Oregon Football: 3 bold predictions for home tilt against Stanford
1. Justin Herbert struggles, but wins
Justin Herbert has the physical tools to be a first round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. If you’re looking for a prototypical NFL quarterback, that’s Herbert. He’s six-foot-six, 233 pounds and shows his athleticism when necessary on the ground. But the Ducks signal caller doesn’t rely on a run-first approach, as Herbert has shown his ability to survey the field and an accurate arm that can make NFL throws.
The issue for Herbert in 2018 is that he’s missing Royce Freeman on the ground. CJ Verdell and Tony Brooks-James haven’t been bad backs but they’ve been good rather than great compared to the burst Freeman delivered for four years in Eugene. Herbert has also thrown two interceptions against struggling San Jose State and Bowling Green in 2018. In 2017, he struggled against better competition in Boise State and Arizona.
On Saturday, Herbert will flash the reasons he’s a star in the making but he’ll throw two interceptions to go with his three touchdowns in a narrow winning effort. The Ducks look like they can score on Stanford, even if it’s not quite the 35-62 points per game they have been scoring over the first three weeks.
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Herbert had better stay focused on keeping the football away from Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo who already has seven passes defensed and 16 tackles through Week 3.
Prediction: Stanford 20 – Oregon 21