<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2XkSTH_1H4DZE3m00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2XkSTH_1H4DZE3m00" width="1200" height="716" ><figcaption>Oregon senior tight ends Jamari Johnson (9) and Markus Dixon (17) celebrate alongside junior quarterback Dylan Raiola (8) after a crucial touchdown in the third quarter. The University of Oregon Ducks Football team played the Ohio State University Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 7, 2026, where they defeated the Buckeyes 41-28. (Katie Poluyansky/Emerald)</figcaption></figure>It has been a long season for Ducks fans. Quarterback turnover and trouble with the law to name a few issues. However, after Oregon’s win over Ohio State, things seem to be looking up with the help of offensive coordinator Jay Johnson. The tables have turned! Who turned the tables, you may ask? Mr. Jay Johnson.Back to back games, back to back wins. After wallowing in defeat and losing to unranked Illinois, the Ducks have taken two straight against ranked opponents. Johnson’s first victims have been No. 20 Northwestern and No. 12 Ohio State. Johnson joined the program this season as the assistant quarterbacks coach. He was fired last year from the University of Wyoming where he served as both their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.Amidst Drew Mehringer’s dismissal after the dismal offensive performance against Illinois, Johnson has taken the mantle of interim OC. Below we will look at some key things he has done to the Oregon offense so far that have succeed.1. Less checkdowns, more downfield passesThrough the Ducks’ seven games under Mehringer, they tried again and again to check the ball down. Many plays, despite being second-and-long, were screen plays behind the line of scrimmage. Many times, they did not work.Under Johnson, the Ducks have taken a more vertical approach. Dylan Raiola had a season-high 336 passing yards vs. Northwestern, including a 75-yard touchdown to Dakorien Moore. The offense averaged 7.5 yards per play against the Wildcats. In the 41-28 victory over Ohio State, Raiola threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns.2. More aggressive playcalling“There were a couple of fourth downs in the Illinois game that I normally would have gone for. I’m not talking about fourth-and-seven. I’m talking about fourth-and-one, where we’ve been aggressive in the past and weren’t in that game,” head coach Dan Lanning said.Immediately after being promoted, Johnson brought back the aggressive playcalling that Lanning had prioritized in previous seasons. While the Ducks only went for it on fourth down once against Northwestern, it paid off with a touchdown to get the Ducks’ first lead of the night.“That play we scored on at fourth-and-two was one [Johnson] felt like calling earlier in that sequence. He felt like calling it on second down, and we probably all talked him out of it. Great execution by him coming back and trusting his gut,” Lanning said.The craziest play call of the season came against Ohio State, when the Ducks faced fourth-and-nine on their own 31. Setting up in punt formation, linebacker Teitum Tuioti took the snap and fired to fellow linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei for a 30-yard gain.The success turned fruitful as the Ducks marched down the hill, with a touchdown cutting the deficit to 14-10 in the second quarter. Had the drive ended on the punt, the Ducks would have been a whole different story going into halftime.3. Simple but effective in the red zoneOften throughout the season, the Ducks have failed to capitalize in the red zone. Points are left on the table, and it has caused three losses. Oregon would often dial up complicated plays with crisscrossing receivers and it rarely paid off. Johnson, however, has had a simpler and effective approach.Johnson has gone for isolated back-shoulder fade balls, with the staff telling Raiola to just let star receiver Dakorien Moore win his one-on-one matchup in the corner of the endzone. The Ducks went 5/5 in the red zone against Northwestern, with three being touchdowns. In Columbus, Ohio, the Ducks went 6/6 with four touchdowns.4. No huddle“I think not huddling up every play certainly helped. I think it demanded a little bit more of our players, which they’re certainly capable of. Like I said, this game was about letting it hang,” Lanning said. That quick tempo helped Raiola get into a rhythm and gain confidence in his ability rather than slowing down between plays.“The way we were calling the game, just how we were attacking; we weren’t going to go down without swinging. I think we had kind of a little bit, I don’t think we completely lost it, but we got back to our DNA,” Raiola said.5. Revitalizing the runAfter both of Oregon’s top backs, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., went out early against Northwestern, Brandon Smith stepped up to the plate. The third-string halfback rushed for 82 yards on just eight attempts. Smith also bagged his first touchdown of the season. Fourth-string Da’Jaun Riggs also had six attempts. “What’s tough when we talk about a guy like Brandon or Dink (Da’Jaun) is that those guys getting the third- and fourth-team reps had a lot of plays they executed today that they didn’t get to practice,” Lanning said. “They had to get the mental reps right and be able to execute those mental reps. They did an outstanding job of that, and our coaches did a good job of coaching on the sideline to help them have a performance like that.”As the team moved more vertically and hit deep passing targets, the Northwestern defense was spread out for Smith to then exploit in the run game. Mehringer’s emphasis on horizontal passing play kept the defense down low and thus ready to stop the Ducks’ passing and running game.“Every big run is going to involve somebody straining a little bit harder for a big block. I saw a lot of those runs today where our wideouts were down the field battling to get another block. Our offensive linemen were chasing the ball, and that was a real positive,” Lanning said.Hill Jr. returned against Ohio State and bagged two touchdowns alongside 75 rushing yards. One touchdown was a 48-yard run that extended the Ducks’ lead to 31-14.</div></body>

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It has been a long season for Ducks fans. Quarterback turnover and trouble with the law to name a few issues. However, after Oregon’s win over Ohio State, things seem to be looking up with the help of offensive coordinator Jay Johnson. The tables have turned! Who turned the...

The gift that keeps on giving: Jay Johnson

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It has been a long season for Ducks fans. Quarterback turnover and trouble with the law to name a few issues. However, after Oregon’s win over Ohio State, 

The gift that keeps on giving: Jay Johnson

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