When Oregon and Nebraska collide on Saturday, it will be a battle of pride.
Whichever team wins will give its conference a big victory and signify that they are ready to compete for a conference championship. Likewise, the loser will further sink into college football’s graveyard of mediocrity.
Here are the players to watch:
OREGON
Charles Nelson, WR: Both Darren Carrington and Devon Allen have had big games to start the season and now it’s Nelson’s turn. Nelson can do it all for the Ducks but he’s struggled to get going this year, amassing only five catches for 37 yards. While not big in stature, Nelson is very strong and amazingly explosive so when he has the ball in his hands, he can make a difference. If this is Nelson’s breakout game to start the season, it could be a long day for Nebraska.
Lamar Winston Jr., LB: Johnny Ragin III didn’t play last week and A.J. Hotchkins was carted off with an injury, leaving the Ducks extremely thin at linebacker. That’s where Winston comes into play. Winston, a freshman, will be tasked with shadowing Nebraska quarterback Terry Armstrong Jr. and taking away the rushing aspect of his game. If Winston can plug the right gaps and contain Armstrong in the pocket, it might be enough to give Oregon the win.
Dakota Prukop, QB: Prukop has been nothing short of phenomenal this season with six touchdowns passes and no interceptions, as well as another touchdown rushing. He’s showing that he’s in control of the Oregon offense, moving it along at a high tempo and wearing down defenses. But he’s never faced a defense like Nebraska’s. He’s going to feel pressure and he’s going to get hit. How Prukop responds to the adversity will be telling if Oregon is going to get the “upset.”
NEBRASKA
Ross Dzuris, DE: Dzuris is Nebraska’s best interior defensive lineman and has been a terror in the trenches so far, amassing 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss on the season. A former walk-on who earned a scholarship last year, Dzuris has had to fight for every second of playing time so fighting in the trenches comes easy to him. He’ll be going against an inexperienced offensive line with the Ducks and if he can disrupt Prukop’s timing with receivers, it could mean celebration at the end of the game.
Devine Ozigbo, RB: Virginia ran around and through Oregon’s front seven last week. Ozigbo is better than Albert Reid of Virginia and he has a better offensive line so that should mean big things for him. If Ozigbo can run wild and make Oregon miss tackles like it did last week, he could keep the Oregon offense off the field. Ozigbo is big in size — 230 pounds — so getting into the second line of the defense will lead to big things for the Nebraska offense and take pressure off Armstrong.
Kieron Williams, S: While Nathan Gerry is probably the more experienced safety for Nebraska, Williams is the one who’s been tested more this year and come up bigger. Williams leads the team with 15 tackles while also having two interceptions. He’ll be tasked with keeping up with Allen and Carrington on the outside and limiting the receivers in big plays. If Williams plays big, Oregon’s offense could really sputter.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka