Oregon Football: 7 Keys to Victory in Week 3

After rebounding from their opening week loss to LSU with a resounding victory over Nevada, Oregon now sits at 1-1 and looks to go 2-1 this week.

Despite having a game against Missouri State this week, the Ducks still have some things they will need to work on and focus on in order to earn a victory in the third week of the season.

Here are seven keys that will help unlock an Oregon victory this week.

Run Early and Run Often

Getting the run established early will allow Oregon to dictate the tempo of the game. If the Ducks can open up so running lanes for their impressive stable of speedy backs, they will have established the up-tempo offensive scheme they thrive upon, and will send Missouri State reeling.

Fly to the Ball on Defense

While a lot of people will make a big deal about the number of rushing yards that Nevada put up last week, the defense still played well and the Wolf Pack committed to the run regardless of the score.

This is an Oregon team that lost seven starters on the defensive side of the ball from a year ago, so it follows that the adjustment period might take until the middle of the season.

Against Missouri State, the Ducks will have advantages all over the field and need to fly to the ball to put even more pressure on their defense by having to come back on the field quickly.

Limit Penalties

One thing that Oregon took steps toward improving a week ago was cutting down penalties.

Against Missouri State, the Ducks will have another opportunity to clean things up before heading to Arizona to kick off their conference schedule.

Stay Healthy

When you enter into these types of games, a team like Oregon has their focus on earning the victory and then staying healthy.

This is a game that the Ducks should run away with early, so the last thing they want to see is anyone go down with an injury that could effect them throughout the year.

Work in Young Talent

With some lingering injuries at various positions, the Ducks were able to get some of their new and younger players some reps against Nevada. Against Missouri State, this is something they will have an opportunity to do once again and it could pay dividends down the line.

Jump on Them Early

One thing that Oregon did so well last year and against Nevada was jumping on a team early and taking them out of their game plan in the first quarter.

If Oregon can jump on Missouri State early, they will cruise to a comfortable victory.

Show Up

Lets be honest, this is the type of game where Oregon just needs to show up and do what they have been doing. Missouri State is coming to Autzen Stadium and knows this is not a game that will be a whole lot of fun.

Show up, play fundamentally sound and get ready for the start of the Pac-12 schedule.