By Rob Moseley

Editor, GoDucks.com

His coaching staff scattered across the country, his roster banged up and with a few areas needing improvement, UO head coach Mark Helfrich is modifying Oregon’s practice schedule this week.

The Ducks enter an abbreviated bye week at 4-0 on the season, still ranked No. 2 in the AP top 25 and back down to No. 4 in the coaches' poll. After Saturday night’s win at Washington State, 38-31, Oregon is off until Thursday, Oct. 2, when Arizona visits Autzen Stadium (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN).

Helfrich’s assistants will be out recruiting this week, so the Ducks will have weight-lifting, meetings and practices Tuesday through Thursday, though the practices may more closely resemble walk-throughs. “We’re going to do some physical stuff, and a ton mental,” Helfrich said Sunday night.

The light schedule should pay dividends for Oregon’s banged-up roster, after the Ducks played at WSU without their top three offensive tackles. And Helfrich said a slower-paced practice can help with some of the technique and schematic issues that hurt Oregon in Pullman, Wash.

“We gave up about 200 yards in missed tackles and leverage,” Helfrich said. “There were some things we have to shore up … and a lot of that stuff is very easily accomplished in a walk-through setting better than a practice setting.”

Practices for the Arizona game will start Saturday, a Monday on the Ducks’ practice calendar. Among the areas of emphasis after the WSU game will be the offensive line and the secondary.

Though tackles Tyrell Crosby and Matt Pierson have been pressed into action on the line, Helfrich said the veterans on the interior were also responsible for breakdowns Saturday. “It was some other guys trying to do too much, and we’ll get that shored up,” Helfrich said.

In the secondary, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said after the game he’s motivated to improve after being beaten on Washington State’s first two touchdowns of the game. “They were both great throws to a big, physical guy,” Helfrich said. “There were a couple technique things we’ll certainly try to shore up, (but) we’ll take our odds with (Ekpre-Olomu) every time.

Oregon enters its bye week in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (fifth, 48.5 ppg), total offense (ninth, 555.3 ypg) and third-down conversions (seventh, 56.26 percent). The Ducks are also sixth in turnover margin, at plus-1.75 per game.

The UO defense, meanwhile, is allowing 21.3 points per game (43rd) and 5.72 yards per play (87th). But the Ducks’ eight takeaways rank 26th in the country, and they are seventh nationally in tackles for loss with 31.

Oregon has allowed just 20 second-half points. The UO staff continues to make effective adjustments after halftime on both sides of the ball, such as rolling Marcus Mariota out of the pocket on pass plays Saturday to ease the pressure on the line.

Individually, Mariota leads the nation with a quarterback rating of 217.96. He has 13 touchdowns with no interceptions, the only player in the country with nine or more TD passes and no picks.

Mariota is 11th nationally in total offense with 337.3 yards per game. Receiver Devon Allen is tied for third with his five touchdown receptions.

Allen and Keanon Lowe each had two touchdown catches against WSU, and they shared Oregon’s offensive player of the week honors with Mariota.

The Ducks’ defensive player of the week was DeForest Buckner, who was often outnumbered in the pass rush as the Ducks dropped eight players into coverage in an effort to clog the Cougars’ passing lanes. Matt Wogan was named special teams player of the week after bouncing back from a miss to make a critical field goal in the fourth quarter.

On the scout team, the entire offensive line was named player of the week, after getting through the practice week with only five players for the five positions. Defensive back Michael Manns was honored on defense, and linebacker Ivan Faulhaber was special teams player of the week.