The startling change in Oregon’s offensive efficiency between the first and second halves of the Alamo Bowl can be explained by four factors:
- Screen passes started working – 0 for 3 in the first, 3 for 3 in the second
- Scrambles were more effective – 1 for 5 in the first, 2 for 2 in the second
- The Ducks committed more to very efficient straight running over largely ineffective RPO plays
- Passing to the sideline, which worked all game long, switched from short/intermediate to deep
For the first two factors, I can’t detect any real pattern or strategic change Oregon or Oklahoma made at halftime – the Ducks were effectively 6 for 13 on these plays, about what both teams’ regular seasons would predict.