The Oregon Ducks’ defense has been one of the main reasons that Dan Lanning’s team has found such success so far this season. Early in the year, when the level of competition was far less than what it is now, the defense was completely dominant, putting up some of the best numbers in the nation.
While the defense has still been very good, and a huge part of why Oregon is continuing to win games, the numbers have dropped a little bit because of the increased level of competition. That is certainly the case for the past two weeks, where the Ducks faced two of the best offenses in the Pac-12 in Washington and Washington State.
Despite those challenges, the defense held up admirably. Here’s where they now rank nationally in some key statistics after Week 8 of the season.