An opportunity at redemption rests at the feet of Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and his team this Saturday, as the Ducks fly south to the Bay Area to the face the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto.
By now, Oregon players, coaches, and fans have likely hit their limit in terms of the number of times they can revisit and replay the memories of last year’s game with Stanford. And who could blame them, as losses like that don’t often come so cruelly.
Thankfully, the time has nearly come for the all painful reminiscing and chatter to subside. It’s time to turn the page and author a new chapter that the Oregon faithful hope dulls the memory of that agonizing loss from a year ago.
With a day to go before the Ducks and Cardinal renew their blossoming Pac-12 North rivalry, WFOD examines Oregon’s keys to victory over Stanford.
1. Get after the Cardinal offensive line
Pac-12 fans know better than most that the backbone for Stanford’s success on the field for the past decade has been its offensive line. Every year, seemingly, the Cardinal are stocked with premium talent in the offensive trenches, bolstering their iron-clad reputation as one of the most physical teams in the conference, if not the country. That was the case once again heading into the season before a rash of injuries, headlined by a season-ending injury to All-American candidate at left tackle Walker Little, dramatically compromised that unit’s integrity over the last couple weeks.
The bad news for Stanford is that coming to into this game, the Ducks possess one of the most disruptive and opportunistic defenses in the Pac-12. Entering Saturday’s game, Oregon ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in turnovers forced (7) and are first in sacks (10.0) and tackles for loss (25.0). Unfortunately for the Cardinal, they currently rank tied for eighth in the league in both turnovers lost (4) and tackles for loss allowed (19.0). Despite the small sample size (three games), those are troubling statistics you’re a fan of the cardinal and white given the precarious state of the Stanford offensive line.
2. Test the Stanford secondary
As vulnerable as the Cardinal are at the moment in the offensive trenches, they may be even worse off in the defensive backfield. Despite the presence of All-American cornerback Paulson Adebo, Stanford has been skewered through the air by a pair of freshman quarterbacks each of the last two weeks. At USC two weeks ago, Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis lit up the Cardinal secondary completing 84.8% of his passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Last week vs. UCF in Orlando, it didn’t get much better, as Golden Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a career day of his own connecting on 73.3% of his passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Through three games, the Cardinal rank 11th in the Pac-12 in passing defense (280.3 yards/game).
This week, the challenge only figures to intensify, as Oregon’s Justin Herbert enters the game red hot and with a reputation as one of the nation’s top overall quarterbacks. Through three games, Herbert has completed 77-of-105 passes (73.3%) for 868 yards and 11 touchdowns (no interceptions), and is coming off back-to-back five-touchdown games against Nevada and Montana. Given the momentum for the Oregon passing game and the woes experienced in Stanford’s secondary, expect Oregon’s offensive brain trust to ruthlessly test this soft underbelly of the Cardinal defense.
3. Keep Stanford’s skill talent in check
This Stanford team may not totally resemble Stanford teams of the past, but one area where they are perhaps as athletic as they’ve ever been is at their skill positions, particularly wide receiver. Though the production hasn’t quite been there to start the season, wide receivers Connor Wedington, Michael Wilson, and Osiris St. Brown have the ability to challenge Oregon’s secondary down the field, while tight end Colby Parkinson is precisely the caliber of player that has given the Ducks absolute fits in recent seasons.
Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello hasn’t quite been himself since returning from a concussion suffered in the season opener vs. Northwestern, but expect him to be as dialed in as he has all season with the Ducks headed to town. Not only that, but it’s possible that Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham, who suffered an apparent ankle injury last week vs. Montana, may not quite be the best version of himself on game day. Though Graham has reportedly been full go since the start of the week, he’ll likely draw a tough matchup with the quick and dynamic Wedington, who will no doubt test the limits of Graham’s mobility Saturday night.