Oregon Football and the Stanford Cardinal square off Saturday night with a national television audience and a lot on the line for both teams at the official start of Pac-12 Conference play.
Oregon Football Falls To Stanford In Overtime
The storylines this week have been pretty simple. Bryce Love and the Ground and Pound Offense of Stanford. On the other side, which Justin Herbert will show up. Will his receivers be able to catch a pass. It will be strength vs strength, Has Jim Leavitt prepared the Oregon Defense for this matchup. Oregon has allowed just two yards per gain on running plays this season, but then the question turns to – Look who Oregon Football has played. The same could be said for the Stanford Cardinal. Bryce Love did not even suit up last week against UC Davis.
So, what do we get on Saturday night in Prime Time? Statistically so far, both teams have been very first half heavy By that I mean their respective starters played mostly in the first half. This will be the first game where stamina and confidence will play a big role.
The series between Oregon and Stanford dates back to 1900. In nine of the last thirteen meetings either the Ducks or Cardinal scored 40 or more points. I do not expect this to be the case tonight. As it has been with the Cardinal over the last few seasons, it will be a ground and pound kind of game. Possessions will be at a premium and a Special Teams play could win the game for either team.
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Oregon Football fans are already fired up for this one with ESPN College Gameday in town this morning and Lee Corso picking Oregon over Stanford. Autzen Stadium will be loud, as requested by Head Coach Mario Cristobal. The game, as usual, will be won in the trenches. Oregon’s Offensive Line has 103 starts combined to their credit. The Ducks also have a bevy of Running Backs that could be difference makers in the game.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has shown he can close out games in his career. Despite struggling to get the Offense started against San Jose State last weekend, he has the ability to put the ball in the hands of his receivers. Oregon needs a fast start in the first half against Stanford. According to Dave Bartoo from the College Football Matrix, the first half could win or lose the game for the Ducks.
Autzen Zoo will begin pregame coverage from Autzen Stadium at 3:30 pm PT. Oregon Football meets the Stanford Cardinal at 5 pm Pacific Time on ABC.