The Utes are set to face off against the No. 4 team in the country on Saturday as Heisman hopeful Marcus Mariota and Oregon comes to town. The Ducks are good, but can they be beat? Ryan Miller of The Daily Utah Chronicle caught up with Justin Wise, sports editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald, to get the low-down on the Ducks.
RM: Oregon has allowed a lot of rushing yards. How do you think Devontae Booker will fair against the Ducks defense? How do you expect Oregon to defend the Utah rushing attack?
JW: [Oregon head coach] Mark Helfrich said it, and the entire Oregon defense knows it. Devontae Booker is the strength of this Utah offense, and I expect him to rush the ball at least 30 times in Saturday’s contest. He’ll get his yards and most likely surpass the century mark, but Oregon has become increasingly better at limiting the big plays and only allowing 132 yards of rushing to Stanford was telling. Booker will follow his typical script on the stat sheet, but whether Oregon can stop him from reaching the end zone multiple times will be the most pressing issue.
RM: Everyone knows about Marcus Mariota, but who are the other key players on the offense? What must Utah do to limit the Duck attack?
JW: Royce Freeman is just another version of Devontae Booker. He’s a freshman who has rushed for 846 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. He’s also a workhorse, like Booker, and has been handed the ball at least 18 times in the Ducks’ last six games. If Oregon’s rushing attack is moving, it’s usually hard to stop. Which means if the Utes can cause havoc at the line of scrimmage, they’ll be in a very favorable situation.
RM: Utah’s biggest strength is its defensive front seven. What is the current state of the Oregon offensive line? Is there worry the Ducks won’t be able to keep the pocket clean?
JW: As if they hadn’t already endured enough, last week, with just over two minutes remaining in its game versus Stanford, right tackle Matt Pierson sprained his MCL. He is listed as the starter heading into this week’s game, but it is likely Tyrell Crosby will take his place. Yet the Ducks’ offensive line hasn’t been one of concern since Jake Fisher’s return against UCLA. Although another injury may set them back, it doesn’t appear to garner too much weight in terms of the entire line’s continuity.
RM: Utah relies on special teams and defense to help score points. How well does the Oregon offense do in limiting turnovers? And how effective are the Ducks in return coverage?
JW: Well, look at Marcus Mariota’s stat sheet, and it’s easy to understand how well the Ducks take care of the football. Currently they rank first in the Pac-12 in turnover margin at plus-12. Utah’s special teams may be the best in the country, which will certainly create a challenge for Oregon in that regard.
RM: What does Oregon have to do to win the game? Prediction?
JW: Oregon has to move the ball at a consistent and high-paced rate. For the Ducks, the equation becomes really simple, especially when playing a physical team like Utah. If it can control the pace of the game when it’s on offense, and if the defense can continue to limit the scoring opportunities for Utah, Oregon shouldn’t have too much of problem on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Oregon 38, Utah 27.
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