By Loyd McIntosh, Sports Editor
EUGENE, Ore. — My, what a change of scenery can do.
After three tumultuous years at Auburn University, Pinson Valley graduate Bo Nix has turned his fortunes around after transferring to the University of Oregon for the 2022 season. He’s also established himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Since an opening-week loss to Georgia, Nix has led the Oregon Ducks to six consecutive wins and a Top 10 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 College Football Poll. Following a 45-30 win over #9 UCLA on Saturday, Oregon is now the only undefeated team in PAC-12 conference play.
Nix threw five touchdown passes in the win over the Bruins, two in a first half in which the Ducks jumped out to a 31-13 lead. For the year, Nix has thrown for 1.809 yards, 17 touchdowns and only one interception, and has rushed for an additional eight scores.
Following the win over the previously undefeated UCLA Bruins, the main question on the minds of the sports media is what is the difference between the Oregon Bo Nix performing at a top level and the Auburn Bo Nix that struggled to live up to expectations under two head coaches, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin.
“I don’t think anybody can sit here and watch football right now, watch our quarterback play, and tell me he’s not an elite quarterback,” said Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning following the win over UCLA. “This guy’s playing at an extremely high level.”
The former defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs, Lanning is in his first year as the Ducks’ head coach. Lanning said Nix deserves to be in the conversation as one of college football’s top quarterbacks. “He’s an elite competitor, he’s an elite leader, he has phenomenal character, he’s throwing the ball really well, and he’s making great decisions,” Lanning said. “I think everybody on our team is excited about his success.”
Nix, now 6-1 as Oregon’s starting signal caller, has Oregon in the college football playoff hunt and is gaining steam as a serious Heisman candidate. The big question is, what has changed since struggling to a record of 21-13 in three seasons on The Plains.
“I think it’s just scheme and the players around me,” said Nix in his post-game comments on Saturday, October 22. “To be honest, when I’m out there doing it, it feels like I’m not doing a whole lot because I don’t have to. I just have to get the ball to the playmakers around me.”
When Lanning departed Georgia for the Pacific Northwest, he took with him assistant coaches with elite SEC experience, including Tosh Lupoi, former defensive coordinator at Alabama, and, perhaps most importantly, Kenny Dillingham, who joined Lanning in Oregon as offensive coordinator.
Dillingham was the quarterbacks coach at Auburn in 2019, Nix’s first season on The Plains. Nix said he and Dillingham are on the same wavelength and that the new OC has a knack for developing schemes that put him in a position to succeed. It also doesn’t hurt that Nix has an array of talented backs and receivers to distribute the ball to.
“I think that right now we’re as close and just connected offensively, and thinking the same so much,” said Nix. “I know what he wants out there on the field, so if we get a certain look I know what plays to get us into and he trusts me.”
“There’s a whole lot of dynamics that go into it. Different schedule you’re playing, different teams you’re playing, personnel, different staffs, different offensive schemes, so it’s hard to say that the other coaches didn’t get it out of me because at times I was doing the same thing at Auburn,” added Nix. “Honestly, it’s easy to be in position because all I got to do is make sure the ball gets to the right person. “We’re just playing good team football right now. I think each and every one of us are very connected, are very close with one another, and it shows on the field.”
Nix led Pinson Valley to back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018 under head coach, father, and former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix. During his tenure as quarterback for the Indians, Nix amassed more than 12,000 yards, threw for 161 touchdowns, and was Alabama’s Mr. Football in 2018.