Washington football hosts the Oregon Ducks in Seattle this weekend. Here are three keys to an Oregon Ducks victory on Saturday.
Since their opening season loss to the Auburn Tigers, the Oregon Ducks have won five games in a row. The name you know, Justin Herbert has had a fine season for the Ducks, but the names you probably don’t all play defense for the Ducks.
Oregon boasts one of the most underrated defensive units in college football. They are allowing around five points per game in conference play and only California has scored a touchdown on this Ducks’ defense in the Pac-12.
They hit the road to Husky Stadium in Seattle to play the Washington Huskies in one of their toughest road games of the season. What do the Ducks need to do for a road win?
Here are three keys to a victory for the Ducks.
3. Unleash Justin Herbert early
Head coach Mario Cristobal is going about this the right way. He wants to establish a physicality in the trenches that the Ducks have never had and he wants to lean on defenses with his offensive line and running game.
This strategy makes the Ducks the team to beat in the Pac-12, however, when you have the best quarterback prospect in the country — arguably that is — you need to unleash him. Taking shots when the defense wants to key on the run game only helps the run game.
Herbert has been efficient and smart with the ball. Let him take shots down the field like he did against the Buffaloes. You might not do it to the extent in which you did it against Colorado, but the Huskies need to know you have no problem throwing downfield against a secondary that has been susceptible to the pass this season.
Letting Herbert sling it early means you are making the defense wary about the pass game which means lanes for C.J. Verdell and Travis Dye. Also unleashing Herbert early can give you a lead you can lean on in the second half.