First-Round Report Card: Ducks dominate James Madison in all facets

The Oregon Ducks advanced to the quarterfinals with their 51-34 victory over the No. 12 James Madison Dukes in the first-round of the College Football Playoff — yet the mood was glum in the postgame press conference, as the second-half drop off was significant.

The Ducks went into the locker room at halftime nursing a 34-6 lead and with the college football world buzzing about how the Group of Five shouldn't get a team into the playoff... only for James Madison to outscore Oregon 28-17 in the second half and ultimately finish with over 500 yards of total offense.

Oregon's offense didn't do much better in the second half, stalling on multiple drives and not playing to the same level as they did in the first stanza.

The final stat sheet still had a number of standouts, but much of that came in the first half. Despite that, there were a lot of positives to take away, especially with the special teams unit that contributed a touchdown on a blocked punt and blocked a field goal.

The standard is the standard for head coach Dan Lanning's program, leading to several unsatisfactory grades despite surviving and advancing to the second round of the CFP. Others remained high, beginning with quarterback Dante Moore's play on Saturday night.

Quarterbacks

Grade: A

Though Moore threw two interceptions, he was extremely sharp in the first half as the Ducks built their initial lead. With four minutes left in the second quarter, he'd completed 10 of 11 passes for 199 yards and three scores while running in a score from five yards out, making it look easy along the way. His 18.1 yards per attempt at that time reflected the multiple deep shots that he connected on, with another coming to wide receiver Malik Benson in the third quarter to make it five total touchdowns on the day for Moore.

Running Backs

Grade: A

Despite a second half lull, the Ducks' rushing attack finished with 201 yards and 7.7 yards per carry with each of the true freshman backs contributing in big ways. While Noah Whittington was quiet with just four carries for 24 yards, Jordon Davison (10 carries, 90 yards) and Dierre Hill Jr. (six carries, 76 yards and a touchdown with one catch for 40 yards) had standout days.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Grade: A

The wide receiver room got both Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. back, but the two stars were the same duo who've excelled over the last month: Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan. Benson continued to show his deep threat ability, catching five passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns from 45 and 46 yards out, while McClellan continued his propensity for making acrobatic catches. Jamari Johnson got in on the acrobatic catch action, finishing off the Ducks' first drive with an impressive one-handed catch from 41 yards out, the longest reception of his career.

Offensive Line

Grade: B+

Allowing zero sacks and the run game averaging 7.7 yards per carry speaks for itself, as the offensive line had an excellent day at the office against James Madison. Moore didn't have much pressure in his face at all, managing to carve up the Dukes' defense at will, especially in the first half. He did have pressure on his second interception, but it appeared to be a free rusher off the edge that was Moore's responsibility, not the offensive line. The dominance on the ground in the first half didn't necessarily carry over to the second half in the same manner, holding this unit back from achieving an A grade.

Defensive Line

Grade: B

The starters along the defensive line were dominant following the Dukes' second play from scrimmage, when JMU running back Wayne Knight bounced a run outside for 24 yards. He then averaged around two yards per carry over his next 14 rushes, as the Ducks completely took him out of the game. But he did break a 49-yard run on the final drive against Oregon's second and third-stringers, leading to just a proficient grade here. The standard is the standard, whether it be the starters or the backups, and it simply wasn't good enough late in the game.

Linebackers

Grade: B+

Once again, Bryce Boettcher led this unit with nine tackles while registering three quarterback hurries in the first half. Devon Jackson and Jerry Mixon also combined for 10 tackles, giving Boettcher some much-needed help against a strong James Madison rushing attack. They plugged the rushing holes for most of the first half, flying around and making plays when the opportunity presented itself. As has been the theme, the second half drop off drops them from an A to a B+.

Secondary

Grade: B-

Though the secondary allowed JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III to complete less than 50% of his passes, there were a concerning amount of missed tackles in the open field that resulted in long catch-and-run gains. In all, Barnett finished with 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with Oregon not holding up their top five pass defense standard. It was ultimately good enough to come away with the win against the Dukes, but this effort from the secondary will not fly against Texas Tech's prolific passing game in the quarterfinals.

Special Teams

Grade: A+

When the special teams unit wipes away three points on a blocked field goal and adds six points on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, it's hard not to give Oregon an A+ here. Add in the fact that kicker Atticus Sappington nailed a 48-yard field goal and punter James Ferguson-Reynolds downed a punt inside the 20-yard line, and it's difficult to imagine a better day for the Ducks' special teams.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: First-round report card features high grades for Oregon Ducks