Maven Round-Up: Oregon Ducks Play Host to Montana Grizzlies

Let’s be honest here — Saturday’s game against the Montana Grizzlies is unlikely to be much of a competition, so we’re going to use this forum more so to take stock of the Oregon Ducks’ season so far, and assess where things might go from here. First, though, we should get the bookkeeping out of the way:

What do you expect to see from the Ducks on Saturday, and who do you think ends up with our game ball?

Zachary Neel: Obviously, I expect Oregon to win big, but not quite to the level that we saw last week against Nevada. The Ducks know that they have Pac-12 play right around the corner, so I think they will put up as many points as they can in the first half, and get their starters out of the game. My game ball goes to Darrian Felix, who will get a multitude of carries throughout the contest, and prove his worth as a third-option out of the backfield for the Ducks.

Cameron Lindsey: More defense. The Duck defensive front and backfield both look stout, and with two great games under their belt, I have no reason to think they’ll let up vs. Montana.

The Grizzlies have an excellent starting quarterback, and slot receiver Jerry Louie-McGee is on pace to break the school record for receptions, so be ready for a lot of passing on their end. Javon Holland will get the game ball with another great performance in pass coverage and in the return game. He’s due to take a punt return to the house, so be on the lookout.

Eli Moon: Expect the Ducks to leverage the momentum from their blowout victory over Nevada and turn in another dominating performance. It would be nice to see wide receivers Juwan Johnson and Mycah Pittman, as well as tight end Cam McCormick, log their first action of the year, but I imagine the coaching staff will not rush these key cogs of their offense back to play in a game that should be another convincing Oregon win.

The Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the FCS with a high-powered offense that scored 61 points last week. The Oregon defense is of a different breed, though, and I expect the pass rush to disrupt the Grizzlies offensive flow. Game ball goes to freshman edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux for a breakout performance.

Obviously the season started out on a sour note with a crushing loss to Auburn, but Oregon rebounded last week by putting up the most points ever scored in Autzen Stadium. What has impressed you the most about this team, and how might that help them going forward as we near conference play?

Zachary Neel: The depth across the board — but more specifically the offense — has been astounding so far. Oregon has played both games this year without their three top pass-catchers on the field, but you wouldn't know it from just looking at them. Last Saturday, 11 different players scored touchdowns for the Ducks...ELEVEN!

While the defense has been outstanding, that seems like the obvious answer to me. What's getting overlooked is how dynamic and deep the Oregon offense is, and that will surely come in handy once conference play begins.

Cameron Lindsey: Once again: the defense. How can we not be super high on this unit? All offseason we heard so much about Justin Herbert and the returning starters on offense, and I feel that the defense took it a bit personal. It’s hard to find a weak spot, seeing how well the secondary and front-seven play in sync. Hats off to first-year defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos, for having the defense ready to play, and an even bigger hats off to the players for getting the job done so far.

Eli Moon: The defensive line has been a physical and dominating group early. They proved they could stack up to SEC competition, albeit in a losing effort, and prevented the Nevada offense from having any time to allow plays to develop downfield. With a combination of interior stalwarts and fast, powerful edge rushers, the defensive line has been exceptional stymying the ground game and pressuring the opposing quarterback, and could prove to be the difference once the Ducks start conference play.

We wrote this week about Oregon’s potential playoff chances, and how they control their own destiny. Assuming that they win on Saturday against Montana, what is your prediction for the Ducks once Pac-12 play begins? How do you see their season ending?

Zachary Neel: I haven't seen anything from Oregon this season that leads me to believe that they can't run away with the Pac-12 title. The main competition — Washington and Stanford have stumbled early, and USC's troubles are bubbling back to the surface. The Ducks don't need to win out in order to secure a Pac-12 Championship, but if they do go undefeated the rest of the way, there is a good chance that they will be strongly considered for a birth in the College Football Playoffs. My money is on them eventually getting the nod, and finishing the year near the top of the rankings.

Cameron Lindsey: I think the Ducks are good enough to win out from here. The only thing I’m worried about is the offensive game flow. The offense can struggle sometimes to get into a rhythm, but I think as our injured receivers return we’ll see this issue diminish. The biggest challenge I foresee is a potential Pac-12 Championship matchup with Utah. Should the Ducks win out: I’m thinking CFP.

Eli Moon: The Pac-12 is wide open this year, and despite what most pundits say, three teams have enough talent to have a legitimate shot at a College Football Playoff berth: Utah, USC, and Oregon. The Ducks have not made it easy on themselves, and to have any hope of competing for a National Championship they will have to secure tough road wins against Washington and USC and have to win the Pac-12 championship. Just to be realistic, I can see the Ducks stumbling once more this season but regrouping to earn an invite to the Rose Bowl.

Justin Herbert is in the mix for the Heisman Trophy consideration, but he has some tough competition. If I were to make you vote right now on who takes home the hardware, who are you picking?

QB Justin Herbert | Oregon

QB Jalen Hurts | Oklahoma

QB Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama

QB Trevor Lawrence | Clemson

Zachary Neel: Seeing as the University of Oklahoma is basically a breeding ground for Heisman winners, I won't buck the trend by picking anyone other than Jalen Hurts. Through two games so far, he has gone 34-for-41, for 591 yards and 6 TD, with 0 INT. He also has 24 carries for 223 yards and 3 TD. Those are video game numbers. If he is able to keep up a similar level of production throughout the year, there will be no other legitimate choice.

Cameron Lindsey: Gotta be Tua. The kid is just silly. I love Justin Herbert, but Tagovailoa is likely to reach the CFP with the Tide and I think he’ll be an easy choice.

Eli Moon: If I had to vote today, I am picking Jalen Hurts. I know that his gaudy numbers are at least in part a product of the air-raid offense, but he has balled out in both games this year, one against a respectable Houston team. That said, don’t sleep on Joe Burrow and Justin Fields.

You have $100 to spend on these four Oregon bets. You don’t need to wager on all four, but you must spend all of your money. Where are you allocating your capital, and why?

Oregon Ducks (-36) vs. Montana Grizzlies

Oregon vs. Montana: Over/Under 65 points

Ducks to Win National Championship: 100/1

Ducks to Win Pac-12 Championship: 2/1

Zachary Neel: Give me $75 on the Ducks winning the Pac-12 (I reasoned why earlier) and put the rest down on Oregon to hit the under (65) this weekend against Montana. Oregon will likely blow out the Grizzlies here, but I don't expect the score to get too far out of hand, with the Ducks hoping to get their starters out of the game and well-rested for Stanford. Meanwhile, the Oregon defense has proved stout so far, even late in the game. It's unlikely that Montana will reach double-digits scoring this week.

Cameron Lindsey: Seeing that we beat Nevada by 71 points, I’ll take a stab at the Ducks covering 36 vs Montana for half my money. The other $50 is going towards the Ducks winning the Pac-12 title. I like my chances.

Eli Moon: I’m putting all $100 on the over. Then I am taking my $200 and buying everyone a couple of pitchers at Rennie’s.