ScoopDuck Predictions: Surprise Storyline of the Game
It’s Wednesday which means we’ve progressed in our weekly coverage. With score predictions posted on Tuesday, it’s time for the surprise storylines from this weeks game.
We are missing a couple entries today for various reasons. But we do have a few for you to enjoy as you work through hump day.
Take a look below at the three picks.
Joel Gunderson: Oregon has three running back top 75 yards
I wanted so badly to put the number at 100, but I couldn’t get there in my head. But this is the ultimate dance-with-who-brung-ya game for the Ducks.
Arizona’s run defense is abysmal; Oregon’s run game is dominant. It’s not hard to see their game plan.
The only way Oregon leaves with a loss is turnovers and penalties. Their most consistent offense this season has been on the ground, and I hope for a steady diet. I could easily see Irving reaching 125, Whittington 100, and either James or Dollars breaking one and ending up around 80.
Throw in some Nix scrambles, and Oregon should aim for over 350 yards rushing, keeping the Wildcats’ vaunted pass game on the sidelines.
Jarrid Denney: Oregon’s secondary will play its best game of the year
On paper, Oregon’s secondary vs. Arizona’s secondary looks like a mismatch.
The Ducks are giving up more passing yards on a per-game basis than any team in the Pac-12, and Arizona’s passing attack has been one of the best in the conference at 340 yards per game. Jacob Cowing, Tetairoa McMillan, and the rest of the Wildcat’s receivers are a difficult group to slow down. They torched Colorado last week and Cal the week before.
But the Oregon secondary has been making strides and looked much-improved last week against a good group of Stanford receivers. I think they will be even better this week and hold Arizona under 300 passing yards.
JHop: Troy Franklin Blows Up
I think we’ve seen Oregon be diverse on offense. Last week they committed to the run beating down Stanford. This week I think we’ll see Arizona do its best to ‘contain’ the Oregon rush attack. Good luck with that.
But with that being the case, I think Kenny Dillingham will get creative and open things up in the air. We’ll see Oregon exploit the pass game early to get things rolling. Perhaps once some points are on the board they’ll head back to the ground. But not before Troy Franklin posts a monster 200-yard (ish) game.
