Brady Hoke was brought in by Oregon to fix the program's defense after an awful showing in 2015, but it doesn't look like much has changed heading into the 2016 slate.
Hoke has a history throughout his coaching career of fielding strong defensive units, so does the new coordinator feel last year's 115th-ranked unit has turned a corner during fall camp?
"No, not at all," Hoke said to Andrew Greif of the Oregonian. "We're a long way from being any kind of a defense."
The former Michigan frontman was apparently frustrated by poor tackling throughout Thursday's practice, with the entire defense identified as the culprit. While third-year head coach Frank Helfrich was a little kinder in his assessment, he also was troubled by the effort.
"We weren't very good today, I think that was a mentality more than anything," Helfrich said. "I think they knew a bunch of offensive guys were out (of the scrimmage) and didn't put their best foot forward, which isn't good."
Luckily for the Ducks, there will be a bit of a learning curve when the season begins. Oregon opens the campaign hosting FCS opponent UC Davis, before welcoming Virginia to Eugene the following week. The Cavaliers posted the nation's 89th-ranked offense last year before bringing in BYU's head coach Bronco Mendenhall in the offseason.
As has been the case in recent years, Oregon's offense will be able to put up a pile of points. Whether Hoke can turn around the defense will likely be the deciding factor in the Ducks' season. If Thursday's evaluation of the unit is any indication, it could be a long season for the Pac-12 program.
