The Oregon Ducks are entering the second half of the season with this weekend's game against Illinois after picking up a thrilling win over Nebraska. The 4-2 record through 6 games is worse than any fan would've expected, but given some of the circumstances, it's hard to be surprised by the result. Turning the page to the back half of the year, Oregon is going to have to pull off a tight rope act in order to keep their hopes of making the Playoff alive.
After 6 games, it's easy to see why Oregon has lost two games, but also some of the good performances that have helped the team win 4 games. Turning to the second half, 3 players have exceeded all expectations, while 3 others are going to need to step up if the Ducks are going to finish strong.
The 3 Oregon Ducks exceeding expectations at mid-season
Ify Obidegwu - Cornerback
Coming into the season, all the excitement for the Oregon secondary was around Brandon Finney Jr. and Koi Perich, but thus far the standout has been Ify Obidegwu. The Junior cornerback has been outstanding on the outside, allowing just 7 catches for 96 yards on 17 targets, allowing a touchdown with an interception. The play of Obidegwu has been outstanding and has helped this defense start to round into shape.
Nasir Wyatt - Edge Rusher
Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti draw the most attention of Oregon's edge rushers, and for good reason, but Nasir Wyatt has been key for the defense. Each week, Wyatt is constantly pressuring the quarterback, and even when he's not getting sacks he's forcing quarterback to get rid of the ball quickly, helping out the secondary.
The defense has to do a better job of getting offenses into obvious passing situations as the best way to get after the quarterback is getting Wyatt, Tuitoti, and Uiagalelei on the field together. As Oregon's offense continues to struggle, the defense is going to need to do it's best to hold opponents to low totals, and Wyatt is going to be key in that pursuit.
Gage Hurych - Kicker
It hasn't been talked about enough just how well Oregon's transition from Kicker Atticus Sappington to Gage Hurych has gone for the Ducks. Hurych has been perfect this season, making all 9 of his field goal attempts while converting on all 19 of his extra point attempts. With the Oregon offense dealing with quarterback struggles, the Ducks can't afford to miss any kicks, and Hurych has delivered.
The 3 Oregon Ducks who need to step up in the 2nd half of the season
Koi Perich - Safety
This offseason, Oregon dipped into the Transfer Portal to replace 1st round pick Dillon Thieneman with the top ranked safety in the portal. Thus far, Koi Perich hasn't provided the splash that Thieneman did, and at times early on, he looked lost in coverage and in run support. Over the last two games, Perich has started to play closer to the level Oregon hoped for, but he needs to continue trending in the right direction.
Jordon Davison - Running Back
There were high hopes for the Oregon rushing attack this season, and whether it's the offensive line struggles or on the backs, it hasn't delivered. In the Ducks' 4 games against Power 4 opponents, Davison is averaging just 3.24 yards per carry with just 330 rushing yards at the halfway point in the season. The Ducks are going to need an uptick in production from Johnson if the offense is going to start making life easier on Dylan Raiola or Brock Thomas.
Dylan Raiola - Quarterback
Through 3 games of high stakes performances, Oregon fans have seen the highs and lows that led Dylan Raiola to Eugene. Coming into the season, the hope was to only see Dylan Raiola in mop-up duty, but with Dante Moore suffering a concussion in the USC game, the Ducks have needed to dip into the quarterback depth.
Coming off the bench against USC, Dylan Raiola was incredible going 19-25 for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Oregon to victory. Then Raiola let everyone down after building up all that excitement, struggling heavily against UCLA to the point that he was benched for Brock Thomas. Right when the hype for Raiola was low again, he came off the bench to lead the Ducks to a thrilling comeback win over Nebraska.
Oregon continues to shy away from giving away too much information on Dante Moore's status as his timeline for return is still up in the air. It's clear Dylan Raiola is the most talented of Oregon's backup quarterbacks, and the Ducks are going to need him to play at a high level until Dante Moore returns to keep the season afloat.
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