Oct 33 min read

No. 6 Oregon Ducks Looking to Slay the Spartans

Marcus Mariota making a play against Michigan State in 2014 — © Scott Olmos-Imagn Images

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks (4-0) will return to Autzen Stadium this weekend to face the Michigan State Spartans (3-2). The matchup will be a home game for the Ducks on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. EST. Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith is off to a formidable 3-2 record in his first season. Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Smith are somewhat familiar with each other as Smith came from Oregon State over the summer. Oregon currently leads the all-time series over Sparty, 4-3. The Ducks are also 3-0 against Michigan State at home.

What's at Stake for the Ducks?

For Oregon, continuing its championship aspirations by handling business against inferior teams is at stake. The Ducks have to play Ohio State next weekend, so they can't let this be a look-ahead game. A loss to Ohio State certainly does not end their playoff hopes, but losing to Michigan State would most definitely affect them more significantly.

Key Players: Oregon Ducks

Offense: Evan Stewart, WR

The Ducks' offense has gotten into a solid rhythm after a rough first two games. The interior line seems to have figured things out after Lanning made some shuffles at center and guard. Tez Johnson is on a tear at wide receiver, but we've only seen one big game from Evan Stewart so far. Stewart had high expectations this season and certainly gets open enough to make a difference. It would be helpful for him to gain more confidence with more targets going into Ohio State week.

Defense: Derrick Harmon, DL

One could argue for Jeffrey Bassa here since he's reportedly "feeling like himself again." However, this game is big for Derrick Harmon. Harmon left Michigan State in the offseason to become a Duck, so things could become personal on the other side. Look for Harmon to have a big game against his former team.

Key Players: Michigan State Spartans

Offense: Aidan Chiles, QB

Oregon may have dominated Oregon State, but they showed signs of struggle regarding Gevani McCoy's legs. Chiles poses a similar challenge. The key for the Spartans is his execution. He led the Spartans to a solid 3-0 start, but they've lost the last two games. In the last two games, Chiles was 30-for-54 passing with 408 yards, 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. He cannot play like that for the Spartans to have any shot.

Defense: Jordan Turner, LB

Turner has had a solid season so far for the Spartans. The last two games have been ugly for Michigan State, but Turner has logged 20 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 interception thus far. He will need to help stop Oregon from getting the run game going and make some plays over the middle as a coverage linebacker so that Sparty can have a shot.

Trends to Watch

Not counting the quarterback rushes since you take away yards for sacks, Michigan State allowed roughly 5.9 yards per carry against Ohio State and 6.1 yards per carry against Boston College. This is a bad trend for the Spartans' defense that has to fly across the country on a short week to Eugene, Ore. The Ducks' offensive line has started rolling, so fans should anticipate Jordan James to have 100+ yards on at least 15 carries. This will only set up the deep shots for Dillon Gabriel and Co., similar to last weekend's game against UCLA.