The Oregon Ducks are taking on the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, in what will be a reunion of sorts for new head coach Dan Lanning – Georgia’s former defensive coordinator.
Georgia is the heavy favorite in this game, but Oregon is a new-look squad with not only a new coach at the helm, but a new quarterback, new coordinators, new running backs, and multiple new starters in the secondary, on the defensive line, and in the wide receiver room.
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It makes the Ducks a tough team to pin down early in the season, and that is just one of many things this Oregon squad should use to their advantage in this game to pull off a major upset.
Here are three keys to a potential Oregon victory:
Element of Surprise
Oregon’s blend of talent, athleticism, potential, experience, and more importantly NEWNESS puts them in a unique position heading into this game.
Pound for pound, no one is arguing Oregon is better than Georgia. But Georgia is a relatively known commodity, with a returning quarterback, returning tight ends, a few returners up front, and a still excellent defense that now-Oregon head coach Dan Lanning helped build.
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Meanwhile, Georgia coach Kirby Smart is going to have a hard time figuring out just what the heck, or even who the heck, the Ducks are going to be rolling out there on Saturday.
Using that to their advantage will be key for the Ducks. Trick plays, new plays, different coverages on defense, etc. are all ways for Oregon to keep Georgia guessing throughout the game, which could give them a bit of an edge.