Oregon Ducks Football: Scouting Oregon State’s Defense
By Ricky Widmer
The Oregon State defense should not be as tough on the Ducks as Stanford’s defense was, but it still is a key rivalry game. Oregon State has only allowed 18.6 points per game through ten games. Thier three best defense performances came against the Wisconsin Badgers (seven points allowed), the Washington State Cougars (six points allowed), and the Utah Utes (seven points allowed).
The Beavers are currently ranked ninth in the Pac-12 conference with 23 sacks on the season. They are also ranked seventh in the conference with 168 yards lost on sacks.
Nov 3, 2012; Corvallis, OR, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Marion Grice (1) is stopped by members of the Oregon State Beavers defense in the game at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE
The biggest “sack artist” this season has been Scott Crichton. Crichton is a sophomore defensive end from Tacoma, Washington. He has a total of nine sacks on the season for 49 sack yards. The team’s next highest sacks total is three sacks by Andrew Seumalo. This could mean that if the Ducks stop Crichton then they should have no problem during the game.
In the secondary, Oregon State ranked third in the Pac-12 conference with 17 interceptions on the season. They are also ranked fifth in the conference with 221 interception return yards.
Oregon State’s leading defender in the secondary is Jordan Poyer. Poyer leads the team with six interceptions on the season. Poyer is the senior cornerback from Astoria, Oregon. He also has five broken up passes and eleven deflected passes. OSU’s next top defender is Rashaad Reynolds who has thirteen broken up passes and sixteen pass deflections.
There will be high emotions in this game, but the Ducks should be able to keep them in check. Especially after the loss to Stanford, the Oregon offense will have a big day against the Oregon State defense.
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