After quarterback Dakota Prukop told reporters that they had the best Tuesday practice so far this season, the No. 22 Oregon Ducks are excited to face their toughest opponent yet: the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
“This is definitely a challenge, and any time you get to play a good opponent you get excited,” offensive coordinator Matt Lubick told reporters on Wednesday. “You have to treat it one practice at a time. This will be a huge test for us.”
The Ducks will travel to Nebraska where 87,000 loud fans will try to rattle an Oregon offense that is breaking in young offensive linemen and a new quarterback.
“We try to practice with crowd noise and music all year long,” Lubick said. “Our system is built on silence as far as being able to communicate without talking. … I can barely hear myself think with how loud our music is at practice.”
The young offensive line will face schemes that are familiar to Oregon’s offensive coaching staff, as Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker was in the same position at Oregon State for several years.
During his time at Oregon State, Banker attacked the Oregon offense with a variety of schemes and blitzes, and the Duck coaches expect the same.
“There are a lot of similarities. He’s had a few tweaks,” offensive line coach Steve Greatwood said. “He’s probably got more and more depth than he ever had at Oregon State.”
Greatwood, who was a coach for Oregon in the 1980’s when the Ducks played Nebraska, hoped for a different outcome than when they played 30 years ago.
“It was like the Christians to lions… You always go in thinking you have a great chance to win and you prepare hard for it, but when you get beat 63-0… You wonder why you ever prepared for it,” Greatwood said. “We did not have the confidence back then.”
The Ducks are the nouveau riche of college football powerhouses, and Nebraska is a traditional one. This game means a lot in the battle of brand name programs and recruiting.
“I wish every college football contest was like this,” Greatwood said. “You can see that extra amount of focus and preparation that the kids have.”
The Oregon offense will try to speed up the tempo and efficiency of the offense as they face the best defense so far, and the Ducks feel like they have yet to hit their full stride.
Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @butler917