Oregon, after going 2-1 in non-conference play, will begin Pac-12 play against Stanford. The Ducks opened up conference play last season against the Cardinal suffering a gut-wrenching 38-31 loss.
Like the Ducks, Stanford will also come into this game with lots of injured players. Despite the injuries and the memories of last season’s loss, the Ducks are looking to open conference play with a win against a team that has caused them trouble in the past.
“I don’t think that exists with our guys and the way our guys are built up and the way we train,” head coach Mario Cristobal said when asked about last year’s game. “If there’s anything lingering it’s nothing but motivation.”
Oregon will head into Palo Alto with the possibility of having a new man at center. During last Saturday’s game against Montana, center Jake Hanson suffered an unspecified injury that has kept him out of practice and potentially out of the game against Stanford. Luckily, the Ducks have a veteran and deep offensive line group. Calvin Throckmorton will shift to center from right tackle with offensive lineman Brady Aiello taking his place.
“Throck is a high level player…he does it all well,” Cristobal said. “Should that be the case where he plays [at center] we have complete faith and trust in Brady Aiello, who has played great football for us. We will go with whatever we are ready to go with.”
Oregon, as of Wednesday, has Juwan Johnson listed as day-to-day after suffering a calf injury in week one. Cyrus Habibi-Likio, who suffered back spasms against Montana, is also day-to-day. Cornerback Thomas Graham Jr., who suffered a right ankle injury last week, has been granted full-go.
Stanford, like Oregon, has a roster riddled with injuries, but the Ducks aren’t using that as a crutch against the Cardinal.
“I think everyone at this point has gone through a good amount of injuries,” Cristobal said. “They have quality depth across the board. They know how to win games, they present matchup problems as well some of their length and their size. They’ve got an excellent football team, so we know that we need to be at our best.”
Oregon, who has not played well on the road in recent years, will begin conference play away from Autzen Stadium. The Cardinal have beat Oregon three consecutive years and have only lost at home eight times since 2010. Also, Justin Herbert has never beaten Stanford during his time as Oregon’s starting quarterback. If Herbert and the rest of the Ducks want to end their losing streak against Stanford, they will need to prove it on the road.
“You have to understand that you’ve got to pack your toughness, your resiliency, you’ve got to pack your perseverance,” Cristobal said. “All the stuff that goes with being a tough football team on the road knowing that when you leave your home and you go do it on the road there [are] the factors that are outside the football game itself.”
Follow Gabriel on Twitter @gabe_ornelas
