Saturday October 18, the 5-1 Ducks face the challenge of recovering from their first Big Ten Conference loss with a game at 3-3 Rutgers.
Oregon at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m. PT at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey, TV on the Big Ten Network, radio on the Oregon Sports Network.
Odds: Oregon -7.5. Moneyline: Oregon -303, Rutgers +250.
Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, 68 degrees, Winds 4 mph WSW.
Rutgers is 3-3, 0-3 in the Big Ten with losses to Washington, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Key stats, Big Ten ranks:
Rushing offense: Oregon 4th, 213 yards per game, 5.78 yards per carry. Rutgers 13th, 135 yards per game, 3.63 yards per carry.
Rushing defense: Oregon 10th, 114 yards per game, 3.36 yards per carry. Rutgers 14th, 136 yards per game, 4.87 yards per carry.
For Oregon, it's a bounce-back game. A trip across the country in which they'll have to change the page quickly. Dan Lanning said after the loss to Indiana, "Ultimately I don't think our plan was great. I don't think anyone in the organization did the best that they are capable of today, myself included. Again, I thought their plan was better and ours wasn't."
Indeed, against Indiana, Oregon had one touchdown drive on offense, a 44-yard touchdown pass from Dante Moore to Malik Benson. The Duck defense allowed four touchdown drives:
1st quarter, 9 plays, 75 yards
3rd quarter, 9 plays 75 yards
4th quarter, 12 plays, 75 yards.
Against Rutgers, they'll have to show they can pick up the blitz on offense and get off the field defensively.