Oregon’s Offense: Gone in 23.2 Seconds

Oregon’s Offense: Gone in 23.2 Seconds

Like any endeavor, college football has a number of traditions and standard practices that don’t make perfect sense.

Take, for instance, the pace at which most teams run their offenses. On average, it takes about 34 seconds from the end of the previous play for a conventional college team to start the next one—an interlude in which players walk to the line of scrimmage, catch their breath and convene a short staff meeting known as the huddle.

Then there’s the approach taken by the Oregon Ducks.

Based on a sampling of recent games, Oregon’s average time between plays is 23.2 seconds—32% faster than the norm. And for them, that’s just third gear.

In their most recent game at home against UCLA on Oct. 21, the undefeated Ducks were doing 23 seconds between plays during their first possession until they reached the Bruins’ eight-yard line. Then they ripped one off in 14 seconds, while UCLA’s players were still getting set. The result: an eight-yard touchdown run that met almost no substantial resistance.

During Oregon’s next possession, UCLA called a timeout to slow things down. Which worked: The Bruins returned and held Ducks running back LaMichael James to a three-yard run. So Oregon responded by starting the next play in 9.9 seconds. Mr. James burst through UCLA’s flat-footed defense for 14 yards. The Ducks, who are ranked No. 1 in the college-football polls, went on to win, 60-13.

wsj.com
10/29/10