As far as starting debuts go, there was plenty to be encouraged with when considering Tyler Shough’s overall performance this past Saturday vs. Stanford.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback flashed great touch and accuracy on downfield throws, he exhibited poise and confidence in the aftermath of mistakes, and perhaps most notably, he demonstrated better-than-anticipated quickness and athleticism on designed runs and when flushed from the pocket. In fact, Shough would finish the day as the team’s second leading rusher with 85 yards on 11 rush attempts, highlighting his day on the ground with an impressive touchdown run that saw Shough reverse field and put the Cardinal defense on skates en route to his nine-yard scoring jaunt.
.@tylershough2 showing off the athleticism on his first career rushing touchdown đź‘Ź #GoDucks
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 8, 2020
Watch on @ABC: https://t.co/YRTOX74lVM pic.twitter.com/hNo1zrkqN6
In many respects, Shough’s play at quarterback in the first game under first year offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead was a significant departure from what was seen from the position the previous two years under former offensive coordinator and current UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo. Not only did Moorhead not shy away from featuring the quarterback as threat on the ground, but he also proved to be pliable from a philosophical standpoint, implementing varied and efficient ways to not only maximize Shough’s skill set, but the skill sets of an array of offensive players who weren’t always optimized with Arroyo pulling the levers.
Moreover, it was clear that, despite striking quality balance between the running game (269 total yards on the ground) and passing game (227 yards through the air), and despite converting an astounding 9-of-11 third down attempts, there was still plenty of “meat left on the bone” if we’re to use the words uttered by Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal during his postgame press conference Saturday night.
And if we’re being honest, much of that meat ended up in the discard pile due to the inexperience and in-progress development of the aforementioned Shough.
None of this, mind you, falls squarely on the shoulders of the Chandler (Ariz.) native. Not only are the Ducks adapting to a new offensive approach being installed by Moorhead, but they’re also still in the process of finding a rotation and developing dependable depth along the offensive line after losing all five starters from a season ago. And of course, all of this is occurring against the backdrop of a once in a century pandemic, which has grossly impacted the rate of development for virtually everyone associated with the program, not just Shough.
However, it’s Shough who is among the individuals held most responsible for deftly navigating the choppy and precarious waters of the 2020 season.
For every big play Shough made with his arm or legs against the Cardinal last Saturday, there was a moment that reminded you how much progress needs to be made by Shough in order for the Ducks to establish themselves as bona fide College Football Playoff contenders this season. Whether it was a misread on a run-pass option, tunnel vision on throws over the middle of the field that ended in a turnover (or near turnovers), or nervy play from the pocket that compelled Shough to bail on his reads downfield, there was enough there to provide a glimpse at the areas in which Shough must improve.
Saturday’s game at Washington State could offer telling details with regard to just how capable Shough is of eliminating those mistakes, curbing potentially bad habits, and building upon his successes. The good news for Duck fans is that Shough shouldn’t be saddled with the same kind of first game jitters he perhaps experienced last week vs. Stanford, as he ultimately (and admirably) proved himself capable of being the triggerman for this offense. The bad news is, Shough will be making his first ever start on the road in potentially ugly weather conditions against a motivated Cougar team who notched a win on the road over Oregon State last Saturday.
We learned a lot about Tyler Shough in Week 1, but his rate of growth entering Week 2 and the weeks ahead will be of critical importance for this team, and a revealing story arc for fans and others outside the program to monitor, moving forward.
Top Photo: Oregon QB Tyler Shough (Oregon Football/Twitter)