Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks travel to Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas tonight to take on 0-1 Texas Tech. The game begins at 4:00 P.M. on Fox, Portland area affiliate KPTV channel 12. It's available to stream on Hulu Live TV .
The Ducks have more talent in nearly every position group. They win if they play the way they're capable of, avoid helping the Red Raiders with turnovers, penalties and missed assignments. It'll be hot at gametime and the game is a sellout, 52,400 fans, of which Webfoot fans will only be but a sliver in a packed house of red and black.
Here are the keys to the game:
Run the football
Oregon doesn't want Tyler Shough and the TTU offense to turn the game into a shootout in the Texas heat. UO has a much better offensive line and running game. If they're effective on the ground, the Ducks' pass rush and secondary stays fresher. Last week in their 35-33 double overtime loss to Wyoming, Guns Up surrendered 171 yards rushing, 3.9 a carry. Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington are one of the best tandems in college football.
Last week against FCS opponent Portland State the Oregon offensive line looked cohesive and devastatingly effective, pounding the Vikings for 348 yards on 34 carries, 10.2 yards per rush. Only two plays all afternoon lost yards.
Generate a pass rush
With time to throw Tyler Shough spins a beautiful ball. He can pick apart a defense, zip the football into seams and hit a bevy of receivers at all three levels of the field. In Laramie he threw 47 times for 338 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with nine different receivers, each with a catch of ten yards or more. The Ducks have to disrupt his rhythm and interrupt his mission of vengeance, get in his head a little.
Protect Bo Nix
Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter employs a slashing, swarming defensive style with blitzes from all angles, delayed blitzes, jailbreak blitzes and disguised pressures. They'll rush three, four, five or six.
Center Jackson Powers-Johnson, right tackle Ajani Cornelius, right guard Steven Jones, left guard Marcus Harper jr., left tackle Josh Conerly and the rest of the offensive line rotation did not allow a sack in Week One. The Red Raiders are violent hitters. They'll begin the game with an amped-up, wounded animal energy. It's up to the Oregon o-line to be cohesive and disciplined in a hostile stadium and do their work.
Irving and Whittington are good blockers, and there will be some play designs where they are assigned blitz pickup. A whiff by anyone in this protection unit exposes Nix to a big hit. Keeping him healthy is a key not merely to the game but their season.
Make some plays in the secondary
The strength of the TTU offense is their passing game; versus Wyoming they ran 33 times for just 93 yards. Receivers Jerand Bradley, Myles Price and Drae McCrae are fast and explosive. Tight end Mason Tharp is 6-9, 270, though they completed just one pass to him in last week's loss, for ten yards.
With a couple of picks and a couple of stops, the Ducks can get out to a lead and quiet the crowd. The upset energy builds if the hosts stay in the game and Shough has a hot hand. Oregon can't allow the TTU passing game to dictate the tempo.
Wrap up and tackle
The Red Raider return teams are extremely aggressive. Dan Lanning noted they like to bring the ball out of the end zone and try to break a momentum-shifting big return. Their lead running back Tahj Brooks is 5-10, 230. He had 11 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown in Week One. while averaging 4.7 yards a carry last year as a junior.
Stay poised and focused, rely on the brotherhood
It's a road game against an outmanned, fired-up opponent. If the Ducks keep their composure and execute, they'll win this game comfortably. They've got one of the most explosive offenses in college football and an improved defense. They just have to prove it on the road against a revenge-minded, redemption-seeking quarterback in Tyler Shough.
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