5 Things to Watch For in the Oregon vs. WSU Game

Saturday, October 10, 2015

J.R. Taylor, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Coming off an important conference win against Colorado last weekend, the Ducks fly home for this week's matchup as they face the Washington State Cougars. Washington State will bring the conference's top passing attack in terms of volume, which could potentially cause major problems for the Ducks defense, as they rank last in the conference in passing yards allowed.

Also, with the absence of Vernon Adams Jr. at quarterback, Coach Mark Helfrich will have no choice but to give Oregon's snaps to Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie in this one.

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Related Slideshow: 5 Things to Watch For in the Oregon vs. WSU Game

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Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie Combo at QB

With the Oregon Ducks original starting quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr., still out with his index fingury injury, the Ducks must turn to back-up QB Jeff Lockie and freshman Taylor Alie to lead the way. Lockie and Alie both played in last week's game against Colorado, and neither of them had a stellar performance. They will definately have to step up this weekend in order to beat Washington State. Watch for a stand-out performance from either quarterback.

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Washington State Brings Top Passing Game

Washington State will bring the conference's top passing attack in terms of volume to Autzen this weekend. That's not an ideal matchup for Oregon's defense, which ranks last in the conference in passing yards allowed (287.2) and touchdown passes allowed (16). WSU's quarterback, Luke Falk, has gotten off to a strong start in the Cougars pass-heavy offense, completing 72.6 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards and 10 touchdowns with only two interceptions.

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Ducks Running Game to Outshine the Cougars Defense

Oregon proved at Colorado that its better than the Buffaloes, but that's not saying much. The Cougars will move the ball through the air enough to put a scare into the Ducks, but their defense is not strong enough to prevent the Ducks' running attack from controlling the game. With major threats like Royce Freeman, and new-found talent Taj Griffin in the backfield, the Ducks are at a major advantage.

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Oregon's Pioneer Uniform Combo Unveiling

Nike and the University of Oregon Ducks worked together to create their new Oregon Pioneers football uniform combination, which honors the history of the state of Oregon. The Oregon Pioneers football uniform displays the explorers on the helmet. The silhouette of Lewis and Clark, along with The Duck, appears as a decal on the helmet pointing West.

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The Ducks Defense Overall Improvement

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said tackling, specifically, has improved since the season opener against Eastern Washington with the addition of bettering pad level, fundamentals, wraps and finishes against moving stuffed bags. Another aspect the Ducks have focused on is getting multiple players to the ball in case the first guy misses. WSU's excellent passing game will surely put the Ducks to the test.