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Stanford vs Oregon preview, prediction, live stream for Week 7 matchup

By Connor Muldowney

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 7: The Stanford Cardinal offense runs onto the field during the second half of an college football game against the Utah Utes on October 7, 2017 at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 7: The Stanford Cardinal offense runs onto the field during the second half of an college football game against the Utah Utes on October 7, 2017 at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) /
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Saturday night’s Stanford vs Oregon game will be one of the most interesting matchups in Week 7. Here’s everything you need to know.

Stanford has gotten off to an up-and-down start to its 2017 season and some of that has been due to the quarterback play. Through the first few games, it was Keller Chryst leading the way, but the senior suffered an injury and gave way to rising star KJ Costello. The Cardinal had a two-quarterback system in the win over Utah, but that won’t much work moving forward.

Costello seems to be the most reliable option, passing for 458 yards and three touchdowns with a 63 percent completion rate. He has also added two rushing scores.

However, the real star on offense has been Bryce Love. The talented junior running back has done a phenomenal job replacing Christian McCaffrey, rushing for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns on an unheard of 10.5 yards per carry.

For the Oregon Ducks, Justin Herbert will be out again with a broken collarbone injury suffered against Cal. He’s reportedly out 4-6 weeks and that will be a big downer on the Ducks’ offense. He was having a strong season, but has been replaced by freshman Braxton Burmeister who’s completed 16-fo-28 passes for 149 yards, a touchdown and two picks.

Royce Freeman is questionable for this one, too, and might just be a game-time decision. He’s also been hampered by injuries and has rushed for 654 yards and 10 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry. He’s trying to get back to his freshman and sophomore year self. He has Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James flanking him if he can’t go.

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Stanford vs Oregon game:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Venue: Stanford Stadium
TV: FOX Sports 1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

If KJ Costello gets the start, the key will be getting him some confidence. Let him sling the ball around early and often and try to burn the Ducks’ average secondary with his arm — he’s fully capable of that. He has plenty of tight ends and capable receivers to sling the ball to, if needed. We know Bryce Love is going to get 100-plus yards, more than likely, so getting Costello involved will be important.

For Oregon, it’ll be imperative to also get the pass game going with Burmeister as Stanford’s secondary has struggled more than it thought it would this season. Let him find a talented crop of receivers and make the Cardinal secondary work for each stop. The Ducks have a capable running back as well. Another key to pulling an upset here would be pressuring Costello, or whoever happens to start under center. Don’t give him time and try to rattle his cage a bit.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 6

Prediction

This one is going down to the wire. Both teams are coming into Week 7 with plenty to prove and the Ducks might be a couple years away from contending for Pac-12 titles still. However, they have confidence thanks to Willie Taggart and are looking to inch one step closer to bowl eligibility. Stanford is hoping to compete for a conference title and the Cardinal are riding a three-game winning streak. This one is going to come down to whoever can win the turnover battle, and I give that edge to Stanford.

Final Score: Oregon 24, Stanford 28

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