The matchup against Michigan has been one of those games that looms large for many of the Oregon players. It’s not every week that the Ducks get to square off against one of the most storied programs in college football.
Except people’s perception of this week’s game changed last Saturday when the then-No. 5 Wolverines lost to Division I-AA Appalachian State 34-32, in what some consider to be the biggest upset in college football history.
“That’s college sports, you never know what’s going to happen,” senior tackle Geoff Schwartz said. “On any given day when you don’t come out prepared you have a chance to lose.”
Now what was sure to be a tough non-conference game has transformed into something completely different. People are interested in seeing how the Wolverines respond to such an upset and the Ducks will the ones to prove whether or not Michigan is as bad as people are making the team out to be this season.
Because of this, the Oregon players are well aware they can’t count on seeing any lingering effects from Michigan’s historic upset. The Wolverines are out to prove that the loss was an oddity that won’t be repeated.
“If somebody says you’re fifth in the nation, you’re going to go in with a big head but all of a sudden some I-AA team comes in and beats you, you’re like, ‘Uh-oh, I need to step my game up next week. Oregon’s coming in and we know they’re not going to lay down especially when the team we just played beat us’,” senior wide receiver Brian Paysinger said. “They’re going to come in with their A-game and they’re not going to oversee us at all.”
Although the Ducks expect to see Michigan fired up and with a chip on its shoulder, the idea of Appalachian State defeating the national title contender certainly helps ease the mindset of Oregon entering The Big House with over 100,000 fans in attendance.
“It does something for the mental psyche,” tackle Fenuki Tupou said. “Appalachian State went into the Big House and beat them. So there’s a little bit more confidence.”
Further improving Oregon’s chances at making Michigan 0-2 is that Appalachian State ran a spread offense with a mobile quarterback, two things the Ducks’ offense have in the arsenal as well.
“(Appalachian State) had success running the ball with their quarterback,” Schwartz said. “We have just as an athletic quarterback and you saw what he did against Houston.”
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr did. While Mountaineers quarterback Armanti Edwards ran 17 times for 62 yards against the Wolverines, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon ran 15 times for 141 yards against Houston, something Carr is worried about considering his team’s inability to stop a spread option quarterback.
“They’re using him as a ball carrier and what he did last Saturday was extremely impressive,” Carr said. “When you’re in the one back-set and you have a quarterback to you have designated running plays for, it puts a lot more pressure on a defense.”
Carr not only has to account for Dixon’s scrambling ability, but also for his ability to pitch it to either running backs Jonathan Stewart or Jeremiah Johnson, both of whom have been on the field at the same time already this season.
“We expect that they’re going to run the option more than Appalachian State,” Carr said. “The two running backs, to be able to rotate two guys with the abilities that Stewart and Johnson have is really a great advantage.”