Following an absence against the UC Davis Aggies, star running back Bryce Love will return to the lineup against the Oregon Ducks. So what are realistic expectations for Love in his first game back on the road?
In a clash that features the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal against the No. 20 Ducks, the Oregon defense looks deceptive headed into Saturday.
Oregon has allowed 20 points per game, letting up a scant 77 rushing yards every outing. At first blush, the defense could look different from years past, maybe even impressive. Jalen Jelks leads the defense with 20 tackles and has gathered 2.5 sacks.
He is the start of a front that gives this defense their teeth, with the top three players in tackles and tackles for loss on the team led by a defensive lineman (Jelks), middle linebacker (Kaulana Apelu) and linebacker (Justin Hollins). The front seven showing talent combined with Love coming back from the severe hit to the noggin suffered in the USC game makes the Ducks look like a home favorite. An offense ranked 8th in scoring, paired with a defense that can slow a crippled Love means this game is a lock for the ducks right? Wrong.
Oregon has a habit of packing their schedule early with weak teams that poss weaker rushing attacks. Two of the three of the Ducks wins come against FCS schools, a trend for a team that has not faced a ranked opponent in the opening three games of a season since 2015.
The Ducks are some of the best at padding stats before conference play; this season is no exception.
What to expect -
Even when Love returned early from his high ankle sprain last season, he broke off 69 yards (nice) and a score against Washington State. The road will also have little impact on Love, against a team he has torn into the entirety of his career.
Last season, Love was good for 147 yards, and two touchdowns on 17 carries against the Ducks, posting 8.6 yards every time he touched the ball. The year before, when he started seeing some daylight behind Christian McCaffrey, Love took the rock for 82 yards on five carries (16.4 per touch).
Oregon has already shown their hand before taking the field, their tackling studs are down the middle of the defense, where Stanford has struggled running the ball all season.
Look for Love and the Cardinal to go outside on counters, stretch plays and pitches with their running attack, forcing corners and safeties to make a play on Love in the open field.
The key for the Cardinal all game long will be finding the edge, using tight ends and pulling linemen to seal off the linebackers and defensive ends that will keep the Ducks in the game. On the outside, big receivers like J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Trenton Irwin keep the gaps wide for Love, and his shifty, change of direction speed will flummox safties trying to make a play in the open field.
Love will eat up this Ducks defense, just like he has for the past two seasons. Some things do not change with time.
Prediction: Love dashes for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Comments
SJSU is not an FCS program
Though they lost to UC Davis this year, they are MWC and an FBS program.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 09.21.18 11:58am
This is just silly; uninformed at best. The OOC schedule this season is weak through no fault of the Ducks. Texas A&M pulled out of a home and home that would have started this season. And even though the Ducks current OOC schedule is weak, and the 16’ and 17’ schedules ended up having less power than when originally scheduled (of course you know OOC games are scheduled years in advance, when it’s anyone’s guess as to what the teams will look like when they actually meet), you can’t look back at the last 10 years of OOC scheduling by the Ducks and remotely claim that they schedule to pad stats or schedule only weak opponents.
By DanFoutsBeard on 09.21.18 12:00pm
agree
very strange observation.
By Cyrus~SG on 09.21.18 12:05pm
Yes, scheduling OOC games can be tricky
A team that’s good when you schedule them may tank by the time you play them. SJSU is such a case.
Also, I remember years when the Ducks had some pretty hefty early-season battles:
And three of these did not go well, putting Oregon in an early-season hole that they needed to climb out of.
So, no, I don’t think Oregon is guilty of scheduling OOC cream puffs. This year, it just turned out that way.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 09.21.18 12:53pm
I am wary of predicting stats for Love
His performance is very much a function of O-line play and to what extent the opposing team sells out against the run.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 09.21.18 12:56pm
"An offense ranked 8th in scoring, paired with a defense that can slow a crippled Love means this game is a lock for the ducks right? Wrong."
Except no one of any consequence is saying that? Oregon’s (rightfully) a home underdog for this one, 13 out of 17 ESPN writers pick the Cardinal to win, 6 out of 8 SI writers, etc.
This article is a little weird all-around.
By RB Stewart on 09.21.18 2:47pm
Another thing to point out
You said Love posted 8.6 yards every time he touched the ball last year. Which is false. He "averaged" 8.6 yards per touch. Meaning some were more and some were less.
By ShouldabeenaDuck on 09.21.18 4:29pm
Duck fans a little sensitive pre-game...
They must know it’s duck hunting season!
By StanfordAA99 on 09.21.18 8:46pm
Oh snap, a smack talking attempt by the Stanford Fan, keep it coming!
By RB Stewart on 09.21.18 9:29pm
I am surprised they didn’t put up the 8 bit duck hunt screen grab
By ShouldabeenaDuck on 09.22.18 11:11am
Hablan espanol en Eugene?
No sabia… perdon.
Yo comi pato anoche. Me gusto mucho.
sabes que? La salsa de tomato que me gusta mas se llam "pato". Pato, pato, pato….
I love the inferiority complex of out opponents.
Go Card!!!
By StanfordAA99 on 09.22.18 12:20pm
Im even making lots of typos like them!
By StanfordAA99 on 09.22.18 12:24pm