The Oregon Ducks are just hours away from their first game as the AP No. 1 team since 2012, and won’t have an easy challenge in their first test as Kings of the Hill. The Illinois Fighting Illini are headed to Autzen Stadium as the No. 20 ranked team in the country, and although the Ducks are heavy favorites, this might not be an easy game.
Oregon comes into this game undefeated at 7-0 and Illinois is 6-1, with their only loss coming against Penn State. Last week, Illinois took down the reigning National Champion Michigan Wolverines, and they are fully in midseason form.
Below, are my three keys for Oregon this weekend to ensure victory. Obviously, many factors will contribute to the winner of this game, but if the Ducks do these things, they should be in a good spot to win.
Exploit the run game
Through eight weeks of the season, Illinois’ run defense has been poor. They rank third-to-last in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game with 145.3, ahead of only Rutgers and Purdue. Jordan James has been one of the finest backs in college football this year, and since the Boise State game, Oregon’s O-line has been great. If James and the O-line can maintain their current level of play, the Ducks will be in good shape to win this game.
Take away Altmyer’s deep ball
In the Big Ten this season, no one has a higher adjusted completion percentage (completion rate with WR drops counted as completions) on deep balls than Illinois’ quarterback Luke Altmyer with 59.3%. The Ducks’ secondary has been playing its best football since the second half of the Ohio State game, and they’ll need to keep it up this week, especially against the long ball.
Win the turnover battle
In all three phases of the game, the Oregon Ducks outmatch the Illinois Fighting Illini by a good margin, so for the Fighting Illini to win this game, they’ll need to control the ball and — likely — generate a few extra possessions. If Oregon can protect the ball — and potentially generate a few takeaways of their own — they’ll be in control of the game.
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