Oregon Football: 3 Takeaways from Ducks’ win over Southern Utah in season opener

1. Ducks ground game dominant once again

In their final season under Mark Helfrich, the Ducks ground game wasn’t necessarily bad. Oregon ranked 27th nationally and second in the Pac-12 as they averaged 226 yards per game. But that mark was more than 50 yards lower than the previous year’s rushing averages, and the Ducks slid all the way to 4-8 as a result.

With Royce Freeman back for his senior season and a healthy offensive line, all the tools were in place for a resurgent season in the running game. If the opener against Southern Utah is any indication, the Ducks are back to their old form on the ground.

By halftime against Southern Utah, the Ducks had already piled up 217 yards as a team. Royce Freeman, Oregon’s preseason Heisman hopeful, ran for 113 of those yards with two touchdowns on 17 carries before the intermission. He contributed another 50 yards in the receiving game before the break. Adding two more touchdowns in the second half, Freeman finished with 150 yards and four scores on 23 carries before taking a rest for the night.

But the running game was hardly powered by Freeman alone. Even when the Ducks have boasted a transcendent back, they have long utilized a ground attack predicated on cycling running backs in and out of the game. Kani Benoit bounded for three touchdowns and 107 yards on just seven carries. Oregon’s backfield finished the contest with eight scores and nearly 350 yards as a group. The Ducks should be just as solid on the ground in the coming months.