Coming off their final bye week of the season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-3) hit the road for a daunting visit to Autzen Stadium to face the No. 7-ranked Oregon Ducks (8-1) at 8 p.m. CST on Friday, Nov. 14.
Can Oregon score on offense?
Quarterback Dante Moore is one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He is completing 70.5 percent of his passes (158-of-224) and has thrown for 1,884 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and five sacks. Moore is athletic enough to escape the pocket and extend plays, but it’s not his first instinct.
He has a great arm and can make very accurate throws down the field, as he showcased in the game-winning drive against the Hawkeyes last week.
Who will be catching Moore’s passes on Friday? That’s more of an open question than the Ducks would like. Leading receiver (and true freshman) Dakorien Moore missed the Iowa game after suffering a non-contact knee injury during practice, and his status for Friday is uncertain. Top tight end Kenyon Sadiq was also held out of the game due to what head coach Dan Lanning described as a “lingering injury.” Senior wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. played against the Hawkeyes but left the game with an ankle injury and did not return. It’s unclear who will be available to play against Minnesota, but Oregon certainly has playmakers who can step up.
What was most impressive against the Iowa defense was how physical the Ducks were when running the ball. With the injuries at wide receiver and the wet field conditions due to the weather, Oregon turned to their ground game to move the ball against a formidable Hawkeye defense, and they had a lot of success. They rely on a trio of running backs, led by Noah Whittington, who are tough, athletic, and fight through tackles to pick up extra yards. If the Gophers don’t tackle well on Friday, the Ducks will have no trouble finding room to run.
This is a very good offense that can attack you through the air or on the ground.
Please tell me the Gophers will be able to score
The Ducks are known for their high-octane offense, but their defense is every bit as good.
Oregon ranks 29th nationally in run defense (113.2 rushing yards allowed per game), 1st in pass defense (126.1 passing yards allowed per game), and 6th in scoring defense (13.7 points allowed per game).
It is going to be an uphill battle for Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey against the Ducks’ top-ranked pass defense. It is a young but very talented secondary led by All-American safety Dillon Thieneman and not one but three freshmen starters, including true freshman cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. They have only allowed five passing touchdowns in nine games, which is tied for the third-best mark in college football.
Linebacker Bryce Boettcher has been a force for the Oregon defensive front, leading the way with a team-high 71 total tackles. He and playmaker Teitum Tuioti have been instrumental in establishing a tough defense that is only allowing a 31% conversion rate on third downs and leads the nation in third-and-out rate at 37%.
It is going to be tough sledding for the Gopher offense against this defense.
But who will score more points on Saturday?
Considering the Gophers have been outscored 110-20 in three road games this season, I can’t say I’m optimistic about their chances here. Oregon 45, Minnesota 7.
