The Ducks Look to De-Rail the Boilermakers on Their Own Track...I Mean Turf

If any sports fans have had doubts about this year's Ducks Football Team, they should be ashamed of themselves. Not only has this Duck team proven to the entire sports nation that they have filled the holes vacated by their two brightest starts, Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon, but that they also have exceeded the current expectations that have been set for them.

Many sports analysts thought that a humbling loss to the Washington Huskies was not to farfetch'd an idea. With so much pressure and hype being put on the Ducks defense this preseason, the defense has responded quite, quite well. The Ducks defense has held their opponents to less than 20 ppg; one touchdown that the Utah State Aggies received was a fumble into the endzone. The run defense, which has been scrutinized as not being quite competent, has held their opponents to less than 100 ypg on the ground, and to 2.2 ypc.

This Saturday, the Oregon Ducks will face their first real test of the season. The Ducks will be traveling to West Lafayette, IN, to face the Purdue Boilermakers, and their potent passing game.

So, how will the Ducks defend such a passing attack? The answer lies within the two best cornerbacks in the Pac-10, a surprisingly defense-strong conference this season, Walter Thurmond III and Jairus Byrd, rover Patrick Chung, a preseason All-American, and rover T.J. Ward, who anchor the best secondary in the Pac-10, and one of the best in the nation.

All Duck fans went silent last Saturday, when Jeremiah Johnson left the game after his first rushing attempt, with a separated shoulder. The good news is that the injury was minor, and Johnson is expected to play on Saturday.

Even if Johnson wasn't available on Saturday, Oregon has confidence in their depth chart at running back. LeGarrette Blount, in his second game as a Duck, rushed for 139 yards and two touchdown against the Utah State Aggies. Blount, with his running style similar to Stewart's, has earned the nickname "Blount Force Trauma".

Justin Roper has settled into his starting role as the leader of the spread-option attack. Roper even ran for 35 yards and a touchdown against the Aggies. Make no mistake folks; Roper is by no stretch of the imagination as dangerous as Dennis Dixon. But one thing that is overlooked about Roper, is his speed for his height.

For someone who is 6'6'', Roper is deceptively fast. Fans who watched the Utah State game know first hand, that once Roper finds a hole, and gets into the open field, his long strides can give him some huge yardage.

When Roper is on the bench, the Ducks use a platoon QB system, with two dual-threat quarterbacks, Jeremiah Masoli, and Chris Harper.

Harper is compared to, and viewed as a faster, stronger, and smarter Jake Locker. Harper will most definitely become a Heisman candidate by his senior year.

If there was one word to describe this Ducks team, it would be depth. Depth that the Ducks did not have last year, which cost them the final three games of the regular season, is now very apparent, and will help boost this Ducks team, to great heights.

MY VERDICT: Oregon 45   Purdue 17