'Everybody runs the same stuff, dude': Will Stein's Oregon offense depends on guts and timing

Before anything else, Will Stein and Bo Nix knew to get on the same page.

(Rob Moseley photo GoDucks.com)

EUGENE — Will Stein had the play sheet in his left hand.

Just a few moments after Oregon’s new offensive coordinator made his debut with the Oregon media, he stood off to the side of the scrum for a few follow up questions about his time in Austin, Texas. Before Stein burst onto the national scene as Texas-San Antonio’s high-octane co-offensive coordinator, Stein cut his teeth as a quarterbacks coach at Texas and then learned how to call plays as the OC of Lake Travis High School. That’s Texas 6A football, which Stein compares to an FCS-level program.

It felt like a meaningful stop in his career.

That brought out the call sheet.

“Everybody runs the same stuff, dude,” Stein said, gesturing with the sheet. “You can put on anybody’s tape. Everybody’s running wide-cross, inside zone, counter — it’s really just about the timing of the calls. It’s about having guts to call plays in those moments and letting it loose.

“And then your prep throughout the week sets you up for success on the field, right?”

In Austin, Stein learned that the talent, trust and chemistry he has with his players and coaches had everything to do with the success of the offense.

The actual plays? 

“Highly overrated,” he said. “It’s about players. And here at Oregon, they already have unbelievable players.” 

Stein didn’t have to look much further than over his shoulder for reassurance. Next to him, quarterback Bo Nix spoke to a hoard of reporters during his first availability of the spring. Nix covered the gamut of why he came back to Oregon, his thoughts about the additions the Ducks made through the transfer portal and, most importantly, finding that chemistry early with his new OC.