Oregon Football: Keys to a Ducks Victory over Nevada

After a tough loss to LSU to open the season, Oregon heads back to Eugene and hopes to get back on track this week against Nevada.

The Ducks have had a week to review what went wrong in Dallas and make the appropriate adjustments.

In order to defeat the Wolf Pack, here are seven keys to a Ducks victory.

Start Fast

When the Ducks and Nevada meet up, the Wolf Pack will be playing their first game of the season. The Ducks, however, already have a game under their belts and need to step on the gas early in order to get off to a fast start.

With Nevada starting a new quarterback this season, the Ducks can put a lot of pressure on him by forcing Nevada to throw the ball playing catch up.

Limit Penalties

During the game against LSU, Oregon not only ran into problems with turnovers, but also had an issue keeping their offensive and special teams penalties in check.

Frequently, the Ducks would either start off deep in their own territory due to a special teams penalty, or would kill a drive with a holding penalty.

If the Ducks can cut down on the penalties, things will go a lot smoother at home than they did in Dallas.

Establish the Run Game Early

Against LSU, the Ducks truly failed to establish the run and keep the Tigers guessing. When they play Nevada, the Ducks must get the run game going which will help create opportunities down the field in the passing game.

Darron Thomas Bringing Back the Option-Read

One thing that was clear about the game against LSU was the fact that the Ducks never truly ran the option-read. Throughout their first game, Darron Thomas failed to make the Tigers respect him in the run game and they were able to key on LaMichael James.

The Ducks rushing attack is most effective when Thomas truly makes the read and reacts to it, and that is what they will need against Nevada.

Put Pressure on New Nevada Quarterback

Last year, Nevada was able to rely upon the quarterback play of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is now gone and the Wolf Pack is turning to Tyler Lantrip as the answer.

During his first three years at Nevada, Lantrip has 23 passing attempts. If the Ducks can get ahead early and force him to throw the ball, Oregon will be in a good position.

Young Receivers Stepping Up

LSU was able to shrink the field against Oregon because their young receivers were unable to get separation and spread the field.

Against Nevada, the young Oregon receivers must find a way to run solid routes and get away form the Wolf Pack coverage.

Winning the Day

The LSU game is behind the Ducks. No matter what Oregon does against Nevada, it does not change what happened in Dallas.

The Ducks must go back to the philosophy of winning the day and focus on earning their first victory against Nevada. If they can put LSU behind them, the Ducks should cruise to a victory over Nevada.