert and Royce Freeman to do what they do well. The offense wasn’t the issue last season so much as the defense was.
The Oregon Ducks should be in good shape on offense, with some changes on defense, they could improve as well. In either case, here’s five reasons why the Ducks will turn things around in 2017.