Oregon's Defense is Looking to Bounce Back in a Major Way against Washington State's Offense
Just days after coming up with the biggest win of the season — a comeback victory over No. 25 Washington on the road — the Oregon Ducks are faced with another tough challenge, this time in the confines of Autzen Stadium.
They are now tasked with finding a way to slow down Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars' high flying offense, one that has given them fits over the past four years, in which they've lost every meeting between the two teams.
Leach is a well-known coach in the college football landscape, if not only for his lackadaisical and often goofy personality but also for his ability to air the ball out and put up eye-popping stats on offense. So far this season, the Cougars lead the Pac-12 with 38 total touchdowns through seven games, and they also hold the belt when it comes to most total offense yards (3,729) and yards per game (532.7). With QB Anthony Gordon leading the charge by throwing for 29 touchdowns with a 70.9 completion percentage, the task at slowing down the Cougars seems hard enough. Then, when you add in RB Max Borghi and his dual-threat capabilities — he leads the team with 840 total yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns — it's a daunting proposition.
For Andy Avalos and his Oregon defense, however, it's a challenge that they're up for. Time and again, the Ducks have shown that they are one of the best defenses in the nation, and although they are coming off of perhaps their worst performance of the season by allowing 31 points to the Huskies, they are still confident in their ability to get the Washington State monkey off of Oregon's back.
Judging by what we've seen so far, the Ducks might be put in a position where they must rely on their offense once again to get them over the hump and secure a victory. Or, the Cougars high-flying offense might just meet their match, and be sent home packing.
