There’s nothing quite like kicking off football season with a huge intersectional matchup between ranked teams to get the juices flowing. Matchups like Clemson vs Georgia, Florida State vs Oklahoma State, and Wisconsin vs LSU are the kind of games that even the most fair-weathered fan can get excited about.
Unfortunately for Oregon Duck fans, they’ll have to wait until Week 2 for such a matchup, when the Michigan State Spartans roll into Autzen Stadium with last year’s Rose Bowl Trophy in hand and a single digit number next to their name, for what may just be the marquee non-conference game of the college football season.
In contrast, Week 1 boasts an appearance by the mighty South Dakota Coyotes, an FCS team who struggled their way to a 4-8 record last year in the division formerly known as Division 1-AA. It’s the kind of game where fans can legitimately expect the Ducks to hang a 60 spot on the scoreboard and where empty seats will likely outnumber fans by the middle of the 3rd quarter.
But, fear not, my friends, there are still plenty of reasons for Duck fans to tune in, besides the simple fact that IT’S COLLEGE FREAKING FOOTBALL SEASON! So, without further ado, here are the four biggest reasons to tune in (and actually pay attention) to the Ducks season opening game against drubbing of South Dakota:
Jeff Lockie
With the coaching staff continuing to keep a tight seal on practices, this type of game is (hopefully) the only opportunity Duck fans will have to scope out their backup QB. Now, given the level of competition, it will likely be difficult to garner any information of value out of the stats he puts up, however, there are still things worth keeping an eye on.
Since the game should be well in hand by the time the 2nd quarter reaches its mid-way point, we should get plenty of time to watch Lockie lead the #2 offense on some drives. Typically, the Kelly/Helfrich-era teams have completely taken their foot off the gas by the 2nd half, taking mercy on overmatched opponents, plowing the ball into the line and doing their best to get fans home at a reasonable hour.
However, given the importance of the QB position in this Ducks offense, and the uncertainty at the backup position right now, I’d expect (hope) to see Lockie get an honest-to-goodness chance to run the offense in a live game situation, just in case the unspeakable should happen. If the coaches do cut Lockie loose, keep an eye on how the offense looks with Lockie at the helm, as compared to with Mariota running the show.
Obviously, we can’t expect Lockie to play like a Heisman Trophy candidate, but, you also don’t want to see the offense suddenly grind to a halt either. Even a mediocre QB from a big school should be able to slice up an FCS defense with the talent the Ducks have. If Lockie struggles to keep the ship sailing against South Dakota, this could be a long, nerve-wracking season for Duck fans.
Defensive Line
One of the big stories out of fall camp has been the improved play of the defensive line. Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Alex Balducci are three of the most physically imposing defensive linemen to ever come through the program. And, with each of them entering their 3rd year on the squad and first in the starting lineup, now is the time for them to start living up to their billing.
Simply by sheer size and physicality, this group should be dominating from the opening snap, wreaking untold havoc, and spending the majority of the game in the Coyotes backfield. If they can’t consistently do that against South Dakota, then how can they expect to do anything at all against a beastly offensive line such as Stanford? Or Michigan State, or UCLA, or … you get the point.
Also, keep an eye on the depth here, as the Ducks like to rotate a lot of guys through the defensive line positions. If South Dakota is still scrambling around late in the ballgame, long after the defense stops blitzing, that will give hope that some of that unproven depth on the defensive line just might be coming around.
Wide Receivers
With the departures of Josh Huff, Daryle Hawkins, and De’Anthony Thomas, as well as the injury to Bralon Addison, the Ducks are very young and unproven at wide receiver coming into the year, outside of returning starter Keanon Lowe. Luckily for them, there is a plethora of options ready to step up, it’s just a matter of seeing who answers the bell.
The prime candidate is redshirt freshman Devon Allen, who made headlines in the offseason by winning both the NCAA and US 110M Hurdle Championships, and then followed it up by being named a starter coming out of fall camp on the gridiron.
Another guy turning heads in fall camp is true freshman Charles Nelson. While only a 3-star recruit out of Daytona Beach, Florida, Nelson has quickly acclimated himself to the Ducks wide open style, as well as proven valuable in the return game. If the Ducks can find a way to get him the ball in the open field, watch out!
Of course, we’d be remiss to note that Chip Kelly’s long-standing mantra for his wide receivers is still alive and well: “No Block. No Rock.” While the young guys might make the flashy plays that get on SportsCenter, they won’t get many chances to make those plays if they continually let their man past them in the running game. So, if you’re trying to figure out who’s going to be seeing the most snaps at wide receiver for the Ducks, focus less on individual receiving yards, and more on who’s side of the field is producing the big runs.
Royce Freeman
Last, but, certainly not least, the talk of preseason camp, “Rolls” Royce Freeman. The true freshman has been turning heads from day 1, and has already put himself in the mix for the starting running back spot heading into the opening game. Considering the Ducks are returning 2 of the best running backs in the Pac-12, and Freeman is already pushing them for playing time right out of the gate, it’s hard not to be excited to see what he can do once he gets on the field.
While he’s technically listed as co-starter on the running back depth charts with returning starter Byron Marshall and last year’s freshman wunderkind Thomas Tyner, expect to see Freeman be the 3rd back to get on the field. However, based on the practice reports, don’t be surprised if he steals the show. Either way, it’s always fun to get that first look at the true freshmen class who force their way onto the field early due to a strong spring. And, if preseason buzz means anything, then Freeman is one of the best to stroll through these parts in a while.
At 6-0 tall and carrying 229 pounds, it’s quite possible that Freeman is the big bruising tailback that the Ducks have been looking for since LaGarrette Blount was punching his way through defenses. Now, Freeman stands to bring back some thunder to the Ducks rushing game. Throw in reports of “surprising” quickness out of his feet, with just a touch of breakaway speed, and you have yourself one of the most talented freshman to come through Eugene since, well … De’Anthony Thomas just a few years ago. But that, in and of itself, is some pretty elite company to be placed amongst. Of course, if he can have anywhere near the impact that DAT had as a freshman, then you won’t need me to tell you about Royce Freeman’s exploits; the likes of ESPN and Fox Sports will likely be doing that, too.
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