The Ducks Have What It Takes!
By Editorial Staff
With the Ducks scheduled to take the field against the Mighty Cam Newton and the Tigers in a matter of hours, Oregon is getting ready to pull out all stops to a historical win in the BCS title game at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. From the very beginning of the 2010 season the 12-0 Ducks have showed that they have excelled in every facet, with Chip Kelly at the forefront of team that will give Auburn a run for it’s money.
Let’s take the Ducks rushing stats, they are one of the top five rushing team in the nation, next to Auburn of course, but they are by far one of the fastest team I have ever seen, and the king of all rushers, sophomore RB LaMichael James, has had a fantastic run so far. He is averaging six-yards per carry totaling 1,682 yards for the season while scoring 21 touchdowns. He has proven time and time again that speed is what will help the Ducks tremendously and that the Auburn defense will have a heck of a time trying to stop him.
QB Darron Thomasis another player to watch out for. He took over the reigns of the “Quack Attack” from ex QB Jeremiah Masouli’s and has fit into this high-octane offense quite nicely, all while being considered the fastest runner on offense in College Football. As quoted in the New York Daily News.com he welcomes being under the radar in contract to Cam Newton. “I’ve just got to come out and do my thing,” the 6-3, 212-pound redshirt sophomore said. “I gotta show by example. I’m not going to talk about it. … I’m happy to be overlooked, because he’s got a lot of pressure on him. There’s a lot of talk about him; he’s the Heisman Trophy winner. This way I can climb under the radar and focus on the game.” I believe Thomas will do well as long as he keeps focused on getting the ball down the field and he stays clear of Auburn’s formidable Defensive Line, especially DT, Nick Farley, who has 21 tackles for losses, including 10.5 sacks. The Offense Line will have to make sure this beast like player gets no where near Thomas tonight, and if the Ducks can control the line scrimmage, then Auburn better look out since the “Quack Attack” will be in full display.
The Ducks need to play their game and put the pressure on Auburn with their up tempo style of offense in order to force the Tigers to make the plays to stop the Ducks. On the defense side of the ball, Oregon needs to make sure that they play sound assignment football to contain Cam Newton, the Tigers very potent offense.
It is no surprise that both teams are well practiced and prepared for tonight. During an interview with ESPN, Auburn’s coach Gene Chizik told ESPN that Auburn’s key to the game will be that, “his defensive front against Oregon’s offensive line will be the key match up”. Controlling the line of scrimmage is always the biggest key to winning any football games, especially when it come to the National Title, and the Ducks will have their hands full this evening with the Tigers highly regarded defensive line. Tonight is the night for the Ducks offense line to bring their “A” game and control the line, allowing Thomas and James to get to the second and third levels of the Tigers defense. On the other side, Coach Kelly said that the biggest key to the game was special teams.
Special teams can truly make a difference by changing field position or having ‘Big Mo” put on the Green and Yellow, and the Ducks special teams has definitely succeeded in this endeavor by leading the nation in 18.2 yards in punt returns, so this could be the “Ace in the Hole” for the Duck this evening. Look for special teams to change both the dynamics and momentum of the game. With all of these factors, Duck fans can expect a wild and exciting game this evening.