With no game on the schedule this week for the Ducks, there is no better time than now to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve seen from Mario Cristobal’s bunch through five weeks of action.
As part of our “Bye Week Brush-Up” series this week, WFOD will be taking a closer look at who and what has stood out to us thus far, as well as offer our assessments on what we might be able to expect once the Ducks return to action next week.
Our series continues Friday, as WFOD hands out some midseason superlatives for the Oregon offense.
Most Improved Player
Dillon Mitchell: It may seem like a slight stretch to say that the team’s leading receiver from a season ago is also the team’s most improved player, but such is the case for junior wideout Dillon Mitchell. Had Justin Herbert remained healthy for all of last year, Mitchell may have occupied this spot a year earlier. His individual statistics certainly suggested as much, as 40 of Mitchell’s 42 catches and 507 of his 517 receiving yards – along with all four of his touchdown receptions – came with Herbert in the starting lineup. Instead, we’re just now grappling with the idea that Mitchell is not only far and away Oregon’s best receiver, but he may just be the best receiver in a conference loaded with premier receiving talent. After sandbagging the offensive game plan in the opening three games of the season, the Oregon coaches took the restrictor plate off of Mitchell, for which he’s responded with 21 catches for 344 yards and one touchdown over the last two games. As long as Herbert remains healthy and other receivers step up just enough to alleviate the attention Mitchell will command from opposing defenses, expect those numbers to continue their upward climb.
Top Newcomer
Penei Sewell: From the moment he penned his signature on his letter of intent last February, Penei Sewell has been viewed as the kind of program changing recruit that will ultimately typify the Mario Cristobal era at Oregon – an era Cristobal hopes is defined by toughness and overwhelming physicality in the trenches. Considering Cristobal’s impressive pedigree as both a player and offensive line coach, Sewell is the ideal cornerstone to build the future of Oregon football around. Ranked as one of the nation’s best offensive linemen coming out of high school, the Ducks won a hotly contested recruiting battle over blue-blood programs like Alabama and USC in order to secure Sewell’s services for the next three to four years. And while it has only been a handful of months since Sewell first stepped foot on campus, it hasn’t taken long to see why former four-star recruit was so highly coveted. From the beginning of fall camp ’til now, Sewell has essentially had a stranglehold on the Ducks’ starting left tackle position – a position he had little to no experience playing until he arrived in Eugene. It’s early, but if there ever existed a true freshman who appeared to be a slam dunk future star, it’s Sewell.
Most Underrated Player
Shane Lemieux: Jacob Breeland received heavy consideration here as well, but at the end of the day, it’s awfully difficult to go against the guy who has been an absolute rock at left guard for the Ducks the past three seasons. Along with fellow Class of 2015 recruits in Jake Hanson and Calvin Throckmorton, redshirt freshman Shane Lemieux has been a model for consistency having never missed a start in 30 career games. Voted by his teammates as the team’s most improved player a year ago, Lemieux has elevated his game to another level this fall, emerging as one of the top interior lineman in the entire country. According to Cristobal, much of Lemieux’s success can be attributed to his incredible work ethic. “[Lemieux’s] threshold for work is insane,” said Cristobal. “His balance and body control are probably the biggest things he’s addressed over the course of the offseason. He’s always been a physical guy … He’s a guy I’m sure people don’t like to play against because he’s on you all day – he’s relentless.”
Player Most Needed To Step Up
Johnny Johnson: You could make a compelling argument here for any of the receivers not named Dillon Mitchell, but we went with Johnson after it was expected that he would play a more significant role this season. There’s no question that Johnson has the physical ability to be a reliable contributor. As a true freshman in 2017, Johnson demonstrated a knack for making acrobatic catches downfield, offering an exciting glimpse of future exploits that would come with maturity and time. Consistency, however, has been something that has eluded Johnson since his arrival in Eugene. Though he leads the Ducks in touchdown receptions (4) this season, Johnson has struggled with drops, and recently surrendered his starting job to junior Brenden Schooler who has been the more sure-handed receiver. With all-timer at quarterback in Justin Herbert, a veteran offensive line, an emerging rushing attack, and a top flight receiver in Dillon Mitchell, the only thing this offense is truly missing is a bonafide second option in the passing game. If Johnson can maintain some form of steadiness from a production standpoint, it could make all the difference for this offense.
MVP
Justin Herbert: Was there really any question? Ever since assuming the starting job as a true freshman in 2016, Herbert has shown rapid growth both in physical and mental maturity, as well as in his command of the finer points of quarterbacking. The impact of Herbert on this offense was truly realized last season after he was lost for five games due to a collarbone injury. The major difference in his play this year compared to last year appears to be his improved decision-making and heightened comfort level within the offense. Herbert has been nothing short of masterful through five games in executing the Oregon offense. His near perfect performance in a devastating loss to Stanford was proof that Herbert is much more than player who, until that point, only feasted on inferior competition. Herbert’s 15 touchdown passes and quarterback rating of 180.91 currently leads the Pac-12, but for a player who is still in search of his first signature win as a collegian, those numbers likely mean very little. Herbert will get another crack at finding that elusive win as a major test lies on the horizon when hated rival Washington comes to Autzen in little over a week. A win there would not only solidify Herbert as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, but would also set Oregon on a path that could very well see them contending for a Pac-12 Championship.
Bye Week Brush-Up: Reviewing the Oregon offense
Bye Week Brush-Up: Reviewing the Oregon defense