The top two teams in the Pac-12 North are set for a showdown this Saturday, as Oregon travels south to Palo Alto, California, to face No. 7 Stanford.
The Ducks (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) come into the game on the heels of a 44-28 victory over California, a game in which they seemed to finally get things back on track. Oregon overcame a slow start and an early turnover to put up 777 total yards of offense — the most in program history.
The Cardinal (8-1, 7-0 Pac-12) have been just as impressive since its week one glitch against Northwestern. Since that early loss, Stanford has gone undefeated, most recently beating Colorado 42-10.
Here are the matchups to watch for on Saturday:
Stanford offensive line vs. Oregon defensive line
The Cardinal are built to run the ball and it has the offensive line to do it. On the season, their line has helped them rank 15th in the nation in rushing yards per game with 227.7. On the other side of the trenches is Oregon’s defensive line, a group that has shown the ability to put pressure on the quarterback. The question is whether they can hold up throughout the contest, a task that will require them to fill the space and free up the linebackers from blocks.
Vernon Adams Jr. vs. Stanford secondary
Against Washington State, the second best passing offense in the country, the Stanford secondary turned in a solid game. It held Cougars quarterback Luke Falk to 354 yards and picked him off twice in the win. The Cardinal will be looking for a similar performance against Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr., who has really come on since returning from his injury. Adams finished the Cal game with 300 yards and four touchdowns. Look for Oregon to try to get him going early with short throws before allowing him to take a shot deep.
Players to watch:
Oregon:
DeForest Buckner
One of the stars for Oregon this season has been defensive end DeForest Buckner, who has been unstoppable at times for offensive lines. Playing with a cast on a wrist he injured during the ASU game, Buckner recorded a team-high seven tackles and one sack last weekend. The sack forced the Golden Bears to settle for a field goal. On the season, the senior has 51 tackles and seven sacks.
Bralon Addison
Addison is a key part of the Ducks’ offense. This season, he has 42 receptions for 532 yards and six touchdowns. Look for the coaches to get Addison involved with some trick plays against Stanford to try to catch the defense off guard.
Stanford:
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey is a workhorse for Stanford, doing pretty much everything the team asks of him. The sophomore Heisman hopeful puts up numbers running the ball, in the passing game and as a return man. He has an explosive first step and a seemingly endless amount of energy. This season, he has already run for 1,207 yards and six touchdowns. He’s showing no signs of slowing down. For the Ducks, it’s less a question of stopping McCaffrey than it is just trying to contain him.
Austin Hooper
They sure do know how to grow tight ends on The Farm. Hooper is just the latest talent to pass through the Cardinal program at that position. He leads the team with 356 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur