3 storylines to watch as No. 4 Oregon Ducks face Stony Brook on Saturday
After a stressful Week 1 win over Fresno State and a dominating, eyebrow-raising performance in Week 2 against the Buckeyes of Ohio State, the Oregon Ducks head into Week 3 with a 2-0 record and a chance to hopefully coast to victory over the Stony Brook Seawolves of the Colonial Athletic Conference.
While the game is not expected to be a particularly competitive one (although you never know) there is still plenty for Ducks fans to keep an eye on in this contest.
An early lead could allow coach Mario Cristobal and his staff to rest starters in the second half, which would give fans a chance to see who the future stars might be on this squad.
Anthony Brown’s backup is perhaps the most hotly contested topic heading into Saturday afternoon’s game, but how Oregon handles the losses of tight end Cam McCormick and linebacker Justin Flowe will be a key part of this game, and the ‘will he, won’t he’ saga of defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is, of course, a notable storyline as well.
Here is a quick look at each of those storylines heading into Week 3 of the college football season:
Oregon’s Backup Quarterback Competition
Anthony Brown laid to rest any lingering concerns about his role as Oregon’s full-time starting quarterback after a very strong performance against Ohio State last Saturday.
Now, coach Mario Cristobal is playing coy about who the Ducks backup quarterback is – a player who could be featured a fair amount on Saturday against Stony Brook if the team jumps out to an early lead.
The battle appears to be between Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield, and Robby Ashford – with most believing the job belongs to Thompson.
Saturday’s game should not only give fans a definitive answer to this burning question, but said player will hopefully get to see a good chunk of playing time if this contest is out of reach in the first half.
Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Lingering Health
Superstar defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was a late scratch on Saturday against Ohio State, leaving the Ducks without both him and five-star linebacker Justin Flowe.
Oregon still managed to pull off the win, and they certainly shouldn’t have any trouble doing so again against Stony Brook, even if Thibodeaux remains out.
However, it’s hard to imagine Oregon not playing Thibodeaux at least a little bit if he is healthy, just so he doesn’t get too far removed from game shape ahead of conference play.
If he’s cleared to go, expect to see Thibodeaux on the field for at least a quarter or so – but don’t be surprised if he spends a lot of this game on the bench in part to make sure he stays healthy and to give Oregon’s other defensive players a chance to strut their stuff in a game that should be determined early on.
Next Man Up Mentality
Oregon’s big win over Ohio State came with the loss of veteran tight end Cam McCormick, who was injured in the third quarter and will miss the rest of the season. It’s an extremely tough blow for McCormick, who has already missed a ton of time in his career and thins the depth at tight end significantly.
Expect to see a lot of true freshmen Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao on Saturday with both McCormick and Patrick Herbert on the shelf. Matavao scored a touchdown against the Buckeyes already, so he will surely be a part of the plan on Saturday.
As for Flowe, Cristobal reported he will be out for an extended period of time with a foot injury, which is a tremendous blow to this defense after the former five-star linebacker racked up 14 tackles in the opener against Fresno State.
Jackson LaDuke and Dru Mathis are both out as well, so Oregon will play a lot of Keith Brown (assuming he’s healthy) and Nate Heaukulani on Saturday – and converted safety Jeffrey Bassa could be in the mix as well.
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