Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona Wildcats Complete Game Preview

The second-ranked Oregon Ducks (4-0) will have revenge on their minds when the Arizona Wildcats (4-0) come storming into Autzen Stadium on Thursday night. 

Last season in Tuscon the Wildcats dismantled the Ducks 42-16, thereby ruining Oregon’s hopes of reaching a fifth consecutive BCS game and winning the Pac-12 conference title. The Ducks offense sputtered due to quarterback Marcus Mariota’s sprained MCL; however, Oregon’s defense was just as bad as it allowed the Wildcats to gain 304 yards on the ground and convert 11 of 16 third downs.

The Ducks and Wildcats have both had 12 days off following extremely close victories in their conference openers. Oregon managed to escape Washington State by the score of 38-31, while the Wildcats miraculously rallied past California 49-45 on a last-second Hail Mary from quarterback Anu Solomon to wide receiver Austin Hill.

The Wildcats were down 31-13 heading into the fourth quarter against Cal but managed to come back by scoring 36 points in the final quarter.

Oregon and Arizona have combined for some interesting games over the past decade. There was the Dennis Dixon ACL-injury game in 2007, a 55-45 Oregon win in 2008, a double-overtime thriller in 2009, not to mention last year’s stunning upset by the Wildcats.

While Oregon is heavily favored on Thursday night, this could be a game that comes down to the final possession.

Here's what you need to know:  

Date: Thursday, Oct. 2

Time: 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time

Place: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Oregon)

TV: ESPN

Spread: Oregon -23, according to OddsShark.com.

Oregon Keys to Victory

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Protect Marcus Mariota

The reason Oregon lost to Arizona last year was because of Marcus Mariota’s sprained MCL. There were other reasons as well, including Oregon’s inability to stop running back Ka’Deem Carey, who had 206 yards and four touchdowns on 48 carries, but Mariota's injury really slowed down the Oregon attack.

Oregon’s offensive line is in shambles, as we know. Mariota was sacked seven times against Washington State, by far highest number of sacks the Ducks have allowed during the Mariota era, which dates back to 2012.

While head coach Mark Helfrich and offensive coordinator Scott Frost will do their best to design plays that will keep Mariota upright, there is only so much they can do.

In order for Mariota to play to his lofty potential, Oregon’s offensive line is going to need to give him enough time to make plays down the field and with his legs.

If Mariota feels as much heat as he did against the Cougars, the Ducks may be in for another long night against the Wildcats.

Contain the Aerial Attack

Arizona’s offense is led by one of the best passing attacks in the nation, and redshirt freshman quarterback Anu Solomon is beginning to gain national attention for his play.

So far in 2014 Solomon is completing 63 percent of his passes and has passed for 1,454 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a 520-yard, five-touchdown performance against Cal.

Oregon’s pass defense struggled against the likes of Connor Cook from Michigan State and Connor Halliday from Washington State. The Ducks rank No. 119 in the country against the pass this season and have given up 315.3 passing yards per game this year.

The Ducks defense has done a poor job of getting consistent pressure in the backfield in passing situations this season, while the secondary has played soft against aerial attacks.

While a shootout may be in the cards for Thursday night, Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum would be wise to learn from his mistakes against the Cougars and Spartans. If the Ducks want to have any chance at slowing down Solomon and the Wildcats offense they have to send pressure at the young quarterback.

Sending pressure at the freshman Solomon is Oregon’s best chance to slow down the passing attack. Force him to beat you. Don’t let him pick you apart.

Arizona Keys to Victory

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Start Fast 

While the Wildcats overcame an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to California in their last game, there is little to no chance they could pull off a similar feat against Oregon.

The only way to beat the Ducks is to jump on them and force them to play a different brand of football.

What this means is that Arizona’s defense is going to have to force a turnover early, much like it did last year when it intercepted a Mariota pass on Oregon’s first drive of the game, and the offense is going to need to score early and often against Oregon’s suspect defense.

If the ‘Cats can jump out to a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter, they will have a real chance to score a huge upset. However, if they simply try to go point-for-point with the Ducks….well, you can imagine how that will go.

Attack the Secondary

As we mentioned, Oregon’s passing defense is atrocious or at least it has been so far this season. We’ve seen Michigan State and Washington State succeed wildly by throwing the ball all around the field without even attempting to establish a running game.

While Arizona’s running back, true freshman Nick Wilson, is second in the Pac-12 with 120.5 yards per game on the ground, the Wildcats' focus will have to be on the passing game.

Oregon will be ready for Arizona’s rushing attack and has a competent front seven against the rush. The Ducks are only allowing 3.86 yards per attempt on the ground so far this season.

If you want to beat Oregon’s defense, you go through the air. Fortunately for Arizona, it excels in that department. Arizona ranks No. 7 in passing offense so far this season, having gained 365.8 yards per game through the air.

Oregon Ducks Players to Watch

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Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

Around Eugene fans of the Ducks had nicknamed Ifo Ekpre-Olomu’s side of the field “Ifo’s Island," alluding to Ekpre-Olomu’s ability to shut down passing attacks on his side of the field.

Well, that island got invaded last week by Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday. Halliday threw four touchdown passes against the Ducks, two of which and were thrown directly at Ekpre-Olomu. Quite simply, Ekpre-Olomu got beat. It’s time to respond.

“How do I rebound? Go out there and play with confidence, get to the next play and just overcome it,” Ekpre-Olomu said to Ryan Thorburn of The Register-Guard. “Sometimes people are going to beat you, but you have to get better from it. I’m sure that’s what I’m going to do this week.”

Oregon is going to need Ekpre-Olomu, its All-American cornerback, to play his best game of the season against Solomon and the Wildcats' passing attack. Solomon is a very talented young quarterback; however, he will throw into dangerous situations, especially when pressured.

