The ending to Oregon’s double overtime thriller at Penn State will surely go down in Oregon lore, with the image of Dillon Theinemen leaping for the sealing interception etched in everyone’s heads.
Theinemen
has been,as predicted, an instant impact player after transferring over from Purdue. But he’s just one of many weapons Oregon has in its suddenly loaded defensive backfield.
The original “Gang Green”, the 1994 Rose Bowl’s vaunted defensive backfield, wasn’t really questioned as the best the Ducks ever had until 2008, when “Gang Green 2.0” took the field, boasting Walter Thurmond, Jarius Byrd, Patrick Chung, and TJ Ward.
I had mentioned in the podcast prior to the Penn State game how high I was on this current crop of players at the corner and safety positions, and they looked just as good as advertised in State College Saturday night.
The first thing that jumps out about this group is the sheer size. With most DBs hovering right at or just under six feet, take a look at what the Ducks have on board:
- Brandon Finney Jr. 6’2”
- Ify Obidegwu 6’1”
- Payton Woodyard 6’2”
- Jahlil Florence 6’1”
Then you’ve got “little guys” Aaron Flowers and Jadon Canady, both at six feet.
You couple that with some Grade A athleticism and you’ve got some issues for opposing passing offenses.
Now granted, Drew Allar isn’t exactly the model of consistency but in last year’s Big Ten Championship game he compiled 226 passing yards against Oregon.
This time? 137. With 35 coming on his lone touchdown bomb in the 4th.
And granted, Oregon’s competition as a whole hasn’t been stellar but they haven’t allowed 200 yards passing in a single game this season, with four games allowing less than 150 and twice holding the opponent under 100.
Less than a year after Ohio State lit up Oregon’s secondary in Pasadena, this can’t really be seen as anything but a great sign.
But perhaps the most exciting bit? More than half of this group are underclassmen.
Obviously the big question heading into the season was how well Oregon would fare on the defensive line after losing multiple impact players to the NFL, and against Penn State’s powerful rushing attack, they more than held their own.
But what I was seeing in the secondary was a good affirmation of quiet optimism.
“Gang Green III”?
Sure. Why not?
