Oregon Football: Can Ducks Find Consistency After Bye Week, Facing California?

Oregon Football will look for consistency on both sides of the ball following a bye week to get some guys healthy.

For the second straight game, Oregon is facing an opponent that has more losses than wins. While the Ducks have won four of their last five, California has lost four of their last five.

Consistency on both sides of the ball has already bit the Ducks once this season vs Stanford, but both Arizona and Cal are at the bottom of the standings so far in 2021. Quarterback Anthony Brown came into the first game of the year with the experience as a starter, earning the starting spot. He still has it, despite not playing up to par for what is expected at the position. However, it is not entirely his fault.

Brown has found ways to use his legs to get out of bad spots, which I think is a benefit that has helped Oregon Football get to where they are at this point. Entering the game vs California, quarterback play is not my biggest concern on offense.

While CJ Verdell is done for the year after an injury vs Stanford, I will need to see more from Travis Dye before I decide he is the right player to lead the running back room. At the moment, he is the only option as the guys behind him are all freshmen without a ton of experience. It will be interesting to see if one of them takes hold of the opportunity presented vs California.

The Oregon Defense has been down more than a man in recent weeks but will get a solid boost of reinforcements in key positions vs the Golden Bears. Brady Swinson is set to return vs Cal at the defensive end position. Kayvon Thibodeaux will miss the first half of the game after a targeting call vs Stanford.

Oregon and California take to the field at Autzen Stadium on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm Pacific Time on ESPN.