Oregon’s offense has been phenomenal this year. Just when you think you’ve seen the best they have to offer they perform at an even higher level. They have posted more than 50 points four times this year, and many college football analysts have said that Oregon possesses the most potent attack in the nation.
And even when skill-position stars began going down with injuries the offense has just kept rolling, posting more big numbers and more high scores.
That’s why the continued success of this team lies squarely on the shoulders of the defense.
We all know the Ducks will score at least 30 points a game. Against USC Saturday they only scored 24, but had two first-half turnovers by the special teams not swung the number of possessions in USC’s favor I believe Oregon would have scored at least another seven points.
California held them to 24 points as well, but we all know what happened in the game’s closing seconds to keep them from surpassing 30 points in that game.
So in my mind all the defense really needs to do is hold opposing offenses to less than 30 points and Duck fans can start booking hotel rooms in New Orleans.
The good news is that this defense looks primed to carry the team there, or at least help put them over the top.
They were called upon last week to win the game and they did so. Their stubborn defense on those two special teams turnovers and the ball-hawking ability of Matt Harper was obviously the difference in the win over USC.
This week against the Sun Devils I see the defense being called upon to win another one. Arizona State defends well, but nobody is going to hold the Duck offense down completely. It will be up to the defense to stifle Rudy Carpenter and create a little separation on the scoreboard.
And the Duck defense has a good chance to shut the Devils down completely; with Arizona State losing their starting running back to injury and Carpenter not posing a real threat to run with the ball, Oregon’s secondary will be able to concentrate on their coverages.
Carpenter can and will scramble away from the Oregon pass rush, but he does so to buy himself time to throw the ball, not to run with it. Oregon’s secondary will need to recognize this and stay with their receivers even when the pocket breaks down. If they do, it will be a long day for Carpenter and the Arizona State offense.
And let’s face it, after Arizona State the rest of the schedule gets quite a bit easier. Sure, the Beavers will be highly motivated to spoil the Ducks’ Bowl Championship Series hopes, but I don’t think they will stand much of a chance. Why? Because of the Oregon defense, of course.
The Civil War will be the biggest game of the season for the Beavers by far, and their defense has been solid this season, even great at times. The problem for the Beavers is their offense, which is truly putrid. Yvenson Bernard hasn’t been as effective as Oregon State hoped, and Sean Canfield has been throwing interceptions like he’s colorblind.
So even if the Beavers’ defense manages to quiet the raucous Duck offense a bit, the Duck defense will definitely be teeing off on the Beavs’ hapless offensive unit – and it’s really, really hard to win if you don’t score.
We’ve all heard the sports adage “defense wins championships,” and the Ducks can only capture the Pac-10 title, and possibly the national championship, if the defense can play up to the same level as the offense.
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