Any hope for Ducks' defense?

With Vernon Adams Jr., back at quarterback and making plays, the Oregon Ducks have fewer concerns about the offense.

But will they be able to muster better defense in their next three games, against Cal, Stanford and USC?

The UO secondary, other than on sporadic plays, such as Arrion Springs game-saving interception last week at Arizona State, continues to give up lots of yards.

ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici went 32 of 53 for 398 yards passing and five TDs against Oregon. The Sun Devils rushed for 344 yards against the UO front seven.

Oregons pass rush only sometimes slows opposing QBs. Coordinator Don Pellums unit hasnt gone very deep, either. Christian French was sidelined with an injury, and DeForest Bucker was briefly out but returned with a sprained right wrist.

Coach Mark Helfrich says the growing pains  and other pains  continue, and probably wont end.

Those guys on the back end are growing up, Helfrich says, referring to current secondary starters Springs and Tyree Robinson at cornerback and Charles Nelson and Reggie Daniels at safety, and backups such as Juwaan Williams, Ugo Amadi and Glen Ihenacho. We have so many guys who are trying to figure out anything still.

Pellum has pointed to missed assignments, bad positioning, poor tackling and not enough communication and other issues.

Were a young team in transition, Pellum says. But we cant hide and say were young. Were not trying to do that.

The numbers wont allow the Ducks to hide from anyone. The Ducks rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (38.4 points allowed per game), total defense (496.9 yards), pass defense (318 yards) and, by far, touchdown passes allowed (27).

The Ducks still lead the Pac-12 in scoring offense at 42.0 points and total offense at 514.4 yards, but clearly not much margin for error exists.

All this is not lost on the offensive players. But defensive stops have helped the Ducks beat Colorado, Washington and ASU, and turnovers have helped them in the wins  both the UW game (Amadi) and ASU game (Springs) ended on interceptions. Also, Robinson had a fourth-quarter pick of Bercovici.

Does the offense feel it has to score a lot?

We want to score points, regardless, receiver Bralon Addison says. The nature of the game is stopping people and scoring more points. (The defense) saved us at the end (at ASU). We just want to work together.

Pellum says the defensive coaches have to evaluate health and injuries and conditioning this week  we seemed fatigued, he says, of the ASU game.

As long as Buckner remains in the lineup, some good things could happen.

God bless that guy, Pellum says. Hes a warrior.

Buckners bad right hand wouldnt allow him to punch ASU blockers  defensive linemen punch with their hands to gain advantage. I was basically one arm the rest of the game, he says, of his wrist injury.

Will he play against Cal? Uh, yes, Buckner vows to continue to fight. I got another (hand), he says.

Buckner adds: We got a lot of young guys on defense, but we cant always use that as an excuse. Even though we have young guys, they fight, they give us all they got. They make mistakes, but they go 100 percent. Im giving 100 percent.

The vets are giving everything. Were trying to lead them out there, show them the way. When you need big plays, they came up big. Thats what really counts.