Analysis: Herbert gives Oregon new hope
Enjoy seeing Oregon’s Justin Herbert and USC’s Sam Darnold on the same field next Saturday. There are no guarantees it will happen again, at least in the college ranks.
The Ducks and Trojans won’t play in 2017 or 2018 because of the Pac-12’s rotation of divisional opponents, so barring a Oregon-USC conference title game in either of those seasons, Herbert, Darnold, or both could be off to the NFL before the two teams meet again. Herbert has shown that kind of ability in his first three starts, tying the Oregon single-game passing record with 489 yards in a 54-35 win over Arizona State on Saturday. His 512 yards of total offense against the Sun Devils were also the most in program history.
Herbert tied another school record with six touchdown passes the previous week against California, and the freshman’s promising play is now the source of optimism in an otherwise dismal season. Oregon still needs to win three of its last four games to make a bowl game, an unlikely outcome with contests at USC and Utah ahead. Changes on the coaching staff seem to be a given, with Mark Helfrich’s return next season not guaranteed. The flammable defense gave up 35 points and 468 yards to a Sun Devils offense with a freshman quarterback making his first career start and without its top wide receiver in Tim White.
When Arizona State scored a touchdown to pull within 40-35 late in the fourth quarter, Herbert showed the fire and flair Oregon had been lacking before his promotion to starter. Herbert kept the ball, dashed up the middle for 17 yards and lowered his head right into contact from Arizona State linebacker Marcus Ball. The collision electrified Oregon and drained Arizona State, and it wasn’t a coincidence that Tony Brooks-James raced 58 yards for a touchdown to put the game away on the very next play.
Oregon looked to be dead and buried when it was trampled at Washington State on the first day of October. Now it exits the month with a glimmer of hope that all is not lost.
Not the false hope of recruiting classes or coaching wish lists, but the enthusiasm that comes from seeing something tangible. Oregon can build on what Herbert does. His dual-threat skills are a perfect match for Oregon’s current offense, and would allow him to easily transition to another other style of play if Helfrich departed. His play gives the defense a reason to keep fighting. His presence gives recruits a reason to commit, even with all the other turmoil around the program.
Herbert has had the very same effect Darnold had on USC in September.
Herbert and Darnold are similar in many other ways.
Both are surprisingly nimble for quarterbacks listed at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4 respectively. Both have been able to get teammates involved and maximize the playmakers around them. Both were lightly regarded coming out of high school, Herbert a three-star recruit and Darnold a four-star. Both immediately impressed from the moment they stepped on campus, with several Oregon players saying that Herbert would have won the job over FCS transfer Dakota Prukop if he had enrolled early.
Herbert and Darnold will be compared and contrasted plenty in years to come.
As it stands, however, they will only duel once.