In each of its last 5 games against FCS opponents, Oregon had averaged a halftime margin of 27 points to the good. In 2 games against FCS teams under coach Dan Lanning, Oregon outscored the competition 92-14 in the first half.

On Saturday, in the season opener of one of Oregon’s most anticipated seasons in recent memory, the third-ranked Ducks had just a 14-point lead at the break.

Oregon won its opener. There were no surprises there. The Ducks went on to beat the Idaho Vandals 24-14. But it never felt smooth. After consecutive seasons in which Oregon felt like it could score points in its sleep, Oregon looked laborious at times. The Ducks ran 87 plays and scored just 24 points.

It was an unexpected grind. Oregon will go to the doctor. We’ll soon learn if that was a product of this being the first game of the season or something more concerning.

Here are 3 takeaways from the game.

Uh… the offensive line…?

Oregon was faced with a fourth-and-inches from its own 36 deep into the third quarter. The Ducks had a 14-0 lead on the Vandals that didn’t feel significant but at the same time didn’t feel perilous. Idaho hadn’t really threatened to that point, and Oregon hadn’t exactly struggled to produce yardage. The Ducks could send the offense out and not really think twice about it.

And that’s exactly what Dan Lanning did. He put a fullback in the formation and sent out a hefty lineup. Oregon would try to muscle its way to a first down in 14 personnel.

Instead, a backside pulling guard tripped on the fullback, missed his seal, and Jordan James was swallowed short of the line of scrimmage.

Idaho ran a reverse flea flicker on the very next play and caught Oregon in a coverage bust. Jake Cox walked into the endzone without a Duck defender in sight.

Seven-point game.

What?

Oregon was expected to roll the Vandals. At most sportsbooks, Oregon was close to a 50-point favorite. But Oregon was never able to put distance between itself and Idaho on the scoreboard because of an uncharacteristic and uneven performance from the offensive line.

The Ducks gave up 5 sacks in 14 games a season ago. They gave up just 5 total sacks in 13 games the year prior. Idaho sacked Dillon Gabriel 3 times on Saturday.

Two linemen were called for false starts. A holding penalty on a third-and-3 run in the fourth quarter killed a drive. An illegal formation penalty was called on Ajani Cornelius in the first quarter.

In 12 real drives, Oregon had a trio of 3-and-outs, a lost fumble, 2 fourth-down tries stopped short, and a missed field goal.

Again, the offensive numbers looked fine. Oregon piled up 487 yards. Dillon Gabriel completed 41 of his 49 passes and had completions to 10 different receivers.

But the lack of push was concerning. The lack of domination at the line of scrimmage was alarming. Oregon has leaned on an elite offensive line for each of the last 2 seasons. That line taking a major step back right as the program pivots to the Big Ten would be a significant development.

Oregon was without 2 key offensive linemen in the game — Matthew Bedford and Dave Iuli. Bedford likely starts when healthy. Oregon also started a walk-on at center. That needs to be mentioned. But Oregon simply has to be better up front if it is going to challenge for a Big Ten title.

Defense does its job

Oregon’s defense had a mostly positive debut. The Ducks gave up 4.6 yards per play and only gave up 14 points. They had 3-and-outs on 4 different drives. They forced 2 interceptions, generated 7 tackles for loss, and sacked Idaho quarterback Jack Layne 4 times.

The defensive front showed its potential. Jordan Burch showed his might. Matayo Uiagalelei showed his promise. Derrick Harmon stripped Layne and nearly forced a game-sealing turnover in the fourth quarter.

There were only a few wards. Idaho got the trick-play touchdown after Oregon was stuffed on fourth down. On the next possession, Idaho marched 75 yards in 6 plays to make it a 3-point game and officially put Oregon on upset alert.

But the defense answered that drive with a 6-play, minus-6-yard possession that ended in an Idaho punt.

And then, after the Oregon offense went 3-and-out, Nikko Reed iced the game with a twisting, contorting interception.

Tez Johnson happily takes the top role

With the departure of Troy Franklin, Oregon was in need of a new No. 1 receiver. Of course, everyone suspected who would slide up into that role. It’s one thing to project, it’s another to see it actually happen.

While Johnson had a brilliant bowl performance in Franklin’s absence to close out the 2023 campaign, he stepped up in a major way on Saturday for the Ducks. Franklin had a game-high 12 catches on a game-high 13 targets for 81 yards. He caught both of the touchdown passes thrown by Dillon Gabriel, including a 12-yard score on fourth-and-2 that put the Ducks up by 10 points.

Johnson was an electric player in space last season. This fall, the Ducks need him to be able to consistently create separation. He did well in that regard on Saturday.