Arkansas State vs Oregon Preview

Arkansas State runs their offense congruent to Oregon’s spread. Other than what to anticipate on the defensive side, a lot of unknowns are out there with the Red Wolves’ new coaching staff.

Some of the newcomers include head coach Gus Malzahn (former offensive coordinator with Auburn), defensive coordinator John Thompson (formerly with Georgia State in same position), and special teams coach Eliah Drinkwater (formerly coached with Malzahn at Springdale High School).

Since Saturday will be the debut of the new-look Arkansas State, that means even more preparation will need to be put in by the Ducks. Despite the general distance of talent level between the two schools, a few breaks for the Red Wolves could place the home team in a position they don’t want to be in. Oregon’s expectations are to compete for the Pac-12 title and a hopeful berth into the national championship for the second time in three years.

Not only do the Ducks have to prepare for what to expect on the defensive end, but they also have to find out what they all have on the offense.

A brand new quarterback, redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota, will have the aid of all-around athlete De’Anthony Thomas and experienced running back Kenjon Barner to help him get comfortable in his first start. But will that instant impact he had gaining chunks of yardage both in the air and on the ground come as easy as it did in the spring game?

Will wide receivers like Josh Huff and Rashaan Vaughn be ready to step up so Thomas won’t be just what opposing defenses scheme against? Which other receivers will capture the attention?

Vegas, just based on talent alone, likes the Oregon Ducks by five touchdowns in their season opener. While the final score may or may not be that result, what’s more important is what we learn from this squad in preparing for a virtual unknown and how well things click with the newly-led offense.

Get more coverage of this week’s game at Gameday Saturday.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo, follow the site on Facebook and Twitter. Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.