Oregon draws up defensive blueprint
Ducks know they must contain UW’s Taylor
LOS ANGELES – Oregon nose tackle Jordon Scott didn't see the need to get evasive about the Ducks' defensive game plan against Wisconsin for the 106th Rose Bowl.
“Running the ball is what they like to do and it's what they do best,” Scott said. “That is what we've been focusing on since the beginning of bowl prep.”
Stop tailback Jonathan Taylor, who is expected to turn pro after the Rose Bowl and has made it clear he will do all he can to give UW its first Rose Bowl victory since the 1999 season.
“We earned the right to be here,” he said, “so I wanted to finish it out right.”
Stop Taylor, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in 10 of 13 games this season, 32 of 40 games overall and enters the Rose Bowl with 1,909 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns this season.
Stop Taylor, who has broken the 200yard mark in 12 games (30%) at UW and enters the Rose Bowl with 6,080 rushing yards, the No. 2 mark in Big Ten history.
“Taylor is a great back,” freshman defensive end Kaylon Thibodeaux said, “but I feel like we've been facing great backs all season. I don't know if he has super powers or anything, but I know…we've watched film, and we'll be ready for him.
“I mean, he's good. He's a great player. I don't see anything that we couldn't handle, that we couldn't work to maintain.”
Oregon can counter with the No. 10 rushing defense in the nation at 106.9 yards per game. Only four players have broken the 100-yard mark against the Ducks this season. Washington's Salvon Ahmed had the best performance with 140 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, though the Ducks prevailed, 3531.
“I think the best thing is just swarming to the ball, like 11 hats to the football,” sophomore nickel back Jevon Holland said. “He's hard to take on one-on-one, so we've got to get all 11 guys to the ball, flock to the rock.”
Oregon contained Utah's Zack Moss en route to a 37-15 victory in the Pacific 12 title game.
Moss entered the night averaging 6.2 yards per carry and 113.3 yards per game, with 15 rushing touchdowns. Bolstered by a 42-yard run, Moss finished with 113 yards on 19 carries.
He was held to 3.9 yards per carry on his other 18 rushes and did not reach the end zone.
“Zack Moss is a great running back,” said senior inside linebacker Troy Dye, who leads the Ducks in tackles with 75. “But Jonathan Taylor is a step up. He is the Doak Walker winner in back-toback years.”
Taylor has played seven games this season against teams ranked in the top 30 nationally in rushing defense and has averaged 130.1 yards in those games.
His best performances came against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game (20
carries, 148 yards and one touchdown), against Iowa (31-250-0) and against Michigan (23-203-2 in three quarters).
“He's been blessed with a size-speed combination you don't always see,” Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said. “His change of direction, to go along with that his vision, is really, really good.
“And obviously within their offense they run multiple run schemes, whether it be zone schemes, gap schemes. And he does a really good job seeing and fitting all those things in, obviously working off the blockers…
“He's got really good read and react skills in terms of finding the holes.”
According to Taylor, Oregon has the size up front to plug gaps and the speed to close holes quickly.
The key in the Rose Bowl? Attack.
“When you see a hole,” he said, “you've got to make sure you hit it 100 miles an hour because they've got a lot of speed on defense. So they're able to run sideline to sideline. So you've got to make sure you're very decisive.”
Getting Taylor to make bold predictions, criticize an opponent or complain about a perceived slight is an impossible task.
As consistent as he has been on the field, he has been equally level-headed off the field.
Remember that when asked about not being invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy, Taylor noted that he would have voted for the finalists selected by the voters.
Asked if he was ready to meet the challenge of Oregon's defense, Taylor responded affirmatively but quietly.
“You come to play Division I football to play against the best,” he said. “You want to push yourself.
“So going up against guys like this should be fun.”