Tag: Bo Nix Heisman Candidate

‘I didn’t want to have any regrets;’ Bo Nix discusses decision to return to Oregon

Bo Nix could have left for the NFL, but he thought there was still more to accomplish as the Ducks quarterback.

No one would blame Bo Nix if the song “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash was going through his head this past winter.

In the weeks before Oregon’s Holiday Bowl win over North Carolina, where Nix led the Ducks to a game-winning drive in the final minute, the question was whether he would return to Oregon for one more season or enter the NFL draft.

For most, it’s a decision of a lifetime and a very difficult one to make. But for Nix, who has had a solid college career to this point, the choice came down to where his best chance at success was in 2023, and the thought of making sure he ended his college career the right way.

“I just wanted to exhaust everything I had in college and I didn’t want to have any regrets,” he said. “Right now I’m in a situation I was fortunate. Both were great opportunities. Both were going to be great decisions.”

Most thought Nix would leave and go to the NFL, especially with the injury scare he had late in the season with his ankle. One fluke hit and injury could cause Nix’s draft stock to go down or even evaporate. Nix would also see millions of dollars go up in smoke.

But he never saw it that way.

“Now that I chose Oregon, it’s all in and it’s just going to be a great season, more time to develop myself and get better,” Nix said. “There’s always room for improvement. I didn’t want to leave college with nothing to show for it. I want to really do a good job this season and go in there and win a lot of games.”

With the talent surrounding him, Nix has a chance to add even more to the already nice legacy he has built for himself. For a while, it looked like Nix was going to be a Heisman candidate in 2022. Here in 2023, the Oregon quarterback still has a lot to achieve and see the decision to stay in Eugene was the correct one.

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Report card: Offense keeps rolling while the defense still remains imperfect

It’s difficult to accurately judge while playing a vastly inferior opponent, but we do our best with the report card vs Colorado.

When we do these weekly report cards, we judge each position group against the opponent and grade out how the Ducks performed. A lot of that considers the quality of the opponent.

While the Buffaloes were the weakest challenge to the Oregon Duck football team, they present the biggest challenge for us in properly grading out the Ducks in their ninth game of the season.

On the whole, Oregon did very well as it dominated Colorado 49-10, as they should have. The offense was very good and although the defense gave up too many yards, the bottom line is the Buffaloes scored just 10 points.

So the challenge is, should we accept it, do grade against Colorado straight up or do we consider their ineptitude and grade a bit lower than usual? The Buffaloes did gain 367 total yards, their biggest day of the season.

Here’s the report card for the 39-point road victory over the worst team in the conference.

Report Card: Defensive line shines against California’s running game

Oregon’s defensive line was able to stuff Jaydn Ott to just 57 yards, eight in the first half, and made Cal rely on its passing game.

The goal of every defensive coordinator is to make the opponent’s offense as one-dimensional as possible. Oregon wanted to bottle up California’s true freshman tailback Jaydn Ott as much as they could. He showed brilliance against Arizona with 274 yards and the Ducks didn’t want to be another victim to Ott’s legs.

Mission accomplished.

Ott was held to just 57 yards and no touchdowns. Quarterback Jack Plummer was sacked twice, but was hit numerous times. He sat out the majority of the fourth quarter because he was getting dinged up on almost every pass play.

Bo Nix continued his spectacular season with six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) and the Ducks showed their tailbacks can be very dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield. Throw in a first touchdown by a legacy player, it turned out to be quite the day for Oregon as it improves to 7-1 on the season and 5-0 in Pac-12 play.

Here is the report card from the 42-24 win over the Golden Bears.

Bo Nix takes big jump up Heisman Trophy ranking after Ducks’ 5th-straight win

The stats don’t lie, and the votes are starting to pile up as well. Bo Nix is building a case as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.

The buzz is certainly starting to grow for Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix.

After yet another impressive performance, this time with 3 rushing touchdowns and a completion percentage that started with an 8 (20-for-25), it’s clear that the former Auburn Tigers’ transfer is having a career best season in Eugene after reuniting with offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.

Whether it’s that relationship, a familiarity with the offense, or a chance to work behind arguably the best offensive line in the nation, Nix is starting to be talked about as he should be — among the best quarterbacks in the nation, statistically speaking. Here are his season statistics so far:

70.4% Comp | 1,526 Yards | 8.2 YPA | 12 TDs | 3 INTs

40 Carries | 331 Yards | 8.3 YPC | 8 TDs

That’s not too far behind Ohio State’s CJ Stroud (70.6% Comp, 1,737 Yards, 10.9 YPA, 24 TDs, 3 INTs), and it’s actually comparable than guys like USC’s Caleb Williams (64.9% Comp, 1,590 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT) and Alabama’s Bryce Young (67.2% Comp, 1,202 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT).

This blistering start to the season has Nix as a dark-horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy award, and as he continues to put up numbers, we’ve started to see him rise up the rankings. Check out where he is in this week’s Heisman Poll according to USA TODAY: