Idaho Vandals at Oregon Ducks Game Preview

Dillon Gabriel preparing for idaho — © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

After a more-than-pleasing Week 0, the rest of the college football world officially kicks off this weekend with Week 1. The Oregon Ducks make their 2024 debut by hosting the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, Aug. 31st, at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Oregon's game with Idaho will be on the B1G Network. This season opener against a much inferior program should bode well for the Ducks. This matchup has all the makings for an easy Oregon victory.

What's at Stake?

The Idaho Vandals recently left the FBS for the FCS to save money for their school. While the program may be considered good enough to compete in the FBS, the Vandals are not in a place where they can compete with a Power Four team such as Oregon. Idaho is rebuilding, so not much is at stake for the Vandals. However, Oregon has national championship aspirations this season. A season-opening loss to an FCS school would be unacceptable for the Ducks, so a lot is on the line for head coach Dan Lanning.

Key Players: Oregon

Offense: Evan Stewart, Dillon Gabriel. These two players are of elite talent and could prove to be an elite quarterback-wide receiver duo. Both transferred to Oregon in the offseason, so they have yet to hit the field together in regulation game play. The B1G schedule will soon hit the ground running, so these two must build an early chemistry in their new offensive scheme. The same goes for Tez Johnson, who is returning for his senior season. However, Johnson has familiarity and previous success with offensive coordinator Will Stein's offense so there isn't much concern around how he should perform.

Evan Stewart in practice — © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Defensive: Kobe Savage, Jabbar Muhammed, Derrick Harmon. Savage transferred from Kansas State, Muhammed from Washington and Harmon from Michigan State. All three are blue-chip transfers that are making their debut in a new scheme. Duck fans are eager to see how this new-look defense will show up on the field. In totality, every player who joined from the Transfer Portal could be considered "key" for this game since they are all making their Ducks debut. Muhammed is an exciting name to watch since he was named to the Bednarik Award Watchlist.

Key Players: Idaho

Offensive: Anthony Woods and Jack Layne. Layne is in line to take the helm from Gevani McCoy. McCoy had a successful 2023 season with the Vandals, leading to an opportunity for him in Corvallis, Ore. McCoy transferred to Oregon State. This means Layne has to step up. Layne is a redshirt sophomore who appeared in eight games last season. Woods, however, has experience as a starter in this offense. The exciting running back had 1,182 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing last year.

Marcus Harris at Idaho — © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive: Keyshawn James Newby. Idaho lost one of their most important players, Tre Thomas, to the CFL this offseason. Someone has to step up in his place as the defense's new leader. That appears to be Newby. He transferred from Montana Tech in 2022, playing 11 games for the Vandals in 2023.

Newby tallied 38 tackles, 5 sacks and 7 tackles for losses in 2023. His performance is imperative to Idaho's success on Saturday.

Trends to Watch

Considering this is the first week of regulation play for most teams in college football, we have yet to see real trends form on the field. However, one to look out for is the connection between Gabriel and Johnson. Johnson is in line to be the top target in Stein's offense after putting up roughly 1,200 yards receiving last season. His previous success and familiarity with the offense serve as a safety blanket for Gabriel in his first game as the Ducks QB.