Oregon vs. Washington State: ‘Tale of the Tape’ for No. 9 Ducks vs. Cougars
It unfortunately feels like a lot of luster has been taken off of this upcoming game between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington State Cougars.
Just a couple of weeks ago, both teams were rolling, with a pair of undefeated records between the two while both Dan Lanning and Jake Dickert found themselves ranked well inside the top 25. Since then, though, the Cougars have dropped two straight games, losing to both UCLA and Arizona, while the Ducks dropped their first game of the year to the Washington Huskies a week ago.
While this is no longer billed as a top-25 matchup, it will still be a tough contest for the Ducks. With QB Cameron Ward leading the way up in Pullman, the Cougars boast a potent offense that can hurt you if you aren’t ready for it.
To preview this matchup, we wanted to do what we do every week and dive into the numbers to see which team should have the edge on paper. Here is our Tale of the Tape for Week 8.
QB Bo Nix vs. QB Cameron Ward
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Breaking down the quarterback matchup based on 2023 stats:
Nix | vs | Ward |
6-3 | Ht | 6-2 |
214 | Wt | 223 |
Senior | Class | Junior |
164 | Comp | 147 |
207 | Att | 211 |
79.2 | Comp % | 69.7 |
1,796 | Yards | 1,779 |
8.7 | YPA | 8.4 |
17-1 (18 total TD) | TD-INT | 14-3 (17 total TD) |
Edge: Oregon
It’s not a huge gap between the two, but what makes Bo Nix stand apart is his completion percentage. He is able to exceed Cameron Ward’s impressive stats, all while being much more efficient and protective of the ball. Ward is among the best QBs that the Ducks will face this year, but the best QB in this game will be on the Oregon sideline.
Oregon RBs vs. Washington State RBs
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Breaking down Oregon’s backfield and Washington State’s backfield based on 2023 stats:
Oregon | vs | Washington St. |
Irving | Watson | |
James | Paine | |
Limar | Jenkins | |
131 | Att | 101 |
1,010 | Yards | 330 |
7.7 | YPC | 3.3 |
14 | TDs | 4 |
2 | 100-yard games | 0 |
Edge: Oregon
Analysis: This one is not even close, to be completely honest. To be fair, the Cougars are a team much more likely to air it out and let Cameron Ward get the job done, but when they do choose to run the ball, they don’t find a ton of success. Meanwhile, the Ducks have arguably the best RB duo in the Pac-12, and one of the best in the nation with Bucky Irving and Jordan James. Give me Oregon’s backfield all day long.
Oregon Pass Catchers vs. Washington State Pass Catchers
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Breaking down the receiving corps based on stats from 2023:
Oregon | vs | Washington St. |
Franklin | Williams | |
Ferguson | Victor | |
Johnson | Kelly | |
Holden | Hernandez | |
131 | Target | 143 |
101 | Rec | 109 |
77.1 | Catch % | 76.2 |
1,343 | Yards | 1,351 |
13.3 | YPR | 12.4 |
15 | TDs | 12 |
Slight Edge: Oregon
Analysis: You could argue either way here, but I think that the Ducks definitely have the advantage. While they don’t get quite the opportunity that Cougars’ WRs get because of the run-game split, Oregon players do more with their opportunity, hauling in more TDs, more yards per reception, and a higher catch percentage.
Oregon Defenders vs. Washington State Defenders
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Breaking down the top defenders based on stats from 2023:
Oregon (Tackles) | vs | Washington (Tackles) |
Johnson (34) | Hampton (36) | |
Bassa (24) | Ulofoshio (27) | |
Boettcher (23) | Bruener (19) | |
Williams (24) | Jackson (19) | |
Total | Team | Stats |
19 (11th) | Sacks | 13 (66th) |
37 (47th) | TFL | 34 (77th) |
5 | INT | 5 |
7 (92nd) | Turnover | 8 (77th) |
34.5 (39th) | 3D% | 41.2 (90th) |
80.0 (47th) | RZ% | 87.0 (88th) |
Edge: Oregon
The Ducks definitely have the advantage when it comes to defense. They rank within the top 15 in the nation when it comes to scoring defense and total defense, with the 11th-most sacks in the nation. Washington State’s defense isn’t among the worst in the Pac-12, but they certainly aren’t among the best, either.
When Oregon has the ball
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Oregon | Washington | ||
Passing Offense | 331.7 (9th) | 272.2 (118th) | Passing Defense |
Rushing Offense | 221.7 (8th) | 147.2 (75th) | Rushing Defense |
Total Offense | 553.3 (1st) | 419.3 (108th) | Total Defense |
Scoring Offense | 48.5 (1st) | 28.5 (86th) | Scoring Defense |
Yards Per Play | 7.2 (5th) | 5.5 (63rd | Yards Per Play |
When Washington State has the ball
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Washington | Oregon | ||
Passing Offense | 429.8 (40th) | 180.7 (17th) | Passing Defense |
Rushing Offense | 92.2 (123rd) | 101.5 (16th) | Rushing Defense |
Total Offense | 429.8 (40th) | 282.2 (13th) | Total Defense |
Scoring Offense | 34.4 (29th) | 15.83 (11th) | Scoring Defense |
Yards Per Play | 5.4 (69th) | 4.4 (13th) | Yards Per Play |
Advanced Stats Breakdown
WASHINGTON STATE @ OREGON pic.twitter.com/USXjfR97T4
— parker fleming (@statsowar) October 18, 2023
Who has the edge?
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Edge: Oregon Ducks
Even before you looked at the stats breakdown, you could have probably guessed that the Ducks were going to have the edge in this matchup. They are bigger, faster, and more talented at nearly every position across the field. This is also a game where Oregon is expected to be playing with quite a bit of emotion, as well, after coming off of a tough loss to their biggest rivals.
