On Saturday afternoon, the Oregon Ducks will kick things off against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium. Going into the season, the Ducks were expected to blow the Buffs out, and while that is still the expectation, the perception of Colorado has changed a lot since the season started.
The Ducks are currently favored by 21.5 points according to BetMGM, which I think is a little high. I think Colorado is a better team than they showed against CSU last weekend and I think they give the Ducks a hard time on Saturday. I do think this is a very winnable game for the Ducks, and a win is the result I expect.
Below are the three things I think the Ducks need to do to ensure victory against Colorado:
A heavy dose of the run
I see Colorado’s biggest weakness as their defensive line and overall ability to stop the run. Bucky Irving and the other Oregon backs will be the talented RBs the Buffaloes have faced this season, so hopefully the Ducks can continue to exploit what others have already exploited. If Oregon is able to get the ground game cooking early, it will lead to extended drives that tire out the Colorado defense, which will allow the Ducks to assume control of the game.
Lots of pressure on Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders has been excellent at escaping pass rushers and throwing under pressure this season. He seems most comfortable however, when he is allowed to step up in the pocket. When Colorado State was able to force him backwards and even to the sidelines, plays ended in sacks. But, when he was allowed to step up, plays ended in 30-yard receptions for Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. This puts more responsibility on the DTs to generate pressure from up the middle, not just from the edges.
Win the turnover battle
Colorado and Oregon have both been able to force turnovers this season, and both have come at key moments in their respective games. If the Ducks are able to limit their turnovers and generate some of their own, they are set up for success. The only way for the Buffaloes to do anything on defense is to get turnovers; they struggle to get stops the old-fashioned way. On the flip side, we saw against Colorado State how much an early INT affects Shedeur. Perhaps, it was a one-time thing for him, but regardless, that INT for the Rams is one of the things that put them in that game.
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