Oregon Football: 5 Reasons Ducks Will Dominate Cal

With an extra week to prepare, the Oregon Ducks have their sights set on a hard to predict Cal football team.

Last season’s game was a 15-13 defensive battle that gave Ducks’ fans the biggest scare of the season.

Were it not for a Cliff Harris punt return for a touchdown, Oregon could have very well lost that game and would not have played for a national championship.

This game will be played in Eugene this time, and it should make for an interesting matchup.

LaMichael James and the Stable of Running Backs

The Ducks, behind the legs of LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas, have the best stable of running backs in the entire country. The Bears rank No. 13 in the country in run defense (78.3 yards per game), but they haven’t faced a back like these three.

The only running back that comes close to what the Ducks have is Chris Polk of Washington. The Bears defense held Polk to 60 yards on the ground, but allowed Polk to bring in over 100 yards in receptions.

The Ducks can run the ball all over the Bears’ front seven.

Oregon’s Passing Attack vs. Cal’s Poor Pass Defense

I mentioned it briefly in the last slide; the Golden Bears’ pass defense is nothing short of terrible. Against poor competition, Cal ranks 80th in the country in pass defense.

Oregon hasn’t passed the ball as much as most teams because of their strong running tendencies, but look for Darron Thomas (quarterback) to take the reigns and throw the football all over the field. The Ducks use a plethora of receivers (De’Anthony Thomas, Josh Huff, Lavasier Tuinei, Justin Hoffman) to get the job done, and it’s hard for teams to matchup with all of the speed outside.

Expect the Ducks to pass for over 250 yards, well over their average.

Cliff Harris, Eddie Pleasant and John Boyett Force Turnovers

Cal’s starting quarterback, Zach Maynard, has a history of throwing interceptions against fast defenses. There perhaps isn’t a faster secondary in the Pac-12 when the Ducks are completely healthy.

Cliff Harris, John Boyett and Eddie Pleasant have all missed game time either with injury or suspension, but when the entire unit is on the field it is something special to watch. Harris is one of the best ball hawking corners in the country, and Boyett is right behind him.

None of the three have any interception on the season thus far (because of missed time), and you can expect at least one or two of these guys to pick one off and maybe take it to the house.

Autzen Stadium

Those who know anything about college football will tell you that Autzen Stadium is one of the most difficult venues in all of football to play at. Even with only 60,000 fans in attendance, it holds the record for loudest decibel level of any football stadium.

Last season’s game was in Berkley, and the added home field advantage should give the Ducks a big edge. The crowd will be rocking from kickoff to the final whistle.

Pay Back

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the Ducks are out for blood. After Cal players began faking injuries to slow down the Oregon offense, many Ducks fans have begun noticing the trend of players going down once the Ducks start marching.

Oregon fans certainly haven’t forgotten the game last year, and I’m sure the crowd will be hoping the Ducks pour it on.

This game will be physical with a lot of smack talking, especially early on.