A new week brings new challenges for the 19th-ranked Ducks, as Saturday night’s game at no. 24 Cal marks the first time this season that Oregon has traveled on the road to face an opponent.

The game also represents an opportunity at redemption for the Ducks coming off last week’s shot to the midsection delivered by Stanford.

With so much on the line for both the Ducks and Bears in terms of setting the trajectory for the remainder of the season, WFOD takes a closer look at the burning questions surrounding the Oregon program before they head to the Bay Area this weekend in search of their first conference win of the year.

Can Oregon set aside the Stanford loss?

We touched on this in greater detail on Tuesday, but it’s a question that will continue to be asked from now until the Ducks and Golden Bears kickoff Saturday night in Berkeley. Given the fact that last week’s game versus Stanford was supposed to unofficially launch the Cristobal era at Oregon, the inconceivable manner in which the Ducks lost – particularly after dominating for large stretches – had to have taken some wind out of this team’s sails. What’s currently unclear is whether this loss lingers and saps this team of their competitive spirit moving forward, or instead is used as motivation to lock in and take care of business no matter the opponent or situation in the game.

The comforting thing for Duck fans has to be the fact that Oregon looked extremely prepared and focused through the first three quarters of the Stanford game. And even when the Ducks began to lose their lead, they put together impressive response drives that likely would have salted away the game if not for an untimely fumble by redshirt freshman CJ Verdell. This, coupled with a week to watch film, address their mistakes in practice, and process the loss mentally, should offer the team a sense of optimism as they head out on the road to face their second Top 25 opponent in as many weeks. Yet, devastating losses can be a funny thing. Against Cal, we’ll find out what exactly this team is made of under Mario Cristobal.

How do the Ducks perform on the road?

Aside from overcoming the emotional trauma suffered last weekend, Saturday night’s game at Cal will be tricky if for no other reason than it’s the very first road trip for the Ducks this season, and their very first road trip under Cristobal. Last season under Willie Taggart, the Ducks were 1-4 in road games, though it’s also worth noting that the Ducks were without quarterback Justin Herbert in three of those five contests. This season, with a healthy Herbert in tow, Oregon hopes to vastly improve on that mark and demonstrate they have the proper mindset to win games in enemy territory.

If you’re looking for positives, the Ducks currently have two things that generally travel well and remain consistent when playing in hostile environments: a strong defense and a veteran offensive line. Heading into Saturday, Oregon’s boasts a top 30 unit in total defense (28th nationally) and one of the nation’s best overall units when it comes to stopping the run (third nationally at 2.13 yards per carry). On the flip side, the Oregon offensive line seems to be gelling at the perfect time. After paving the way for Verdell’s 115 yards on the ground, in addition to providing tremendous pass protection for Herbert versus the Cardinal, Oregon’s big uglies have been owning the line of scrimmage of late.

Speaking of Verdell, is this the first week we see him take over full-time duties at RB?

Based on his performance last week and the reports emanating from practice in the build up to this weekend’s game, it sure seems that way. Aiding Verdell’s bid for his first career start is the fact that Tony Brooks-James has been hobbled by an ankle injury suffered last week versus Stanford. Though he returned to action later in the game, his impact was limited, leaving some doubt surrounding his availability versus Cal. Yet, regardless of whether Brooks-James’ is healthy, all signs seem to indicate that the starting running back job is Verdell’s to lose moving forward.

Despite his costly fumble late in the fourth quarter versus the Cardinal, Verdell was a bright spot for the Ducks on offense and has been that way for the past several weeks. Through four games, the Chula Vista, Calif. native is leading the Ducks in both rush attempts (59) and yards (314) and has the look of a player who is gaining more and more confidence with each passing carry. The fumbling issues remain a concern, however, as Verdell would have had a second fumble credited to him last week if not for his knee being ruled down prior to a Stanford player dislodging the ball from him. With a week to digest and learn from his mistakes, Verdell has a chance to prove he has moved past those errors by coupling the same level of production with more consistent ball security.