In any week during the college football season, we will have spent several days previewing and breaking down the Oregon Ducks and how they might fare against their next opponent. As it happens, for the opening week of the season, we’ve been focused on this game against Fresno State for much longer than just a few days, having September 4th circled on the calendar for quite some time.
We’ve covered the depth chart, figured out what questions we want to be answered, and gone in-depth on the opponent. Now one of the only things left to do is actually make our predictions.
As will happen every week of the season, the managing editor of Ducks Wire, Zachary Neel, will convene with staff writers Don Smalley and Andy Patton to preview the game, set expectations, and ultimately make a final prediction.
Here’s what Ducks Wire thinks about the game against Fresno State:
What to expect from Anthony Brown
Question: A major big-picture question for Oregon this season is how good QB Anthony Brown will be. Just from a fan’s point of view, do you think we will be leaving Autzen on Saturday feeling impressed with his performance or left wanting more?
Zachary Neel: I think that any reasonable Oregon fan trusts the coaching staff when they say that Anthony Brown is the right guy to lead this team, and they aren’t holding unrealistic expectations over his head. However, those people who are expecting a massive stat-line against Fresno State will likely be disappointed. Rather than throwing for 300-plus yards and 4 touchdowns, I think we should be happy to see 2-3 solid quarters of play (hoping Brown does not need to play much in the second half) with a handful of touchdowns and no turnovers.
Don Smalley: What’s the old saying? The backup QB is the most popular guy in town. Perhaps unfairly, fans are going to want to see what Ty Thompson has to show. I think no matter how well Anthony Brown does, fans will look for any little excuse to see Thompson. I think Brown is going to play very well in this game. As long as he isn’t a turnover machine, which he’s not, he’ll be the main guy for the entire season.
Andy Patton: I think Brown will be good in this game; he has plenty of weapons around him and assuming he limits turnovers he should complete his primary task, which is to win a football game for his team. However, I don’t anticipate him doing much to completely wow or win over the crowd, and I don’t think the Ty Thompson supporters will necessarily be convinced after this performance.