The Oregon Ducks are set to take on their toughest conference opponent of the season on Saturday, traveling down to the bay area to take on the Stanford Cardinal.
Stanford is 2-2 on the season, with losses against Kansas State in the opener and UCLA last weekend. They beat USC in Week 2 – a win that now looks less impressive after the Trojans imploded against the Beavers last Saturday.
Still, the Cardinal have always played the Ducks tough, and quarterback Tanner McKee and Stanford’s efficient offense could make things interesting on Saturday.
Below are three keys to victory for Oregon, things they’ll need to do if they want to secure their fifth straight win to begin the season.
Ground Attack
Stanford is currently allowing a conference worst 209 rushing yards per game. They’ve done a decent job in pass protection, with eight sacks and three interceptions, so Oregon’s best bet is to run the ball early and often with the two-headed monster of CJ Verdell and Travis Dye.
Running a lot early will force Stanford’s defense to stay on the field, and will burn some clock while allowing Anthony Brown to eventually do some damage through the air. If Oregon gets a lead early, expect to see a lot of Dye and Verdell as the game goes on.