The timeline for recovery and preparation has been sped up for Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and the Ducks, as Friday is game day this week for the Ducks and Colorado Buffaloes.

For Oregon, Friday’s game offers an opportunity for the Duck offense to redeem itself to a degree after what can only be described as an incomplete performance last week vs. Cal. Defensively, however, the Ducks are humming under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Andy Avalos. Ranked atop the conference in a myriad of defensive categories, Oregon hopes to continue their impressive play against a Buffs’ offense that has shown an ability to light up the scoreboard.

Friday will be here before you know it, but before it arrives, WFOD takes a look at the biggest questions surrounding the Ducks heading into a potentially tricky matchup with Colorado.

1. Does the Oregon offense finds its groove this week?

Admittedly, if not for a handful of tormenting turnovers, it’s likely that fans and those who cover the team would be singing a far different tune in the aftermath of Oregon’s 17-7 win last Saturday over Cal. Though the Ducks would rally from a 7-0 deficit at halftime to score 17 unanswered points against a tough Cal defense, the offense’s generally positive performance was marred by three turnovers (an interception and two Travis Dye fumbles) in Cal territory that served to antagonize this team for much of the game. That, plus the fact that Justin Herbert was decidedly un-Justin Herbert-like throughout the contest, cast an unsettling pall over the Ducks’ performance that raised more questions than answers, despite the fact Oregon welcomed back three receivers from injuries that were suffered during fall camp.

With Colorado on deck, however, the opportunity is there for the Oregon offense to get right. Not only do Brenden Schooler, Mycah Pittman, and Juwan Johnson – with a game already under their belts – have another week to adjust coming off their August injuries, but the Colorado defense isn’t exactly Fort Knox when it comes to keeping opponents out of Buffs’ territory. Entering Friday’s game, Colorado ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (31.6 points/game), yards allowed per play (6.76), opponent 3rd down percentage (50%), allowed plays of 40 yards or more (8), and opponent red zone conversion percentage (86.67%). Needless to say, the Buffs can be had if the Oregon offense is clicking.

2. How will Oregon’s defense fare against the best offense they’ve faced to date?

Though the Buffs have a porous defense, their offense figures to be one of the most potent the Ducks have faced to date. Those looking to poke holes in Oregon’s performance on defense thus far can accurately point to the fact that, of the four FBS opponents the Ducks have played this season, three (Nevada, Stanford, and Cal) currently rank 105th or worse nationally in total offense. Auburn, which has had its own issues on offense this season, currently ranks 64th in that category. By comparison, Colorado ranks 41st nationally, and if fully healthy (see below), possesses a dangerous collection of skilled position talent the likes of which the Ducks have not yet had to contend with.

That’s not to say that the dominance the Ducks have displayed through five games is a paper tiger, but fans expecting the Oregon defense to shut down Colorado in a fashion similar to what was seen against Nevada, Stanford, and Cal should temper those expectations accordingly.

3. How healthy are the Buffs entering Friday?

This is a major question for Colorado, especially considering the number of impact players that are dealing with potential injuries heading into Friday’s game. Among the walking wounded hoping play against the Ducks are a pair of top notch weapons on both offense and defense for the Buffs in wide receivers K.D. Nixon (undisclosed) and Laviska Shenault (core), and defenders Mustafa Johnson (ankle) and Mikial Onu (torso). Alongside Tony Brown, Nixon and Shenault are two players who make the Colorado offense go with quarterback Steven Montez operating as the triggerman. Both are currently listed as day-to-day per Colorado, which could mean that both players wind up being game-time decisions. The same could be said for the Buffs’ leading sack man in Johnson, who hopes to make his return after missing the last several weeks with a high ankle sprain suffered September 21 at Arizona State. The prognosis for Onu – who ranks second nationally in interceptions (4) from his starting safety spot – appears to be a little more positive, however, as he has not been listed on the Buffs’ injury report this week after exiting last week’s game vs. Arizona in the second quarter.