Although the Oregon Ducks got their desired result in week one, beating the Idaho Vandals 24-14, Idaho challenged Oregon in ways most people didn’t expect. The Ducks have a lot to iron out before they reach the tougher parts of their schedule, which isn’t far ahead.
Oregon’s week two opponents — the Boise State Broncos — present a solid challenge. The Broncos aren’t ranked in the AP Top 25, but they are one of the top Group of Five teams in college football, and a potential playoff team/. Historically, the Ducks have struggled with Boise State, losing all three previous meetings with the Broncos.
In their first game, the Broncos’ defense experienced some struggles, allowing 45 points to Georgia Southern, but on offense, they were spectacular. Running back Ashton Jeanty had a performance that will make Oregon fans nervous headed into week two, rushing for 267 yards and 6 touchdowns on 20 carries.
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2024 is Jeanty’s third season with the Broncos after coming in as a 4-star recruit in the class of 2022. It took Jeanty no time to become an impact player at Boise State rushing for 821 yards as a freshman and 1,347 as a sophomore. Jeanty is efficient as well, averaging 6.1 yards per carry over his career.
Oregon’s run defense was one of the few bright spots in Saturday’s game, allowing just 49 rushing yards on 20 attempts, but Elisha Cummings, the Vandals’ top RB, was still able to average 5.4 yards per carry.
Several concerns about the 2024 Oregon Ducks arose during the Idaho game, and although it was early in the season, the Ducks still have to do the work to fix their issues. Without the luxury of an easy opponent in week two, the Ducks will have to adjust quickly, and if they don’t bring a good gameplan for Ashton Jeanty, he could embarrass Oregon’s defense.
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