Oregon Ducks Football: 7 Matchup Advantages Against LSU

The Oregon Ducks will take on the LSU Tigers in just under a week.

Analysts are going back and forth on who they think will emerge victors.

This showdown of two top five teams in Dallas for the Cowboys Classic features two teams in line for a national title run, and a win would put that team in a great position to play a championship.

The Ducks’ offense is loaded with players like Darron Thomas, LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner while the Tigers are loaded defensively with Morris Claiborne, Ryan Baker and Sam Montgomery.

Here’s a look at the seven matchup advantages the Ducks have or the Tigers.

Chip Kelly vs Les Miles

With all due respect to coach Les Miles, Chip Kelly is clearly the better coach when it comes to game planning and executing that plan.

Miles is a national champion coach who has been able to recruit about as well as anyone, but often times he’s been criticized for risky and questionable play calls.

It seems that whatever team the Tigers play against, be it a top-5 team or an FCS school, Miles keeps the game close.

Kelly will have the opportunity to prove he can win the big game on the road against a high profile school.

David Paulson vs Kevin Minter

Paulson is one of the top-5 tight ends in the entire country and with the Ducks lack of major talent at the wide receiver position; quarterback Darron Thomas will look for Paulson a lot in 2011.

LSU has a slight drop off in talent defensively at the linebacker position (drop from the very talented defensive line and secondary), and Minter at the MLB position will probably be the man in place to cover Paulson in man coverage.

Minter is a quality linebacker, but Paulson is better at his respective role. Paulson’s speed will get him open throughout the game, and I expect him to have a big game against LSU.

John Boyett vs LSU Deep Pass

The Ducks have two phenomenal safeties in SS Eddie Pleasant and all-conference FS John Boyett.

LSU’s pass offense ranked 107th in yardage in 2010, which is simply atrocious for such a high profile team.

Boyett will shut down the entire deep part of the field, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Boyett picks off a pass or two.

Brandon Hanna/Dion Jordan vs Chris Faulk

Faulk takes over for Joseph Barksdale (NFL), and he will make the difficult switch from right tackle to left tackle.

The Ducks use a lot of rotation along the defensive line; Hanna and Jordan will each see plenty of time at the left end position and will be putting pressure on LSU’s QB all day.

Hanna and Jordan replace Kenny Rowe (now with the 49ers), but with their consistent rotation, both guys will keep fresh legs and will confuse a young Chris Faulk.

LaMichael James vs LSU Front Seven

Yes, I know that LSU has one of the best front seven packages in the country.

I am well aware.

Oregon has a pretty good running back though in LaMichael James, who nearly won the Heisman trophy in 2011.

Oregon’s offensive line is a question mark, but James is known best for his ability to break out of a bad situation and turn it into a big play.

James is only 20 yards away from passing Derek Loville as Oregon’s all-time leading rusher in school history, and LaMichael could easily break that record on the first drive if things go the Ducks’ way.

Kenjon Barner vs LSU Special Teams Defense

I’m tired of hearing LSU fans say that the loss of Cliff Harris’ special team play being a blow to big to overcome.

First of, Kenjon Barner is still one of the best kickoff returners in the entire country, and Kelly was willing to keep Barner as the starting punt returner for almost half of the season.

Harris almost lost his job several times because of his constant fumbling.

Barner will break at least one big return against the Tigers, maybe even one for a touchdown.

It will be the loss of Harris on defense that will be a bigger blow than his special team play.

Oregon Secondary vs Jarrett Lee and the LSU Receivers

This is kind of a repeat of an earlier slide, but goes into more detail.

Oregon’s secondary is incredibly undervalued, and it will be the strength of the defense.

John Boyett and Eddie Pleasant are two of the top safeties in the country, and cornerback Anthony Gildon is a proven and experienced corner who has seen plenty of playing time.

LSU receiver Russell Sheppard is likely out for the Cowboy’s Classic with a suspension, and the Ducks secondary has a clear advantage over LSU’s pass game.

Expect the Ducks to hold LSU to less than 150 yards passing.