Finally, the football season is here. The roster is talented but after some dismal moments in 2020, exactly how the Ducks will perform in 2021 is a mystery.
Last weekend, UCLA was the only Pac-12 team in action as they rolled 44-10 over a sub-par-to-average Mountain West team in Hawaii. This got me thinking about how the Ducks should fare against a middling Mountain West team in Fresno State. Just what can we expect from the Ducks in Week 1?
As has been discussed recently on FishDuck, scoring in the mid-40s is key for any team with playoff aspirations, so I feel it is key for the Ducks to put up at least 40 points against the lesser Bulldogs. On defense, I’d like the Ducks to hold them under 20. I feel a win with a score such as 38-35 or 28-24 would raise some serious red flags, and of course, a loss would tell us to prepare for a long season.
A solid victory with a score such as 44-10 would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Ducks mustn’t come out of the Fresno State game with a laundry list of areas needing vast improvement. Ohio State is just around the corner and the Buckeyes start with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Week 1, so they’ll be prepped and tested by a better opponent than Oregon.
What are your thoughts, feelings and emotions for this Saturday’s game?
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: UO Athletic Department
Related Articles:
Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.