For a defense, greatness often comes by degrees. Oregon hung on for dear life to beat Boise State 37-34 in September, started rounding into form by pasting Oregon State 49-14, then grew downright nasty by the time the Ducks shutout Purdue 35-0 in Ross-Ade Stadium eight days ago.
They were a unit with several new additions, so it wasn’t surprising it took a little while to come together. The pride and intensity grew. In the second half against Ohio State, Tosh Lupoi’s defensive unit held the Buckeyes to 19 yards rushing on 12 carries. Over their last four games they’ve had 13 sacks.
When cornerback Kam Alexander used perfect leverage to intercept a late Boilermaker pass in the end zone, the Ducks D completed the team’s first shutout since 2012, the first on the road since 1992, 35-0.
This week Kobe Savage met the media and was asked to explain the success of Oregon’s new Gang Green. “I really just say it’s about relentless effort, being around the ball whether we’re in the picture frame or at least five yards away from the ball,” he said. “That’s the main goal for us—relentless effort leads to takeaways, turnovers, tackles,” he said.