Ekpre-Olomu and the rest of the Ducks secondary not only needs to make sure they defend against the pass, but they also must take advantage of the opportunities presented to them by Solomon.

In other words, if they have the opportunity to put six points on the board they have to get the job done. Look for Ekpre-Olomu to lead the charge. If he scores a touchdown, the Ducks will win.

Keanon Lowe and Devon Allen 

Arizona’s defense ranks No. 113 out of 125 eligible schools in terms of passing yards allowed per game. Of course, Oregon ranks No. 119 on that same list.

While we could mention Marcus Mariota every week in this section, let’s keep an eye on the wide receivers instead. Lowe and Allen have been two of Oregon’s most productive players so far this season and will likely see a lot of action against Arizona’s odd 3-3-5 defensive alignment.

The Ducks' script on offense this week should heavily feature the passing game, specifically designed rollouts by Mariota, which is something that worked well against Washington State.

Oregon’s offensive line is very much a work in progress due to all of the injuries the group has suffered. What this means is that offensive coordinator Scott Frost will be forced to move Mariota away from the pocket and get the ball out of his hands quickly.

Lowe and Allen, Oregon’s two big playmakers on the outside, should see a lot of action coming their way near the line of scrimmage. If those two are able to break tackles and force missed tackles in the open field, the Ducks should be able to score with relative ease.

Arizona Wildcats Players to Watch

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Cayleb Jones

While quarterback Anu Solomon and running back Nick Wilson represent Arizona’s offensive battery, the true star of the offense is sophomore wide receiver Cayleb Jones.

Jones ranks No. 6 in the nation with 118.8 receiving yards per game and has caught 29 passes through four games so far this season, including six touchdowns.

The 6’3” wide receiver will be key against Oregon’s secondary not only for his skill, but also due to his size. The Ducks have struggled against the pass in general, but they’ve really struggled to cover tall wide receivers such as Michigan State’s Tony Lippett and Washington State’s Isiah Myers.

Look for Jones to be established as Arizona’s main target early and often, especially in situations where he’s not being covered by Ekpre-Olomu.

Scooby Wright

Linebacker Scooby Wright, who may have the best name in college football, is quickly establishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the country.

So far in 2014, Wright has 51 tackles and four sacks, including a career-high 18 tackles and two sacks against California in Arizona’s last game. Wright is averaging 12.8 tackles per game, which is the best mark in the Pac-12.

Wright, a sophomore, is Arizona’s best defense weapon and will be asked to put pressure on Marcus Mariota and also make open-field tackles against some of the shiftiest athletes in the nation.

While Arizona’s defense doesn’t need to completely shut down Oregon’s offensive juggernaut, it does need to force the Ducks to turn the ball over. In order to do that, the Wildcats and specifically Wright are going to need to force Mariota into uncomfortable situations and capitalize on his mistakes.

Wright is undoubtedly Arizona’s best defender and leader on that side of the ball. He’s going to play a huge role in this game one way or another.

What They're Saying

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Mark Helfrich on the R-word (revenge) and reliving the 42-16 loss to Arizona last season, via Will Rubin of 247Sports.

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I think it would be impossible if you're any kind of competitor to watch that film and feel good about it. If we, anything we can use to prepare better, great. Whatever your individual motivation might be, different than somebody else, then that's fine. We're not thinking about that during period 14 of practice necessarily, but if it helps us have a great period 14, then we're better prepared for the game. I think what guys have done a nice job of though each game is recognizing what was deficient, what was good, and getting better at the other stuff.

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Andrew Greif of The Oregonian views Arizona as a level-three threat to Oregon's undefeated campaign.

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Threat level (1-5 scale): 3. After seeing Washington State hang with Oregon until the final minutes, Arizona -- another pass-happy team -- could exploit similar weaknesses. But can its defense get a stop against Oregon?

Early prediction: Oregon 45, Arizona 35

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Greif also mentioned that the Ducks may be wearing pink against Arizona in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

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The Oregon Ducks walked out of their Saturday practice donning pink cleats.

Could they walk into Autzen Stadium on Thursday night for their game against Arizona decked out in a similar palette?

As one of the forebearers in college football's uniform revolution, the second-ranked Ducks (4-0) keep all sartorial scoops close to their Dri-FIT vests, but indications suggest that they might indeed wear pink for a second consecutive season when they play the Wildcats.

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Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez believes that last year's game won't mean anything after the ball is kicked on Thursday night, according to Paul Cicala of KVOA News.

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Everybody is different in their philosophies. Coach (Mark) Helfrich will probably mention it, but I don't think he has to. Those guys are great competitors and they haven't lost a lot of games as it is. I think they have enough motivation already and it's going to be a great environment. Once the ball is kicked off, last year will be in the past.

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Running backs coach Gary Campbell on Arizona's unusual 3-3-5 defensive alignment, via Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune.

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They have a big front, and they have a couple of linebackers who really run around. Their secondary is really active. I don't know if they're as good (in the secondary) as they've been in the past, but they've got a couple young guys back there.

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Breakdown

Adam Kramer and Barrett Sallee of Bleacher Report break down Oregon vs. Arizona in the video above.

Prediction

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The Ducks should be disappointed by their performance against Washington State and will be seeking to avenge their loss to the Wildcats last year. Oregon knows it has an opportunity to impress the College Football Playoff committee by convincingly beating Arizona on a national stage.

The Wildcats are a talented team, and head coach Rich Rodriguez found a way to attack the Ducks defense last season. This game will be close for a while; however, as long as Marcus Mariota is healthy the Ducks have a distinct advantage over every other team in the Pac-12 conference.

Look for a close first half followed by Mariota and Company taking over late in the game.

Oregon 48, Arizona 31

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter@TheSportsGuy33.