ScoopDuck Predictions: Offensive Player of the Game
We are inching closer to game time for this week. The Ducks will host Stanford for the late night game in Autzen. Hopefully you have your energy drink or coffee ready to stay awake for this one.
An always focused Stanford will come to Eugene and the Ducks will need to be ready. The No. 1 rule of football is scoring more points than your opponent.
If that’s the case, these players will need to have big games for Oregon. Here are our predictions for offensive players of the game for the Ducks.
Jarrid Denney: Bo Nix
Bo Nix has been getting better and better each week for Oregon and, aside from a really poor pick-six, played one of the best games of his career last Saturday. Stanford’s defense gives me no reason to believe he’s going to slow down at Autzen this weekend.
The Cardinal have faced two good quarterbacks this year in USC’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and both put up big numbers against a middle-of-the-road defense. I’m expecting Nix to do the same.
Joel Gunderson: Bucky Irving
When the well is filled, you drink ’till you’re full. Irving has established himself as the alpha of Oregon’s running backs room and looks like a superstar in the making. Odds are he will continue to split reps in Oregon’s 2.5-backs per game committee, but there is no denying that Irving is the best of the bunch.
Stanford’s run defense is Oregon-2016 bad, and I doubt the coaches want Bo Nix throwing even half as much as he did against Wazzu. After the BYU game, Dan Lanning said he doesn’t care of the other team knows what Oregon will do if they can’t stop it. I see no reason to change that mentality.
Oregon should and will run the ball 50-60 times against the trees. Look for Irving to have his most carries so far (prediction: 18) and to put up a big number (150 yards, two TDs).
Corpatty: Bucky Irving
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that last Saturday I was clamoring for Bucky Irving to get more carries. Well this is the week I think it happens. I believe Irving is the best running back on the Oregon roster and he will be the first Duck to eclipse the 100 yard rushing mark this season on Saturday. I think he finally gets more that 14 carries and finishes the game with around 130 yards rushing and 2 TDs before he is pulled because of the size of Oregon’s lead.
Travis Rooke-ley: Bo Nix
I think we continue to see Nix play incredibly well, and think we will really attack mismatches throughout the secondary on Saturday. Stanford’s defense is bad, and I think Franklin, Cota and company will have another big day through the air before we call off the dogs.
Jhop: Noah Whittington
So this time I had the benefit of reading everyone else’s first before posting mine. So since that was the case, I decided to put a different name up even though I like the Bucky Irving pick personally.
So why Whittington then?
Because, I think he’s been so close to some big plays he’s due. I think Oregon will commit to the run game this week and look to pound it against Stanford. If Irving finds success as I/we expect, I think the fresh home-run legs of Whittington will be a change of pace that really stretches this Stanford defense.
I’ve already said I think Oregon puts up big yards in the run game this week. There’s plenty for Irving and Whittington to eat if that’s the case.
