Oregon needs to unleash Nasir Wyatt

If the Ducks are to have a shot at defeating Indiana, their defensive line is going to have to throw Fernando Mendoza off his spot more often. In the first game, Oregon's pass rush wasn't bad; Pro Football Focus credits Duck defensive linemen with 11 of the team's 16 total pressures. 16 pressures isn't bad at all, but Mendoza was only sacked once, by A'Mauri Washington on a devastating bull rush.

Getting Mendoza on the ground has required rapid pressure this season, as the Indiana offensive line is one of the nation's best at clearly identifying and picking up blitzes. In the clip above, the Hoosiers have no issue getting bodies on all five Duck rushers. Washington just wins his one-on-one so quickly that Mendoza panics.

Oregon doesn't want to call all-out pressures very often, but they need defenders to get into the backfield quickly to have any hopes of forcing negative plays. It's a difficult problem to solve for most teams, but after a full season of easing him into the rotation, the Ducks might have an answer in freshman Nasir Wyatt.

Quickness off the edge a key weapon against a mobile RPO quarterback

Standing 6'2" and just over 230 pounds, Wyatt has been deployed strictly as a pass rusher in second and long or third down situations. His burst off the edge is noticeable, as is the speed with which he's won his reps when given opportunity. He loves setting tackles up with his speed to the outside before unleashing a Dwight Freeney-esque spin move that leaves tackles in the dust, and has examples from as early as Oklahoma State in week two,

to this past week against Texas Tech.

Indiana has replaced their right tackle from the first matchup, opting to start Adedamola Ajani over Khalil Benson. Wyatt primarily lines up over the right tackle, and he should be able to take advantage of Ajani's slow feet if given the opportunity.

While I'm unsure if Tosh Lupoi would employ a strategy like this, he would greatly benefit from removing Bear Alexander in obvious pass-rushing situations and kicking Matayo Uiagalelei inside over the guard, allowing Wyatt and Tatum Tuioti to rush from the edges and giving Oregon its three best rushers on the field at once. Whether they attempt to get creative with Wyatt or not, it's clear that he needs to be on the field early and often.