It is widely known in college football that the Stanford Cardinal have had a dominant running game the last several years. Past running backs like 2009 Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart and Tyler Gaffney soaked up the spotlight.
But when it comes down to it, those players have been running behind one of the best overall units in college football: the Stanford offensive line.
The names and numbers may change, but the schemes and cohesiveness of the unit is what’s made Stanford’s offense so good for so long. The line has enabled the Cardinal to dictate the pace of the games they play and, thus, grind out the clock for wins.
This year is no different.
If Oregon is going to continue on its path towards resurrection and stand a chance against the No. 7 Cardinal, it’s going to start with disrupting Stanford’s offensive line.
For the Ducks, enter DeForest Buckner.
The defensive end is having a very productive senior year, anchoring the Oregon defensive line (Oregon’s strongest defensive group) and is regarded as one of the top defensive lineman in college football. Buckner lost his running mate last year when Arik Armstead was drafted 17th overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
Buckner, who was also considered a high draft pick, chose to stay at Oregon.
Buckner is scheduled to earn his college degree this year, before he enters the NFL draft. According to many draft experts and analysts, most notably ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Buckner is a sure-fire first round pick and has appeared as high as ninth on Kiper’s latest Big Board.
Buckner will have the chance to further improve his draft stock come Saturday when he faces Stanford’s offensive line. Not only does he have a chance to lead the Ducks to victory, he has a chance to further impress NFL scouts when he faces off with tackle Kyle Murphy and guard Joshua Garnett, two of the premier players at their positions in college football.
On the year, Buckner leads the Ducks with seven sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. He’s second on the team with 51 tackles and five passes broken up and third with five passes defended. He’s done all of this while constantly being double-teamed by opponents, sometimes even taking on three defenders.
While there is no doubting Buckner’s talent and his ability to disrupt offensive game plans at the college level, NFL scouts’ best chance to see what he can do against an NFL-type offense and offensive line will come on Saturday.
Buckner won’t need to make all of the tackles. His main job will be to take on double teams and free up his other linemen and linebackers to make plays. If Stanford sends two or three players to defend Buckner, the Ducks will outnumber the Cardinal in the trenches and that’s a battle they need to win.
“Some of the young guys are starting grow up,” Buckner said. “We’re definitely excited to see who stands out this game.”
In the passing game, Buckner is going to have to pressure Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan into bad throws, allowing Oregon’s defensive backs to make plays.
If he can do those things, not only will Oregon have a chance to win the game, but Buckner will have a chance to move up in the draft.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka