Oregon Football: 5 Keys to Victory over Tennessee Tech

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For only the second time in Chip Kelly's tenure at Oregon, the Ducks are 2-0.

The last time they had an undefeated start under the fourth year head coach, Oregon played for a National Championship. So if history tells us anything, the Ducks are in for another win this week at Autzen Stadium against Tennessee Tech.

And if you don't believe in history repeating itself and the Ducks getting off to a 3-0 start, their playing Tennessee Tech, a FCS school.

Limit Turnovers

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The Ducks fumbled the ball three times against Fresno State, all of which were in the second half.

Luckily for Oregon, they had a big enough lead and their defense was able to limit the Bulldogs to field goals for the most part.

To continue winning, the Ducks must hold onto the ball and allow their offense to score, instead of giving up possessions as they did in the second half against Fresno State.

Shut Down Da'Rick Rogers

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Passing defense has been a weak spot for the Ducks this season, and the secondary just took a big hit with the loss of senior safety John Boyett for the year due to injury.

Former Tennessee star Da'Rick Rogers, who was forced to transfer after getting kicked off the Volunteer football team for a failed drug test, is a force to be reckoned with.

If the Ducks corners can limit Rogers, their victory is almost guaranteed.

Continue to Dominate on the D-Line

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With all due respect to the offense, I have been most impressed with the Ducks defensive line this season.

The unit has done a remarkable job at getting six to seven guys to put pressure on the quarterback and make plays in the backfield.

If they can repeat their successes against Tennessee Tech, 3 and 0 are going to be the magic numbers for Oregon this season.

Limit the Three-and-Outs

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Just as they struggled with turnovers, the Duck offense had some struggles on third down which forced several three-and-outs.

It's hard to imagine that a Kelly-coached team would have trouble with three-and-outs, but Oregon needs to make the most of every possession.

Utilize Marcus Mariota

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Marcus Mariota versus Arkansas State was far more impressive as Marcus Mariota versus Fresno State.

While we got to see more of Mariota in the run game, and he did have several plays that I couldn't believe a redshirt freshmen could make, I was expecting a little more.

If Mariota can continue to improve and show that dazzle and poise which got him the job, Oregon will win.