As we eagerly await the opening game of the No. 14 Oregon Ducks’ football season against the Stanford Cardinal next Saturday, I can’t help but worry. The history between Oregon and Stanford has been filled with a white-knuckle mix of heartbreaking losses, troubling upsets and glorious revenge.
But the Cardinal lead the all-time series against the Ducks with 49 wins (Oregon has 33 wins, including last year’s 21-6 victory). Stanford has had some troubles recently, finishing the 2019 season with a dismal 4-8 overall record (3-6 Pac-12).
The Ducks will look to knock off the Stanford Cardinal in their 2020 home opener
Somehow that’s not comforting.
I’ve always been leery of Stanford Head Coach David Shaw‘s ability to recruit and assemble a competitive team nearly every year. Despite Oregon’s strong defense, I believe the game will be won at the quarterback position.
Here’s what we know: Starting Cardinal quarterback Davis Mills has worked his way to the starting position last year, replacing an injured K.J. Costello. Despite Mills leading the Cardinal to just a single victory in their final six games, he broke the school record for single-game passing yards against Washington State (504 yards).
QB1 is a black belt in Choi Kwang Do
Get To Know, presented by @WellsFargo.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/fwflL8VPnH
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) October 30, 2020
Now a senior, the five-star recruit from Georgia (and a black belt in Choi Kwang Do) may be in a position to make a statement in a shorter six-game regular season. On the other side of the ball, Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal has narrowed the field of likely starters to either Tyler Shough or Boston College grad transfer Anthony Brown.
Neither of them has a full season in the Pac-12 for the Ducks. And with a new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, there could be a learning curve. One thing is for certain: the Cardinal aren’t going to be pushovers. Learning on the job will have to occur rather quickly against Shaw’s squad.
No matter who takes snaps for the Ducks this year, Stanford is going to be a big challenge to start the season.
What do you think Ducks fans?
Jordan Ingram
San Diego, California
Top Photo By: Eugene Johnson
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Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.