3 Keys to Victory for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday
A week after their statement win against the Utah Utes, the Oregon Ducks will take on the California Golden Bears at home. The Bears have struggled this season; They have an overall record of 3-5 and a conference record of 1-4.
Still, Cal is not without talent. Last week, the Golden Bears put up nearly 50 points against the USC Trojans, led by the strong rushing of Jadyn Ott. If not for a failed 2-point conversion attempt in the game’s final moments, Cal would’ve had a chance to win against the formerly No. 6 ranked USC.
This likely won’t be Oregon’s toughest test of the year, but they still do need to execute. Below are the three things I think will be most necessary for the Ducks to ensure success on Saturday.
Stop the run
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Last week against the Trojans, Golden Bears RB Jadyn Ott had a huge day with 153 yards on 21 carries, plus three touchdowns. Oregon has been good at stopping the run all year, so hopefully, Ott’s explosiveness won’t be a problem. Overall, If the Ducks can limit his output, they’ll put themselves in a good position to win on Saturday.
Spread out the offense
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Last week against Utah, Oregon’s passing game and run game were firing, which is what made their offense so special. Cal has struggled this year against multi-dimensional offenses like Oregon’s. So, if the Ducks can move the ball in the air and on the ground like they did last week, they’ll take over this game.
Maintain consistency across the board
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As Dan Lanning pointed out in the Oregon vs. Utah Cinematic Recap, the hardest trait for humans to achieve is consistency. The Ducks were consistent against the Utes across all facets of the game and if they can have that same consistency against Cal, they’ll set themselves up nicely for USC and the rest of this season.
