EUGENE – For those who have been tuned into college football in recent weeks, this may seem like the #1 Oregon Ducks are almost unstoppable. From a high-flying offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Dillon Gabriel to an impressive, hard-hitting defense, the Ducks are on fire. Welcoming the Maryland turtles today at Autzen Stadiumthe Ducks hope to continue their high level of dominance before their last three matches.

Current Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman and former Oregon Ducks center Jackson Powers-Johnson announced on social media that he will be returning to Eugene for the game. The winner of the 2023 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in college football, missed the start of his rookie NFL season due to injury and illness.

The Raiders have a bye week, so Powers-Johnson used his free time to go to Autzen Stadium.

Oregon is in this contest after last week’s history 38-17 victory against the Michigan Wolverines at the “Big House”, which put the Ducks in first place in the College Football Playoff committee’s initial rankings for the season. Gabriel went 22-34 in passing for 294 yards and a touchdown with an additional touchdown on the ground to boot. Jordan James continues to lead the ground game for the Ducks, throwing for 117 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts (and don’t count Noah Whittington). Oregon’s offensive line continues to excel in keeping the pocket clean with zero sacks and averaging 4.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

Defensively against the Wolverines, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon set the tone with a tackle for loss on Michigan’s first offensive drive. Kobe Savage and Bryce Boettcher led the Ducks in tackles with seven each. Seven Ducks all tasted a tackle for loss while playing against the Wolverines.

Oregon’s biggest obstacle to overcoming this game is their slump in the third trimester. At the Big House, Oregon was unable to score a field goal until the third quarter. Oregon’s offense averaged 3.7 yards per play in the third quarter, while it averaged 6.4 yards per play in the first and fourth quarters and 9.2 yards per play in its brilliant performance in the second quarter. For the seven passing plays the Ducks ran in the third quarter, they gained just 12 yards. This trend has plagued the Ducks for most of the year, and it will be interesting to see if they can put a “complete game” on the field.

“Yeah, there’s a trend, right?” Lanning said during his post-game press conference at Michigan. “There is something that we are certainly aware of and attacking. You know, again, they came out and got a three-out, I think, on the very first drive of the third quarter. So that’s something we want to look at and improve. »

Maryland enters Autzen Stadium 4-4 on its season. Coming off a 48-23 road loss to Minnesota, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. had a far from perfect performance with no touchdowns, two picks and just over 54 percent accuracy in his targets. The Terrapins rely heavily on passing, so Oregon’s secondary will be crucial. Although they excel in their run defense, the Terrapins rank 126th out of 133 teams in their pass coverage. Basically, the Ducks have to rely on Gabriel to continue to pepper his short passes with deep balls that Maryland simply can’t defend against.

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