Sep 122 min read

Ducks Looking to Catch a Rhythm Against Oregon State

Ducks | Oregon's Troy Franklin — © Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The No. 9 Oregon Ducks (2-0) will face off with the Oregon State Beavers (2-0) in the infamous "Civil War" on Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m. EST at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. The two teams will compete for the Platypus Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of every annual matchup. The Ducks are off to a shaky start despite their 2-0 record. It has taken a game-winning drive in both of their games to defeat Idaho and Boise State.

What's at Stake?

Both teams are sitting at 2-0, so an undefeated season is at stake for both the Beavers and the Ducks. However, the Beavers aren't faced with championship expectations, and their conference is not as tricky as the Big Ten Conference. The Ducks had hopes to do big things this year, and they've played with fire thus far against much less-talented teams.

Key Players: Oregon Ducks

Offense: Matthew Bedford. After watching two games, we can point out that Oregon's issue is pretty recognizable. The interior part of their offensive line was a problem. However, head coach Dan Lanning benched Charlie Pickard at center last week during the halftime adjustments. This put Iapani Laloulu at center, which seemed to improve the interior.

Nonetheless, Oregon has been without Bedford. Bedford is a star transfer guard from Indiana in his final season of eligibility. The Ducks are dying to have Bedford back, and Lanning told the media that he was "confident" he would return against Oregon State.

Defense: Derrick Harmon, Jeffrey Bassa. Both of these players seem to hold some veteran leadership with this defense. Bassa logged 7 tackles last week but may have to log more on Saturday. Harmon has been an elite force on the defensive interior. If Oregon State surpasses 50 rush attempts as they did against San Diego State, then the Ducks will need to stop the run.

Key Players: Oregon State Beavers

Offense: Gevani McCoy. McCoy hasn't been asked to do much for the Beavers so far, totaling up to 36 pass attempts in two games. However, he will probably need to attack in the passing game to defeat Oregon. Boise State would have defeated Oregon if it got a little more production from quarterback Maddux Madsen. He finished the game 17-of-40 passing for 148 yards and 1 touchdown. Oregon State's run game may see success but they could find themselves in a track meet.

Defense: Jack Cane. Cane has logged an interception, pass deflection and a forced fumble in 2024. However, this passing attack will be much more difficult to stop. Dillon Gabriel has a whopping 85 percent completion percentage with zero interceptions. It will be up to all of the Beavers' defensive backs to slow down that passing attack.

Trends to Watch

Look for the Beavers to try and set the tone in the run game. Their offense is similar to Boise State's. However, the Beavers don't have Ashton Jeanty. It will be interesting to see how their rushing attack fares against the Ducks. For the Ducks, the interior part of their offensive line is everything. If Bedford is a go, then watch out for Oregon to have much more success in the run game.