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In a highly anticipated matchup, the No. 12 Oregon Ducks will host the No. 10 Utah Utes at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. With Oregon football aiming for the Pac-12 Championship Game and a bid to the College Football Playoff, this game could affect the Ducks' destiny.
Oregon is currently 8-2 and 6-1 in conference play. One of its losses came to the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, while the other one came last week against the then-No. 25 Washington Huskies. The latter caused the Ducks to fall from No. 6 all the way out of the top-10, making their CFP hopes almost disappear.
Utah has had its ups and downs in 2022. The Utes started the year at No. 7 but lost to the unranked Florida Gators. The team went as low as No. 20, only to go back to the top-10 following important victories, including over the then-No. 7 USC Trojans.
This high-ranked battle should certainly be one of the best games of the week and potentially of the year. If the Ducks really want a win, they need to address some things. With that being said, here are three things Oregon must do to beat Utah in this Pac-12 clash.
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3. Give Bucky Irving as many touches as possible
One of the reasons for Oregon's strong season is sophomore Bucky Irving. The running back has 119 carries for a total of 831 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to leading the team in yards on the ground, he places top-40 in the nation in that category. Irving has also added 241 receiving yards on 22 carries, plus three touchdowns.
He is coming off a hot streak as well. In the last four games, Irving surpassed 100 yards in three of them, including a season-high 143 yards in the loss to Washington.
Due to his big contributions, Oregon's offense heavily depends on him for Saturday. Utah's defense ranks No. 22 in the nation, allowing just 327.9 yards of total offense per game.
Irving's dual-threat abilities make him a difficult player to contain. They also expand the Ducks' playbook, which could be a big problem for the Utes. If the Ducks want to win, they must utilize Irving as much as they can.
2. Contain Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas and Dalton Kincaid
Perhaps the biggest challenge the Ducks will face will be the trio of Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas and Dalton Kincaid. All three are enjoying standout seasons and have been responsible for most of the team's points in 2022.
Thomas has 123 carries for 632 yards and seven touchdowns, leading Utah in all rushing categories. Most recently, the running back has his best game of the year, recording 180 yards and scoring twice.
Kincaid is cementing his name as one of the best tight ends in the nation. For the season, he has 50 catches for 649 and seven touchdowns despite missing one game due to injury. Most notably, the senior had 16 receptions for an impressive 234 yards and one score versus the then-No. 7 USC Trojans. The Ducks won by one point, with Kincaid's playing a huge role in the result.
Finally, there is Rising. Once considered a Heisman contender, the quarterback ended up falling out of the conversation but is still having a solid year. He has completed 66.3% of his pass attempts for 2,225 yards and 19 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Rising is also showing his running abilities, rushing for 335 yards and six scores, both the second-best marks on the squad.
Having three reliable offensive options will be extremely important for the Utes, allowing them to vary their play calls. To defeat Utah, Oregon will need to somehow contain all of them. It starts with pressuring Rising and forcing bad throws or sacks.
1. Bo Nix needs to play the game of his life
At the end of the day, Oregon's fate heavily relies on Bo Nix. The Auburn transfer is reviving his career with the Ducks in 2022, even receiving some Heisman buzz.
Nix is completing 73% of his passes for 2,775 yards for 24 touchdowns with five picks. He is also making a big impact on the ground, rushing 78 times for a total of 516 yards and 14 scores. The latter places him in the top-10 in FBS, and is the highest mark for a quarterback this season.
The problem is that he has struggled at some moments when playing stronger teams this year. Against CFP contender Georgia, Nix had only 173 passing yards for no touchdowns and two picks. In the loss to Washington, he had completed fewer than 20 passes.
Nix is the X-factor for the Ducks. If they really want to win the Pac-12, it all starts with their quarterback. He needs to play one of his best games to give Oregon a better chance of victory on Saturday, which could be complicated by his injury status.
Expect Nix to tough it out, though, using both his arm and legs to create plays. Still, Oregon should also be careful since Utah will probably do anything to stop him.
