One of my favorite articles to write early in a college football season is the snap count takeaways, as it gives us a real look at the depth chart and confirms or alters our beliefs about the Oregon Ducks roster. However, the snap counts are much more informative early in the season, when the roster is fresh, and there are a lot of unknowns about who is going to play where.
By the time we get to Week 6 or Week 7, we know who goes where, and how much everyone is going to play, for the most part. However, with as many injuries as the Ducks have been dealing with, and considering all of the "open competition" that Oregon has claimed over the past week as they search for answers, it felt like this would be a good time to run the takeaways back following the 17-14 comeback win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
As we often do after a matchup, we dove into the snap counts the morning after the game and broke down what they tell us. For reference, the Ducks had 79 total offensive plays and 69 total defensive plays. Here are our biggest takeaways:
Quarterback
Snap Counts:
- Brock Thomas: 42
- Dylan Raiola: 37
Analysis: A pretty split game between Brock Thomas and Dylan Raiola as far as total snaps go, but not when you look at the time spent on the field. Thomas played the first three quarters of the game, struggling to move the ball, but Raiola came in and gave the offense a spark, running 37 plays in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Running Back
Snap Counts:
- Dierre Hill: 44
- Jordon Davison: 30
- Brandon Smith: 14
Analysis: No major surprises at the RB spot, other than true freshman Brandon Smith getting a good amount of run in the fourth quarter and looking very productive with his opportunity, rushing for 34 yards on his six carries.
Wide Receiver
Snap Counts:
- Dakorien Moore: 79
- Messiah Hampton: 59
- Jalen Lott: 49
- Gatlin Bair: 19
- Hudson Lewis: 6
Analysis: Without Evan Stewart, it was intriguing to see where the Ducks would go at WR alongside Dakorien Moore and Messiah Hampton, and the answer was true freshman Jalen Lott, who played a lot in this game, and stepped up in a major way with some big catches in the fourth quarter.
Tight End
Snap Counts:
- Jamari Johnson: 79
- Andrew Olesh: 2
Analysis: No surprises here, as Jamari Johnson dominated the TE spot once again.
Offensive Line
Snap Counts:
- Iapani Laloulu: 79
- Fox Crader: 79
- Douglas Utu: 79
- Gernorris Wilson: 79
- Tommy Tofi: 47
- Ziyare Addison: 32
- Koloi Keli: 14
Analysis: The Ducks cut down on their OL rotation in this game, and they stuck with their main guys almost entirely through the game, only subbing in Tommy Tofi for Ziyare Addison in the fourth quarter. They also played Koloi Keli in the jumbo package quite a bit.
Defensive Line
Snap Counts:
- Teitum Tuioti: 56
- Matyo Uigalelei: 55
- Bear Alexander: 43
- A'Mauri Washington: 36
- Nasir Wyatt: 29
- Matthew Johnson: 17
- Aydin Breland: 17
- Elijah Rushing: 10
- D'Antre Robinson: 9
- Anthony Jones Jr.: 7
Analysis: It's encouraging to see how much depth Oregon has at this position, and they certainly lean on it as much as possible, keeping everyone fresh throughout the game. Guys like Tuioti and Uiagalelei stay on the field throughout most of the game, but as far as the interior guys, we see a lot of rotating.
Linebacker
Snap Counts:
- Devon Jackson: 56
- Jerry Mixon: 37
- Dylan Williams: 29
- Gavin Nix: 4
Analysis: No surprises at linebacker, other than the fact that Devon Jackson has clearly cemented himself as the No. 1 guy for Oregon at this position, which is not what many fans would have projected ahead of the season. The LB room has been very solid this year, and they deserve some major credit for how good the defense has been.
Cornerback
Snap Counts:
- Na'eem Offord: 65
- Brandon Finney: 65
- Ify Obidegwu: 64
- Davon Benjamin: 21
- Carl Williams IV: 1
Analysis: Oregon's got its three guys at CB, and they stick with it. I was a bit surprised to see how much Davon Benjamin played in the nickel here, but they clearly like what the true freshman brings to the field.
Safety
Snap Counts:
- Koi Perich: 69
- Peyton Woodyard: 44
- Devin Jackson: 24
- Jett Washington: 1
Analysis: Without Aaron Flowers, it was Peyton Woodyard who took over as the main guy alongside Koi Perich. It was also good to see how much true freshman Devin Jackson has played over the past couple of weeks, forcing his way into the rotation.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks snap count takeaways from Week 7 vs. Nebraska