Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to watch the Beavers play. And the last time I did, it wasn’t pretty either (read: Wisconsin). Truth be told, I have been listening to Mike Parker call the games all season long.
And while Mike does a fantastic job at painting the picture on the field, the picture hasn’t been pretty. The Beavers have faced injuries. There have been mistakes. There was even a quarterback controversy – okay, perhaps I was the only one who thought Katz should have been playing.
And despite only tallying wins against Arizona, Washington State and Washington, it was thought that the Beavers had a chance to hang with the Ducks.
Perhaps they took “hang with the ducks” a little too literal as the Beavers spent the Civil War looking quite of Duck-esk.
No, not high-powered offense, solid defense and a can do attitude. Swag included.
No, did something else ducks do: the Beavers laid an egg. A big fat egg. There wasn’t much that separated them from a platypus.
Even when the Ducks (10-2, 8-1) came out sluggish, Beavers coach Mike Riley couldn’t respond. The Ducks limped through the first quarter. They failed on three fourth down attempts, they looked unorganized on defense – albeit still fast and swarming to the ball – and quarterback Darron Thomas was inaccurate.
Instead of having confidence, showing some teeth and going for the proverbial throat, the Beavers (3-9, 3-6) were comfortable calling plays that looked scripted out of 2008’s playbook.
2008!
Look, when David is trying to beat Goliath, he isn’t “running up the middle for two yards,” showing play action with no back in the backfield and throwing into double and triple coverage.
He is scheming weaknesses. He is using misdirection beyond the line of scrimmage. He is being creative.
If there is one thing the Beavers haven’t been in the past decade – it’s creative. Basically I saw the same plays today that were featured in the 2008 Civil War. Same formations, same outcome.
Maybe not the same outcome… I’m being too nice. In 2008, the Beavers scored almost twice as often.
The only “creative” play called the entire game – the option double reverse look – went for two yards but at least kept the Oregon defense guessing for half a second. Yes, it’s a gimmick, but it’s aggressive. It uses misdirection. And it is schemed to beat their weakness – over-pursuing.
The Ducks corners were jumping routes, linebackers crashing down on runs and linemen overtly playing the pass.
Show me a play-action pass – with a good fake – on a double-move route with a pump fake. Give me a flea-flicker. Heck, I’d even take a well designed bootleg!
But no. I got what every other person watching the game got. I got what every fan, journalist and casual observer has gotten since 2007. I got fake fly-sweeps, straight drop-back passes and runs up the middle for minimal gains.
Fans wonder what happened to the magic in Reser, why the Beavers haven’t won big since late-season 2009 and why it feels like the team can’t move the ball?
The coaching staff is calling the same game – every week – for the past four years.
Sure, the talent level has diminished a bit. Riley would never admit to it, but it’s true. And yes, teams around the Pac-12 are getting better and recruiting to Corvallis when Phil Knight is down the road is hard, but that is what Riley “does best” right? Recruit.
That and building something from nothing.
To be fair, the Ducks had the Beavers number today. And truly, it started with the talent on the field. The Ducks outmatched the Beavers at almost every position. The only place the Beavers came out ahead was on special teams and unless your quarterback in Tom Brady, leaning on special teams to win games won’t work.
But, as a coaching staff, if you realize that you are going to be outmatched, at any position, it’s time to play to your own strengths and not falter to the oppositions’.
Then again, I’ve been saying this for a while, and nothing seems to change.
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