Friday Night brings the Oregon Ducks back to Eugene for a matchup against the Portland State Vikings. Following a disappointing loss to Oklahoma State, everyone in attendance will be hoping for a bounce back from the Ducks as Big Ten play is on the horizon. While winning this game seems like a given, this is more of an opportunity for the coaching staff to work through some final issues before the competition gets real on a weekly basis.
Friday Night may not provide the Ducks a massive test, but it will give the coaching staff and players a chance to answer a few outstanding questions surrounding this group.
The 5 questions that will be answered in Portland State vs Oregon
Will the Ducks show fire in a lackluster matchup?
It would be easy to sleepwalk into a matchup with an opponent like Portland State, but the Ducks have to show up and show some fire in this game. Coming off a loss, Oregon should be ready to punish this team for simply showing up. Fans want to see this team play with intensity, and Dan Lanning should have the team ready to get back to the standard after two shaky showings.
Will the Ducks finally find a starting offensive line?
Through the first two games, Oregon has rotated a ton of different offensive linemen into the game, but eventually a starting 5 needs to be locked in. Trent Ferguson's season-ending knee injury is a setback, but Dave Iuli appears to be returning this weekend. Finding a set unit that can gel together the rest of the way will only help the group progress, as trust on the offensive line is key.
Will any tight end step up and fill Jamari Johnson's shoes?
Last weekend, Jamari Johnson was unavailable due to an injury, and with the way Dan Lanning has talked about his tight end, it appears that he won't be active this weekend. Andrew Olesh started in Johnson's absence, but the Ducks' tight ends only caught 1 pass for 9 yards in the loss. This weekend, one of the tight ends has to prove they can be a reliable weapon for Dante Moore in case Johnson isn't back for the start of conference play.
Does Dante Moore actually change his stance?
The talk of the week has been all about Dante Moore's stance, as Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris admitted that the Oregon QB was tipping plays. Given that everyone already knows this is an issue, everyone would hope that it's fixed when the game kicks off. Even if Moore tipped plays in this game, the Ducks should still win, but the fix needs to be made before Big Ten play kicks off.
Will the defensive line wreck Portland State's game?
Oregon's talent on the defensive line was one of the biggest reasons to be excited about this team, and through two weeks they haven't made the impact everyone would have expected. On Friday Night, Oregon will have a massive talent and size advantage, and the Ducks' defensive front has to capitalize.
Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti each have one sack thus far, and they should be able to start a push toward double digits if they perform well. A'Mauri Washington has dealt with injuries to start the year, and even if he misses time in this, the Ducks should be fine with Bear Alexander and all the depth behind them. Nasir Wyatt can have a monster game as he's created a ton of pressure off the edge, but hasn't been able to record a sack.
Add us as a preferred source on Google