The No. 5 ranked Ducks may have enjoyed their weekend after flipping the script against Stanford, but that doesn’t mean they are off the hook quite yet. With No. 20 Utah — who is coming off a heartbreak loss to Arizona State — on the road, the Ducks will once again have to be in top condition.
As of this week, the Ducks are also projected to have the best odds to win the Inaugural Playoffs at 9-to-2 coming off their convincing 45-16 win against Stanford.
The Utes may not currently be leading the Pac-12 South, but that just gives them more of a reason to bounce back at home. Heading into the matchup, the Ducks are favored by 9.5 points.
Here’s how Oregon stacks up with Utah:
Offense
Oregon: At this point in the season, the Ducks have solidified their identity as one of the better offenses in the country. With quarterback, Heisman frontrunner Marcus Mariota at the helm, running back Royce Freeman in the backfield and wide receiver Devon Allen running down the sidelines, there is a lot to like if you’re head coach Mark Helfrich and offensive coordinator Scott Frost. Having said that, the Ducks, who enter this game averaging 45.4 points (6th in the nation) will be facing a Utes team that is giving up 21.3 points a game. The Ducks haven’t had many issues offensively this season, but this game will present a challenging circumstance.
Utah: The Oregon defense has made consistent strides towards reaching its potential, but wide receiver Travis Wilson and running back Devontae Booker will be nothing short of a handful. Wilson, who has already racked up over 1,000 yards in the air in addition to his nine touchdowns, is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the conference and will surely be looking to relinquish his disappointment from the previous weekend. Utah may not have the edge in this department, but don’t expect the Utes to be complacent.
Advantage: Oregon
Defense
Oregon: Overcoming the “Stanford problem” was as much about playing a complete game as it was about the defense stepping up. While the Cardinal aren’t quite the offense they’ve been in recent years, the Ducks made a crucial stand this past weekend. Whether or not this will continue is still up to debate and under this context, this Saturday will once again be a must win situation for the Oregon defense, especially with a potential playoff bid on the line.
Utah: The Utes defense has given up an average of 20 points in the past two games and it is essentially representative of their overall performance this season. Solid would adequately describe the Utes defense, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of containing the high-scoring Oregon offense for one game, especially at home. The Oregon offense may have the clear advantage in this matchup, but don’t be surprised if the Utes can keep it close.
Advantage: Oregon
It should also be noted that this will be just the second game between Oregon and Utah since the Utes joined the Pac-12.
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim