Oregon / Quarterback / Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert, the senior signal caller, will have to face a rugged Utah defense in the Pac-12 championship game. Other than a 28-yard touchdown strike to Johnny Johnson III, Herbert’s final home game of his career was mostly forgettable. He only totaled 174 passing yards against a subpar Beavers’ secondary. Fair or not, Herbert will take a lot of heat if the Ducks lose to Utah. Herbert’s has had a good statistical season — he has thrown for 3,140 yards and 31 touchdowns. Stats are nice, but a career-defining win is better, and Herbert will have arguably the biggest stage of his career on Friday night.
Oregon / Linebacker / Troy Dye
Troy Dye, the senior linebacker, and anchor of Oregon’s defense will need a big game against Utah. Dye is a leader of the Ducks’ revamped defense that is one of the best in the conference. He added to the Oregon-Washington rivalry with a viral moment this year after the Washington game when made a “dubs down” hand gesture. In the Civil War, the Oregon defense bailed out Oregon’s offense, again, as they held the Beavers to 10 points. Dye has the stats to back up his trash talk. He has 67 total tackles on the year, along with two sacks and an interception. Dye will need to bring his energy style of football against the Utes in what could be a defensive slugfest.
Utah / Running Back / Zack Moss
Zack Moss is one of the best running backs in the conference. He’s racked up 1,246 yards on the ground and has 15 rushing touchdowns on the year. The senior has three straight seasons rushing over 1,000 yards. Moss has also been used as a receiver with 22 receptions for 317 yards and a touchdown. His best performance came against the hapless Arizona defense, when he rushed for 203 yards. He had a 91-yard run against Oregon State. The Oregon front seven will have their work cut out for them trying to contain Moss.
Utah / Linebacker / Devin Lloyd:
Utah has one of the best defenses in the country, and Devin Lloyd has stepped up his game in his sophomore season. After a lackluster 2018 season in which he had only six tackles, Lloyd in 2019 leads the team with 76 total tackles on the year. He had a 64-yard pick six in Utah’s rout of Oregon State. Lloyd also can get to the quarterback and has 4.5 sacks on the season. Lloyd and the rest of the Utah defense will cause the Oregon offense problems if they play like they did during the Civil War. If the Ducks don’t step up on Friday, Lloyd will punish them.
