Oregon vs South Dakota College Football Preview

The third-ranked Ducks come into the season with high expectations. Nothing less than a national title will be satisfactory for quarterback Marcus Mariota and his Oregon teammates. Led by Heisman frontrunner Mariota, the Ducks’ offense should be potent. Along with Mariota, Mark Helfrich’s squad returns leading rusher Byron Marshall to a team that finished last season at 10-3. Thomas Tyner is also returning as a dynamic tailback to compliment Marshall in the backfield. Oregon, per usual, is going to be fast at the skill positions and difficult to stop. Due to Oregon’s up-tempo offense, their defense is going to be spending a lot of time on the gridiron during games. The Ducks plan to use a lot of defensive personnel this season to keep legs fresh. Oregon should consistently be at the top of a loaded Pac-12, fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Coyotes of South Dakota are coming off of a 4-8 2013 campaign, going 3-5 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. South Dakota is not only going to have difficulties stopping Oregon’s high octane offense, but they will probably struggle scoring on the Ducks’ talented defense as well.

Keys to the Game:

South Dakota

• The Coyotes head into Eugene hoping to stay close with the Ducks, a tough task for anyone. To accomplish that, South Dakota is going to have to take full advantage of all of their possessions because they will have to keep up with the Ducks offensively as it is unlikely that they will get many defensive stops against a team that was 4^th in the country in points scored per game.

Oregon

• As a legitimate national title contender, Oregon should have no trouble dispatching an inferior MVFC opponent. Look for the Ducks to score early and score often against South Dakota. By all means, this should just be a tune up for Oregon before their top-ten battle with Michigan State in Week 2.

Key Injuries:

Oregon: WR Bralon Addison (ACL, November return expected), OT Tyler Johnstone (ACL, out for season)

Line/Odds: No odds currently available, but Oregon is expected to be a heavy favorite

This game should feature a lot of exciting offense and defense, but only from one of its competitors, the Ducks. Oregon should have no trouble dispatching the Coyotes to get their season started off with a win.