For the second straight week, the Oregon Ducks will play in front of the electric Autzen Stadium faithful. After annihilating Eastern Washington University 70-14 in week two, the No. 25 Ducks will look to build off of their momentum against the No. 12 BYU Cougars.
After a turnover-ridden performance against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, quarterback Bo Nix returned to the gridiron with a vengeance. He showed why he was billed a 5-star recruit at the prep level, as he threw for 277 yards, five touchdowns and had zero turnovers. Nix’s five touchdowns made him the first Oregon quarterback since Justin Herbert (2019) to throw that many scores in a contest.
Troy Franklin, Byron Cardwell and Cam McCormick each tallied a reception touchdown, while sophomore tight end Terrance Ferguson caught two of his own. The Ducks’ pass offense looked very explosive, but the run game was no short of disappointing. Oregon’s backfield totaled 48 carries for 263 yards and four touchdowns, which brought their season total to 403 yards rushing.
Oregon’s defense is full of talent at every level, with the likes of Noah Sewell, Brandon Dorlus, Justin Flowe and Christian Gonzalez, among others. Their unit forced three turnovers against EWU, as Trikweze Bridges forced a fumble and interception. Gonzalez added an interception of his own, his first of the season.
With BYU coming to town, the Ducks’ offense will have to keep the explosive plays going. They will also have to be fundamentally sound on defense with quality tackling and pursuit angles.
Led by seventh-year head coach Kalani Sitake, the No. 12 Cougars are undefeated thus far. They are coming off of their sixth win against a top 10 team all time, after they upset the No. 9 Baylor Bears in Provo, Utah.
“The win was BYU’s sixth all-time against an AP Top 10 team and first at home since beating No. 1 Miami in 1990,” the Associated Press wrote.
Sitake is a household name in the coaching industry, given why Oregon spoke with him about its head coachingvacancy this offseason and why it’s no surprise that the Cougars have had early season success. This is another storyline to watch for in this top 25 matchup, as the Ducks’ made Dan Lanning their new leader.
Veteran quarterback Jaren Hall is in his second season as the starter after Zack Wilson entered the 2020 NFL Draft. Hall is off to a solid start, as he’s completed 522 passing yards and three touchdowns on 67.6%. He has the Cougars’ offense averaging 38 points per game, with his top two returning receivers battling injuries thus far. (Nakua sprained his ankle in the first half of the University of South Florida game, and Gunner Romney has yet to suit up this fall). Look for this contest to be high scoring if Nacua and/or Romney play against Oregon.
BYU’s defense has limited opposing offenses to 20.5 points and 284 total yards per game.
They also went 5-0 against Pac 12 teams last season, so it’s up to the Ducks to seize that streak. Tune into FOX this Saturday when the No. 12 Cougars face the No. 25 Ducks at 12:30 p.m.
