Expect Plenty of Offensive Fireworks Between Oregon and California

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Jeffrey Martin, GoLocalPDX Contributor

For Friday night football, Oregon against California at the “Field of Jeans” - yes, Levi’s applied for that trademark on Levi’s Stadium, the new Santa Clara home of the San Francisco 49ers - should be highly entertaining.

The game airs on Fox Sports 1, and yeah, the folks there are psyched - check out what they produced in anticipation, complete with Gus Johnson on the soundtrack.

It’s “Super Mariota,” like the Nintendo classic, Super Mario? Get it?

In this case, fantasy might mirror reality. Marcus Mariota really should run over and through the Bears, but name a Pac-12 quarterback this season who hasn’t?

The good news? Pick a number, any number, and the odds are (we’re not advocating gambling, although it should be noted Oregon is as much as a 17-point favorite in a road/neutral field environment) the Ducks should match or exceed it.

No hyperbole - the Bears are allowing 38.4 (!) points per game.

Instead, the real concern is how the Ducks will counter in slowing Cal sophomore quarterback Jared Goff and the nation’s third-ranked passing offense. 

We’ve seen how UO fares against potent, prolific, pass-happy offenses. It’s not pretty.

The Bears move the ball. Goff is excellent, especially with anticipation throws, the receivers are better you think and the points pile up. For the most part, they just haven’t been able to finish games.

They scored 45 in a league-opening loss to Arizona and then 59 a week later against Colorado. The following week, they rolled up 60 on Washington State before recording 34 last week against UCLA, a game Cal should have won.

Sandwiched in the middle, though, was a 31-7 loss to Washington - at home.

It was a head-scratcher then and especially now, after the Huskies’ vaunted defense underwhelmed last week against the Ducks. 

Then again, Oregon can and will do that to a unit.

Barring a complete collapse and Mariota suddenly turning turnover-prone - remember, he hasn’t thrown an interception all season - it’s hard to see how Cal upsets the Ducks. 

But will the Bears score against UO? Yes, early and often. Don’t be alarmed - it’s just what they do.

Homepage Photo Credit: iStock

Related Articles

• What We Learned: Washington at Oregon
• What We Learned: Oregon vs. Wyoming
• What We Learned: Oregon vs. Arizona
• What We Learned: Oregon Ducks Vs Washington State Cougars

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