Oregon Football: Ducks 2018 game-by-game predictions
Week two is in Eugene, OR against Portland State. The Portland State Vikings finished 2017 with an 0-11 record at the FCS level. Oregon should have no problem handling the Vikings who put up a good fight against struggling BYU and lowly Oregon State a year ago. Facing extremely weak FCS opponents is a time for the two-deep to be figured out and with the new redshirting rules a chance for the freshman to shine in front of the home crowd.
Oregon will be looking to get Herbert out of harms way after a half if they can get a commanding lead early. The Ducks really do need to find a backup in case Herbert is injured again. The possibilities are the four-star freshman Shough and sophomore Braxton Burmeister. Burmeister struggled in 2017 as a true freshman when replacing Herbert- throwing two touchdowns to six interceptions and averaging only 4.3 yards per passing attempt.
Other freshman like 6-foot-4 wide receiver Jalen Hall, four-star running back Jamal Elliott, and tight end Spencer Webb could all get reasonable playing time against Portland State.