So far on the season, Oregon has faced one of the top defenses in the country when it comes to points and yards allowed. Luckily for the Ducks, a strong second half surge on the offensive side of the ball propelled Oregon to a 46-27 victory over then No. 7 Michigan State in the second week of the season.
Fast forward two weeks and the Ducks will now face one of the top offenses in the country when it comes to points scored and yards gained when they travel north to Pullman, Washington for their game with Washington State. Although Oregon has never had a problem before when it comes to getting in a shootout with its opponents, this years brand of Cougars are in their third season of head coach Mike Leach’s “air-raid” offense and therefore have a better understanding of how to run it to perfection, regardless of if their record is 1-2.
Here’s how the teams stack-up:
OFFENSE
Oregon: When it comes to offensive precision, Oregon is arguably the best team in the country. Everyone has always known about the Ducks’ high-speed, high-octane offense that runs the ball but with the addition of Heisman front-runner quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Ducks have added a whole other dimension to their offense that has made them nearly unstoppable. With Mariota leading the way, Oregon has averaged 330 yards per game through the air and another 243 yards per game on the ground. The three-headed monster at running back is led by true freshman Royce Freeman and his five touchdowns while Thomas Tyner is considered the workhorse and leads the team with 35 carries. Devon Allen and Byron Marshall have answered the question as to who will be catching the ball from Mariota as they’ve combined for 19 catches for 347 yards and five touchdowns.
Washington State: As of right now, there is no team with a better passing attack than quarterback Connor Halliday and his “air-raid” passing game. Halliday and the Cougars lead the nation with 517 passing yards per game, not to mention amassing 706 yards of total offense in last weeks victory over Portland State. Isiah Myers leads a Washington State receiving corps that has six players with 10 or more catches for 100 or more yards, but none better than Meyers with his 26 catches for 423 yards and five touchdowns. The Cougars running game is virtually non-existent with no prime running back averaging over four yards per carry.
DEFENSE
Oregon: For a team that supposedly couldn’t play with the big boys and stop a physical-oriented offense, the Ducks showed they have the size and athleticism to take over a game. Arik Armstead (6-foot-8), Alex Balducci (310 pounds) and DeForest Buckner (6-foot-7) make up one of the best defensive lines in the country while the duo of Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Erick Dargan has amassed four interceptions.
Washington State: Daquawn Brown is the leader of the Cougars defense that has struggled in recent past. Brown is one of six players with multiple tackles for loss while leading the team with six pass break-ups and 27 tackles. Xavier Cooper is the best defensive lineman Washington State has and he leads the team with 3. 5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
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