Minnesota Football: Behind Enemy Lines - Oregon Ducks
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-3, 4-2) take on the No. 8 Oregon Ducks (8-1, 5-1) on Friday night at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
The Gophers enter the matchup as 25.5-point underdogs. In anticipation of Friday night’s game, Gophers Nation caught up with Justin Hopkins of Scoop Duck to learn more about the Ducks.
1. From what we’ve seen this season, Oregon looks more like a classic Big Ten outfit — tough in the trenches, committed to the run, and content to control the game rather than chase track-meet scores. Is that a fair read on this Ducks team? And how does this year’s group stack up against Dan Lanning’s first three squads in terms of style and overall makeup?
This team is definitely built to compete in the trenches. Which as we both know is something the Big Ten is known for. Oregon can run the ball and they are good at limiting the run on defense.
This team really has better depth than Lanning’s earlier teams. Those teams had talent but if a player went down, it was a pretty steep drop off. Tonight you’ll likely see Oregon without its top two receivers and possibly starting tight end and likely won’t even notice a drop off. That’s the biggest difference I see with this team.
2. The Oregon backfield is interesting. While they do have a “lead” in Noah Whittington, they have four running backs with over 40 carries. Can you talk about how the Ducks have been using their stable of backs this season and the success it’s created?
They love to say they will roll with the ‘hot hand.’ But they rotate the backs often to keep them fresh. Last week against Iowa they started with Whittington but leaned on the two freshmen, Davison and Hill in the middle eight before finishing with Whittington. It’s ultimately a great problem to have if you’re Oregon. I would expect we’ll see the same against Minnesota Friday night.
3. The Oregon offense in three of its last four games has scored 21 points or less, quite a bit below its season mark. What’s been the common denominator in these low-output efforts? Are there any concerns that it could continue to carry over going forward?
You could definitely attribute weather to at least two of them. It was pouring in Oregon vs Wisconsin and at Iowa last week. But I don’t think it’s totally fair to just blame weather. Oregon has moved some pieces around on offense and Dante Moore has had some inconsistencies. I think they have worked out a few of those kinks and also I do believe the more they lean into the run, the more dynamic the offense is.
4. Oregon’s defense is among the best in the country. If Minnesota was going to find a way to move the ball at any consistent rate on Saturday, what would be its best avenue in doing so?
With the way Oregon plays the middle of the field has some openings. There was some confusion last week in the secondary at Iowa which led to some big plays for them in the middle. If Minny is patient, I think that’s a way you can move the ball down the field against Oregon. But they do get stingy in the red zone so it’s important to finish those drives and not just settle for field goals.
5. Similarly, when it comes to slowing down the Oregon offense, what must Minnesota do on Friday night to be successful?
I think if you can find a way to take away the run and get them in third and long, you can have success. They do have a pretty good pass game but they will be down a few pass-catching options. Will Stein loves his screen game so you’ll see plenty of that Friday night. Indiana did a good job keeping everything in front of them against Oregon and stalling the run game early on. That to me is the recipe for success for Minnesota.
Follow along with Gophers Nation
Gophers Nation will have live updates on the Gophers’ week 12 clash with the Ducks throughout pregame, through P.J. Fleck and the players’ postgame press conference. Gophers Nation subscribers can chat with the staff and Gophers fans on the Inside Gophers Nation forum.
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned to Gophers Nation as we bring the latest updates on the Golden Gophers’ upcoming matchup against Oregon.
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