When you open up the season with a 77-21 victory, there is not much to gripe about. Better yet when the first play of your coaching career is a 100-yard kickoff return, it certainly sets the tone early.

Willie Taggart knew he had to make an impression in his debut. With the unfortunate 4-8 result from a year ago, it was vital for Oregon to leave no doubt they were back.

Pac-12 analyst Yogi Roth is no stranger to football. He's been around the Elite-11 and the Opening for years. He's been around the country watching top college programs the past few seasons, most notably in the Pac-12.

Roth was also in Eugene on Saturday as part of the Pac-12 network crew that called the Oregon game. He was also in Eugene earlier this Fall checking out the Ducks practice under Willie Taggart.

In his view, things could not have gone much better Saturday evening in Eugene.

"I mean if you are looking at the big picture, not just the win, you couldn't have scripted a better start. You're very first play you get a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Then your team runs the ball at will the entire game. You controlled the ball all game long. But the big takeaway was how physical Oregon was all game long. They weren't just physical for Southern Utah, they were physical for anyone in the conference."

That physical nature from Oregon started with the offensive line. Something that really stood out to Roth.

"Their (offensive line) first step was vertical every time. You could see they were always moving forward. Royce is playing with a chip on his shoulder, which you could tell. I'm really excited to see what happens at receiver. Herbert was very efficient but I'm most curious to see on 3rd and long and see who steps up."

Defensively the ground work has been laid for Oregon to be better. In fact the Ducks have some real young stars on the defensive side of the ball.

"Troy Dye was just really impressive inside. You can see Thomas Graham learning on every play. He's learning just how good he is and what he's able to get away with. I really liked Nick Pickett and Billy Gibson too. You could see Gibson was as instinctive as can be. He's going to a good one."

Roth also noted how Oregon's schedule' sets up well for development' as the youth continues to grow.

If you think this was just a one-shot victory, Roth said he sees the foundation set for long-term success under Willie Taggart.

"I'm a huge fan of Willie Taggart. He knows how to create and establish a culture. The culture he wants his players to take on. He does a tremendous job getting guys to buy in. There is just tons of diversity in his play calling. It's really tough to get a feel for what's coming next on offense. He surrounded himself with other brilliant minds on both sides of the ball. You can tell he's been around and know's what he's doing."