Before each Game Day, the Emerald collaborates with the opposing team’s newspaper to get a friendly debate going. This week, Emerald sports reporter Lucas Clark corresponded with Wyndam Makowsky of the Stanford Daily. Here’s a selection of their e-mail exchange.

Lucas Clark: There is no question that the Oregon offense has finally found its stride; we saw that last week during the Ducks 47-20 win over then-No. 4 USC. Led by redshirt freshman LaMichael James, who carried the ball 24 times for 183 yards and a touchdown, and junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli with 13 carries for 164 yards and a score, the Ducks looked the best I’ve seen them all year. Redshirt freshman Kenjon Barner and senior Andre Crenshaw each reached the end zone on the ground as well, which leads me to believe that the Stanford defense that gives up more than 300 yards of total offense per game could be in a world of trouble early on.

Wyndam Makowsky: Certainly. Stanford has struggled against fast teams that can get to the edge. This was evident against both Wake Forest’s speedy running back rotation and Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State. Even if Stanford is able to shut down James, for example, Masoli and the reserves can continue to hurt them. It could get ugly. That said, the Cardinal has made some serious modifications to its defense (with some young guys filling in). Now, the difference between the Sun Devils and Ducks is massive, so we have yet to see how many of these young guys will perform, but the early returns are good.
LC: The Cardinal defense definitely has some talented athletes, and offensively, Oregon head coach Chip Kelly had nothing but good things to say about senior running back Toby Gerhart and freshman quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck is an interesting case to me. He has a great body for a quarterback at the collegiate level and has proven that he can spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers. But, Oregon has faced two freshman starting quarterbacks so far this season with Jeff Tuel of Washington State and Matt Barkley last week against USC, and neither had a great deal of success against the Pac-10’s top-ranked Oregon pass defense. The secondary is getting healthier by the week and will look to slow down the Stanford aerial attack.
WM: The one glaring advantage that the Cardinal has is that while Oregon’s defense is fast, it’s not particularly big. That plays directly into Gerhart’s strengths — he likes nothing more than to pound the ball straight up the middle. Luck has evolved nicely over the past few games, but a heavy dose of Gerhart early on will be integral to a Cardinal victory. Furthermore, speaking of physical offensive players, Stanford does have one of the strongest wide receivers in the Pac-10 in Ryan Whalen, and a gigantic and effective tight end rotation. Since he started at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh has emphasized smash-mouth football, and if the Cardinal can stay true to that, then they could prosper. As for Luck, I agree, he will be tested — T.J. Ward is one of the most underrated players in this country. But Luck did face a very good defensive backfield on the road in Arizona, and still went for over 400 yards. His combination of intelligence, arm strength, accuracy, pocket presence, mobility and leadership make him one of the nation’s most talented young passers. I am far less concerned about the Cardinal offense than I am about their defense — if Masoli and company are performing like they did against the Trojans, then Luck and Gerhart are going to have to engineer scoring drives practically every time they’re on the field.
LC: Your last thought basically summed up the game in its entirety. Over the course of the first half last week, it looked like whoever controlled the ball last was going to win, as the teams kept scoring at will, but it brings me to my final point, which are special teams. The Ducks forced six USC punts last week, while only having to punt one time. Kicker Morgan Flint is 32-32 on extra point attempts this season and is 10-12 on field goals, while Barner has filled in nicely as a return man for Walter Thurmond III. Stanford’s Chris Owusu has tallied 1,176 all-purpose yards this season, which shows just how dangerous he can be, though the Ducks have yet to allow a punt or kickoff return for a touchdown this season. The special teams battle could prove to be the X-factor.
WM: Stanford’s return game and coverage units are both exemplary. Owusu practically wrapped up Pac-10 honors after the first four weeks of the year, and new punt returner Drew Terrell has shown a natural knack for the role. Meanwhile, the kick and punt coverage units are made up almost entirely of fast defensive backs and linebackers who get downfield quickly and do a nice job of containing. It’s no secret that special teams coach D.J. Durkin is one of the rising stars on the West Coast. But, when it actually comes to kicking the ball, Stanford has some issues. Kicker Nate Whitaker has noticeably tired as the year has progressed — his kickoffs continue to lose velocity and his field goal attempts have become more inaccurate. Meanwhile, the punting job has been up for grabs all season, and neither David Green nor Daniel Zychlinksi has been able to lock it down.
One final note: the Cardinal plays exceptionally well at home. They’ve lost only once in the past two year (to USC, who they were tied with at half time). This season, they’ve destroyed all four opponents they’ve faced at Stanford Stadium — literally beaten them into submission. It is a stark contrast to their road performance, where they can look lost. It adds another twist to an already intriguing matchup.
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