Oregon Ducks Football: Avoiding This Week’s “Trap” Game in California
By Brian Spaen
Before Oregon can look ahead to tough back-to-back games with Stanford and Oregon State, they must first play a weak conference opponent that’s loomed as a tough spot for the Oregon Ducks to play at.
November 02, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; Medical staff help California Golden Bears quarterback Zach Maynard (15) off the field after a play against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Washington won 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE
Two years ago en route to a national title, Oregon barely survived a 16-13 visit in Berkeley, California. The Golden Bears have shown some signs of life, but mostly have had a dismal 3-7 year so far. But with this meeting happening after a big game against USC and right before a home game against Stanford, what must Oregon watch out for or do to avoid the upset?
Ricky: I honestly do not see this game as a trap for Oregon. I feel this way because of the personality of the Ducks this season. In the game against Colorado, Mariota was asked about overlooking that game with USC ahead and he said Oregon takes in one game at a time. As cliche as it sounds, that is how the Ducks play and the Cal game will be “business as usual.”
Brian: This is similar to two seasons ago when it seems like the Ducks were looking ahead to Arizona and Oregon State to end the season. The difference is how much better this offense is, and how bad California is in general. Chip Kelly has implemented great game plans to absolutely dominate nearly every opponent so far this season and I expect nothing different against the Golden Bears this Saturday.
Mike: I watched Cal on Friday night and I can only see the running game of the Golden Bears presenting trouble. This is a team that has lousy QB play which hurts the passing game and in effect hurts the ability to run with defenses stacking the box. I buy into the trap game angle because its between two important games; expect Chip to preach this all week.
Other roundtable topics this week: Kenjon Barner’s Heisman hopes, Oregon’s defensive struggles, and picking the national championship teams.
The Autzen Zoo staff includes lead editor Brian Spaen along with staff writers Mike Vamosi, Raymond Mencke, Jr., Ricky Widmer, and contributor Joe Soriano.