Oregon Ducks snap count takeaways from Week 3 vs. Portland State

Throughout the course of a college football season, there are two instances where the snap count takeaways dwarf all others: After the first game of the year and after the first blowout of the year. Fortunately, if you want to be a glass-half-full fan, those happened on two different occasions for the Oregon Ducks.

It was an 84-0 win for the Ducks over the Portland State Vikings on Friday night, and 42-0 at half, leading to a long list of underclassmen getting into the game for their first action in an Oregon uniform. In total, 79 players saw the field for Oregon in this game, giving fans a good look at what the future might hold with the talent on the roster.

Of course, everything mentioned about this game needs to come with the caveat that it was Portland State, and the two teams are not in the same realm as far as talent goes, with all due respect to the Vikings. Still, it was a nice time for the Ducks to get back on the horse after a tough loss vs. Oklahoma State last week, and see the ball go through the proverbial hoop.

As we often do after a matchup, we dove into the snap counts the morning after the game and break down what they tell us. For reference, the Ducks had 94 total plays on offense and just 37 total plays on defense. Here are our biggest takeaways:

• Dante Moore: 45
• Dylan Raiola: 27
• Akili Smith Jr.: 14
• Brock Thomas: 12

Analysis: For the first time all year, we got to see what the quarterback room looks like. It impressed, if I can be honest. Yes, of course it’s against Portland State, but I think Oregon fans feel great about what Dylan Raiola showed, and Akili Smith Jr. looked promising as well. In general, I think it was nice to finally see what the Ducks look like beyond Dante Moore. If he ever has to miss a drive, fans should feel confident in Raiola.

• Brandon Smith: 39
• Jordon Davison: 29
• Da’Jaun Riggs: 18
• Dierre Hill: 15
• Tradarian Ball: 12

Analysis: I was not expecting to see anyone overtake Davison as the lead snap-getter this year, but Brandon Smith did that on Friday night during an impressive showing. He had 16 rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown, and showed some nice agility out there. I also really liked what we saw from Da’Jaun Riggs, who has great burst, and Tradarian Ball, who is versatile out of the backfield. We know what we’re getting from Davison and Hill, but the guys behind them appear to have bright futures as well.

• Messiah Hampton: 49
• Gatlin Bair: 48
• Evan Stewart: 37
• Dakorien Moore: 32
• Brady Bidwell: 32
• Hudson Lewis: 27
• Nathan McCoy II: 14
• Jack Ressler: 14
• Iverson Hooks: 12

Analysis: The Messiah Hampton renaissance appears to be upon us. After showing what he could do last week against Oklahoma State, the true freshman had a much bigger role in this one, playing well before garbage time and hauling in his first two career TDs. We also saw a lot of Gatlin Bair, Brady Bidwell, and Hudson Lewis. One thing that continues to surprise me is the lack of Iverson Hooks use. This was his first action as a Duck, and even in an 84-0 win over Portland State, he didn’t get very much run.

• Andrew Olesh: 48
• Kendre Harrison: 39
• AJ Pugliano: 13
• Marcus Dixon: 11
• Dayton Raiola: 7

Analysis: In another game without Jamari Johnson on the field due to injury, the depth showed up at tight end. Andrew Olesh and Kendre Harrison had nice games, and looked very solid when called upon, both grabbing their first career touchdowns. It was also nice to see Oregon-native AJ Pugliano get in on the action as well.

• Ziyare Addison: 68
• Kawika Rogers: 66
• Iapani Laloulu: 45
• Gernorris Wilson: 45
• Fox Crader: 39
• Dave Iuli: 39
• Tommy Tofi: 31
• Immanuel Iheanacho: 30
• Demetri Manning: 30
• Michael Bennett III: 30
• Douglas Utu: 29
• Zac Stascausky: 14
• Devin Brooks: 14
• Koloi Keli: 13

Analysis: This was a great week to see what the Ducks have on the offensive line, and more importantly, what offensive line combinations work together. I know there was some consternation near the end of the game when guys like Addison and Utu were still playing late in the third quarter with the Ducks up by 70 points, but I think the staff was trying to see how they looked together on tape so they could continue to assess the starting front going forward. Ultimately, it was an encouraging night from the unit as a whole, and nice to see some young guys get on the field.

• Elijah Rushing: 21
• Matayo Uiagalelei: 18
• Nasir Wyatt: 17
• Teitum Tuioti: 15
• Aydin Breland: 14
• Matthew Johnson: 13
• Bear Alexander: 13
• D’Antre Robinson: 12
• Tank Jones: 11
• A’Mauri Washington: 11
• Dutch Horisk: 9
• Derrick Brown Jr.: 3
• Anthony Jones: 1
• Prince Tavizon: 1
• Bleu Dantzler: 1
• Jerome Simmons: 1

Analysis: It was shocking to me at first to see that the most snaps anyone played on the DL was Elijah Rushing with just 21, but when you remember that there were only 37 on defense, it makes sense. We get a great mix of guys on the defensive front, with guys like Wyatt, Breland, and Bear really showing how dominant they can be. Of course, this unit as a whole still needs to show a lot more going forward.

• Gavin Nix: 28
• Will Straton: 11
• Jerry Mixon: 11
• Dylan Williams: 10
• Devon Jackson: 10
• Tristan Phillips: 3
• Cruz Rushing: 3
• Cole Thomas: 1
• Braylon Hodge: 1

Analysis: The disparity between Gavin Nix and the next highest snap-getter at the LB spot is a bit interesting, but it appears that they wanted the sophomore to get quite a bit of work in this game. Overall, I feel like the LB position played well, and we saw some good stuff in limited action for all.

• Na’eem Offord: 21
• Brandon Finney: 19
• Ify Obidegwu: 12
• Dorian Brew: 19
• Tre Watson: 7
• Aaron Scott Jr.: 7
• Xavier Barksdale: 1

Analysis: We still got the same trio at the top of the snap counts this week for Oregon, but once again, it was a lot of Finney in the nickel, with Offord and Obidegwu out wide, which I think is something that the Ducks are settling on. It was also good to see someone like Dorian Brew out there getting some action.

• Koi Perich: 21
• Davon Benjamin: 19
• Jett Washington: 14
• Devin Jackson: 14
• Aaron Flowers: 12
• Zach Grisham: 12
• Peyton Woodyard: 9
• Azel Banag: 4
• Xavier Lherisse: 4
• Trey McNutt: 4

Analysis: The safety position might have stolen the show for Oregon on Friday night, with Jett Washington coming away with two interceptions, while Davon Benjamin added another. There’s a ton of young talent at this position, so it was fun to see guys like Devin Jackson, Trey McNutt, and Xavier Lherisse in some actual game action at long last.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks snap count takeaways from Week 3 vs. Portland State