As far as the Pac-12 Conference is concerned, the matchup between No. 2 Oregon and No. 7 Arizona Friday night at Levi’s Stadium is everything it could’ve asked for. Featuring a matchup that has two teams ranked in the top-ten, implications beyond a conference championship will be present when the two square off. As a result, Associate Sports Editor Hayden Kim and Sports Editor Justin Wise offer insights and predictions on a rematch of the Oct. 2 game that ended with Arizona defeating Oregon 31-24.
Oregon has an Arizona problem currently. While Mark Helfrich has gone 22-1 against the rest of the competition as the Ducks’ head coach, he is 0-2 in games against the Wildcats. What has to change for the Ducks to win this game?
Kim: Oregon has to establish its run game early. Last game, Arizona’s defense slowed down Royce Freeman and Co. to just 144 rushing yards, forcing Marcus Mariota to put the team on his back. Every meeting will be different from the last and in order for Oregon to snap it’s two-game skid, Freeman has to consistently keep the Wildcats defense on their toes.
Wise: In Oregon’s 42-30 win over UCLA on Oct. 11, it became clear why the game went in such a different direction than it did a week prior versus Arizona. With 261 rushing yards, Oregon dominated every phase of the game and offensive coordinator Scott Frost reiterated why.
“If we run the ball well, we’re hard to stop,” said Frost.
The Ducks were held to a season-low 144 rushing yards against Arizona. That has to change.
Who will be the X-factor for Oregon? Why?
Kim: Oregon’s offensive line will be the x-factor. With Jake Fisher back, the offensive line has performed very well and it’s resulted in seven straight wins. When given time, Mariota is near unstoppable. Everything will begin and end with the battle in the trenches.
Wise: Charles Nelson. In October he was merely a special teams contributor, but his continued production made it clear he needed to be involved in the game more often. On the year, he’s caught ten passes for 162 yards and five touchdowns. All while, becoming a constant force on special teams.
Prediction. Why?
Kim: Oregon 38 Arizona 27
A lot has changed since their last meeting in October. Oregon is arguably playing their best ball of the season, averaging roughly 48 points, and that’s going to tough for any team to handle. Scooby Wright III and Jared Tevis will make their impact, but it will be hard to imagine them stopping the Ducks like they did last time.
Wise: Oregon 41 Arizona 34
Oregon’s seven-game win streak is reason to believe that its pace is going to be difficult to slow. With a healthier offensive line, a freshman in Royce Freeman that has came into his own and a guy by the name of Marcus Mariota behind center, I believe Oregon to be everywhere it needs to be at this point.
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise