Football: Critical Usage Season Recap

With the regular season in the rear-view and Oregon awaiting their playoff seeding, I’d like to revisit my first article on Critical Usage. Here’s a quick refresher of some necessary terminology:

• Usage – Any player who records a rush or target, excluding sacks.

• Critical Downs – The set of offensive plays in competitive games that are either inside the redzone (any down), or at any spot on the field on 3rd or 4th down.

• Notable Players – Any player who is used on at least 5% of offensive plays

In each of the prior seasons under Dan Lanning, Oregon’s offense featured seven players. A third of the way into the season, it was clear Oregon had many different players at their disposal to pick apart an opposing defense. Oregon led the FBS in Notable Critical Down Players used (10). That number shrank to 9 with Jamari Johnson and Dierre Hill Jr. very close to bolstering it to 11. Oregon no longer leads the FBS in this category, but does lead power conference schools, tied with Wisconsin, Pitt, NC State, UCLA, and SMU. No other playoff contender utilize as many players as Oregon does on critical downs.

Oregon’s offense has sustained numerous injuries since week 5. The list of skill position players that missed significant time includes: Jayden Limar, Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr., and Kenyon Sadiq. Dante Moore also missed meaningful minutes against Wisconsin. Oregon played multiple backup offensive linemen in a win over USC, with injuries limiting or preventing play from Isaiah World, Alex Harkey, Iapani Laloulu, and sixth man Gernorris Wilson.

The Ducks will get at least three weeks to rest up and prepare for their playoff matchup. Oregon’s offensive depth, built through stacking top recruiting classes and giving a bevy of players real game experience, helped Oregon’s offense weather the storm.  While the injuries impacted each of those players’ usage, others stepped up and did so in a big way.

Over the last seven games, Oregon’s offensive identity developed into a run-first team. Two players benefited most from this in terms of usage. Oregon’s most-used player on critical downs is now Jordon Davison, who has seen the majority of goalline work. Noah Whittington’s usage also rose significantly. The hard-nosed runner went from being used on roughly 9% to 13.75% of critical downs.

I was surprised to see Dierre Hill’s usage shrink from nearly 9% of all plays to just below 6%. At the start of the season, Oregon used upwards of seven different backs. Though Hill and his big-playmaking ability continue to have a role, especially in 21 personnel, the backfield is pretty clearly a two-man show, dominated by Whttington and Davison. Jayden Limar has been out with an undisclosed injury since the Rutgers game. He had been the lead back through five games and could shake up the rotation if he comes back healthy for the playoffs.

Both Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan have stepped up in the absence of Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. Malik Benson turned in a 100-plus-yard performance against the Huskies this weekend, highlighted by a game-sealing 65-yard touchdown catch-and-run in the 4th quarter. Had this circus effort been rewarded by the refs with a ruled catch, Jeremiah McClellan would have joined him in hauling in over 100 receiving yards. McClellan’s critical usage rose from 5% to nearly 9%. Benson’s critical usage climbed from 5% to just over 6%.

With many receivers injured, it will be interesting to see how formations and personnel change with their return. That is especially true if Evan Stewart is to make his long-awaited 2025 debut.

Though he didn’t crack the 5% critical play utilization (4.375%), Jamari Johnson carved out a nice role as the season progressed. In the last four contests, he hauled in 14 of his season’s 23 catches for 187 yards. Jamari is Oregon’s most effective player relative to down and distance when utilized.

Oregon finished the regular season having stymied two of the nation’s most efficient and explosive critical down offenses by making them one-dimensional. Tales of two completely different games. USC found success with 50/50 balls to Ja’Kobi Lane, one of the most effective critical down players in the country this year. Washington’s passing attack struggled to take flight thanks to an effective pass rush and excellent coverage.

Washington became the 9th team to pass for under 150 yards against Oregon this season. Adam Mohammed was very effective in the running game however. He ran for 105 yards; more than double what the entire USC Trojans’ offense managed against the Ducks. Mohammed is the only player to eclipse 100 yards rushing against Oregon on the season.After closing the season strong, Oregon will either host a first round playoff game or receive a first round bye should enough chaos in conference championship games ensue.