With temperatures forecast in the mid-30’s for Saturday night’s game between the Ducks and Cougars, the chilly weather shouldn’t temper the action on the field as Oregon looks to put an end to their four-game losing streak to Washington State.

Coming off last week’s win at Washington, much of the talk leading up to Saturday’s game has centered around the Ducks’ ability to ground themselves and put in a good week of preparation for an opponent that has flat out owned Oregon of late. However, considering what still lies ahead for this team this season, and given the fact that the Ducks are a year removed from a similar scenario that ultimately unfolded against the Cougs in Pullman, a flat performance would be a stinging indictment of this group’s ability to handle prosperity under head coach Mario Cristobal.

With game day a day away, WFOD examines the keys to victory for Oregon over Washington State.

1. Find ways to get the Washington State offense off schedule

This is easier said than done, as the Cougars rank tops nationally in passing offense (440.7 yards/game) and fourth nationally in total offense (532.7 yards/game). Moving the ball down the field efficiently is kind of what Washington State does with head coach Mike Leach at the controls. Yet, that doesn’t mean the Cougars are an impossible team to slow down. In fact, the Ducks may want to mirror the blueprint Utah used to ground the Washington State offense in their 38-13 win over the Cougs on September 28.

In that game, the Utes’ talented defense limited Wazzu to just 252 yards through the air and forced Cougars quarterback Anthony Gordon into throwing two interceptions, helping Utah sprint away with the victory. Similar to Utah, the Ducks are also led by a stingy defense that ranks among the conference’s best in standard categories such as scoring defense (11.9 points/game), passing defense (178.6 yards/game), and total defense (288.6 yards/game). Oregon also excels getting after the quarterback (leading the Pac-12 in sacks – 22.0), wreaking havoc behind the line of scrimmage (2nd in the Pac-12 – 56.0), and turning opponents over (1st in the Pac-12 in takeaways – 14).

Washington State, thanks in large part to their offensive philosophy, has done an excellent job of limiting negative yardage plays (ranking second in sacks allowed – 7.0 – and first in tackles for loss allowed – 21.0), but they have been susceptible to turnovers (tied for eighth in giveaways – 11). Oregon’s ability to create takeaways, or at least advantageous down and distance situations for its defense, will likely be a major determining factor in how close this game is late.

2. Be efficient converting possessions to touchdowns

With all due respect to the operations at Auburn, Colorado, and Washington, the Washington State offense presents an enormous challenge that is unlike anything the Oregon defense has faced this season. By extension, it also places pressure on the Oregon offense when it comes to turning possessions into points, specifically, touchdowns.

Unlike some of the high-octane Oregon offenses of the past, the present-day version of the Ducks on that side of the ball moves a bit more methodically by comparison. In some ways, that plays right into Oregon’s hands in terms of reducing the number of possessions the Cougars get on offense, though that only works insofar as the Ducks converting those offensive possessions into touchdowns of their own.

The good news is that Washington State’s defense ranks among the worst in the Pac-12. Entering Saturday, the Cougars rank eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (28.7 points/game) and passing defense (261.9 yards/game), ninth in total defense (439.1 yards/game), and 10th in rushing defense (177.3 yards/game), and yards per play allowed (6.35). Needless to say, and especially with Oregon’s offense clicking like it has in recent weeks, the Ducks should be able to move the ball at will against this struggling Wazzu unit.

3. Defense must be impeccable tackling in the open field

Obvious statement incoming…but tackling is an important part of any football game. However, against Washington State, this basic fundamental of the game takes on a whole new level of importance given the explosive element the Cougar offense possesses. When operating at its best, Washington State is finding efficient ways to get their playmakers into space and forcing defenders to consistently make plays in one-on-one situations. The Ducks have been largely excellent in this regard this season, as seldom does this defense fail to rally to the ball and make open-field tackles. In fact, the Oregon defense has allowed just one play of 40 yards or more from scrimmage this season. Yet, this will be a much different test. More so than any other game that the Ducks have played this season, the onus will be on the Oregon secondary, who will need to be at their best coming off a week in which they were exposed to a degree through the air at Washington.

Top Photo: Oregon QB Justin Herbert (ESPN.com)