Know the Foe: A closer look at Oregon

By Brian Rosenthal / Huskers.com

In his first two career games as Oregon’s starting quarterback, Dakota Prukop has played before home crowds of 53,817 and 53,774.

Does the fifth-year senior transfer from the FCS ranks expect some 90,000 fans to produce more noise by comparison?

“I couldn’t tell you,” Prukop told reporters in Eugene, Oregon. “I’ve never been in front of 90,000.”

Nebraska fans with tickets to Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game (ABC) against No. 22 Oregon may bear some mischievous grins upon reading that statement.

Oregon fans will scoff at any notion Memorial Stadium could conceivably be that much louder than Autzen Stadium despite the large disparity between capacities. After all, the Ducks’ cozy home has earned a reputation over the last couple of decades as being among the loudest environments in college football.

Yet venerable Memorial Stadium, which is celebrating consecutive sellout No. 350, can have its moments, too.

Players like Michael Rose-Ivey, the senior linebacker who’s used social media to encourage fans to stand and be loud, hopes Saturday is one.

To be sure, crowd noise could throw Oregon’s no-huddle, fast-paced offense off kilter, even if the Ducks, no strangers to loud road environments, have been practicing silent counts and signals since fall camp.

“We know we’re going into a hostile venue, great venue, great fans,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said, “so that’s one of the great things about college football.”

Oregon will be the ninth ranked Pac 10/12 team to play in Memorial Stadium. The others were all ranked No. 16 or higher, and four of them were in the Top 5. The Huskers were 4-4 in those games, the most recent victory in 1998 over No. 9 Washington.

Here’s a closer look at the Ducks, and what Nebraska’s facing in hopes of beginning Big Ten Conference play with a 3-0 record.

Oregon offense

Really, what don’t we know about the Oregon offense?

It’s become a national brand, and not just because of the many zany uniform color combinations.

The Ducks boast speed at the skill positions and will spread out defenses to create one-on-one matchups in hopes of busting big plays. Receiver Devin Allen, for example, ran hurdles in the Olympics this summer.

Nebraska coach Mike Riley, of course, is quite familiar with the Ducks, having gone 4-10 against Oregon while coaching at instate rival Oregon State. While speed has been a constant ingredient of Oregon’s offense for many years, Riley said, versatility has been just as important to its success.

“Everybody might think about it like a spread offense, passing offense, but it’s not,” Riley said. “It is predicated on the run and has been for a long time.”

To wit: Oregon has led its conference in rushing for 10 straight seasons, and the Ducks have had at least one back gain 1,000 rushing yards for nine straight seasons, with junior running back Royce Freeman carrying that torch. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, he’s rushed for 3,495 yards, more than any other running back from a Power 5 conference.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker, who served the same role under Riley at Oregon State, points to a savvy quarterback with control and command of the offense as another key piece the quack attack.

He believes Helfrich has found that player in Prukop, who transferred from Montana State. He’s completing 68.9 percent of his passes for 602 yards and six touchdowns and has netted 55 rushing yards in two games.

Prukop has also continued a remarkable streak of 82 straight games in which Oregon has completed a touchdown pass. It’s the longest streak ever in the NCAA, and 13 more than the previous mark set by Texas Tech.

Six different players have already caught touchdown passes, including tight ends Pharaoh Brown and Johnny Mundt. Riley said the Ducks are utilizing the tight end more than they have in the past.

Helfrich notes Nebraska, which has forced eight turnovers through two games, plays the same base defense he remembers from Banker’s time at Oregon State but with far more personnel groups.

“That’s one thing they’re doing more than ever is the variation of scheme and their pressure looks. Most of the stuff we do is nonverbal. Hopefully that will be seamless and positive for us,” Helfrich said.

“They’re playing extremely confident right now in every phase, particularly on defense. They are really starting to put it together with a veteran team.”

Senior Oregon offensive lineman Cameron Hunt said that in film study of Nebraska, he’s noticed similar tendencies of past Oregon State defenses, “but with different talent.”

Hunt said he expects Nebraska’s safeties to be heavily involved against the run, like Riley’s safeties were at Oregon State.

“It’s going to be big-time for our receivers to make some blocks, and then have our offensive linemen finishing,” Hunt told GoDucks.com writer Rob Moseley.

Prukop, admitting he had issues throwing on the run in Oregon’s last game against Virginia, said he’s also found tendencies with Nebraska’s defense.

He also praised the Blackshirts.

“(My) hat’s off to Nebraska,” he said. “The kind of defense they play, they’re sitting there waiting for you to make mistakes.”

Oregon defense

Ducks defensive back Tyree Robinson has a pretty good idea what Nebraska’s offensive game plan will be Saturday.

“They’re going to try to run the ball down our throats,” Robinson told local reporters, “try to expose us from the games we’ve already played. We’ve just got to be there to make plays.”

It’s no secret Oregon’s defensive struggles last season began with an inability to stop the run, and even with a revised 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke, the former Michigan coach, the Ducks haven’t yet proven themselves.

A struggling Virginia team amassed 193 rushing yards on 40 attempts just last Saturday.

Yet Robinson knows the Ducks can’t overcommit to the run or risk big plays by Tommy Armstrong Jr., Jordan Westerkamp, Cethan Carter and company.

Freshman linebacker Troy Dye is the first true freshman to start at linebacker for Oregon in more than 38 years. In his debut against UC Davis, he had 11 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and a sack.

Riley said the Ducks have shown a variety of pressures and corner blitzes in the first two games, and that defensive tackle Austin Maloata and defensive end Jalen Jelks are adept at applying pressure.

Oregon doesn’t discuss specifics with injuries, but Jelks and another defensive end, Justin Hollins, are battling injury, and the front seven in general is a little banged up.

At his weekly press conference, Helfrich simply said coaches are trying to get as many healthy bodies ready as possible.

The biggest key for Nebraska, as has been mentioned throughout the week, will be tackling in space and not allowing big plays. 

Oregon special teams

Yes, Oregon’s still noted for attempting two-point conversions at any point, especially after scoring first. Charles Nelson is the player to watch in such occasions. He’s the holder on PATs and scored a pair of two-point conversions in the season opener against UC-Davis.

Nelson, who started at safety last season, is also a starting wide receiver and the Ducks’ top return man for punts and kickoffs. He had the third-most kickoff return yards in a season in 2015 with 876.

(Of course, that also means the Ducks have fielded a lot of kickoffs, indicative of their defensive issues).

Junior kicker Aidan Schneider is the most accurate kicker in Oregon history; he’s made 92.1 percent of his field goals – 35-of-38. Dye blocked a field goal against UC Davis.

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twittter @GBRosenthal