For the most part, up until this point of the season, the Oregon Ducks have not been met with many weeks where the pressure ramps up, and fans feel the nerves creep in days in advance of a game. The trip to Happy Valley for a white-out vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions certainly qualifies, and hosting the Indiana Hoosiers in Eugene was worth getting amped up for. Still, outside of those two games, the Ducks‘ schedule has been manageable, to put it mildly.
That changes going forward, with three games against ranked teams in the next four weeks. It all starts with a trip to Iowa City this weekend for a game against the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes.
This will be one of the most challenging remaining games on Oregon’s schedule, and a matchup that many fans have had circled since the start of the season. So what can we expect to see from this Kirk Ferentz team, and in particular, what type of challenges will they present? Let’s dive in.
What do the Iowa Hawkeyes do well on defense?
As with any good Iowa team in the past couple of decades, things are built on a strong defense and special teams unit. That goes for this year as well, where the Hawkeyes have the No. 5 scoring defense (14.0 ppg), No. 3 total defense (243.1 ypg), No. 4 passing defense (153.4 ypg), and No. 12 rushing defense (89.7 ypg) in the nation. In games against some good offenses like Indiana, Iowa State, and Rutgers, the Hawkeyes have allowed an average of 21 points per game. Whether they’re facing a team on the ground or through the air, Iowa has had answers so far.
Who are the top players to know about?
DE Max Llewellyn
A senior, Max Llewellyn is as disruptive as it comes from the defensive end spot. He has a perfect combination of size, speed and athleticism to both overpower and turn the corner on opposing lineman. He’s fourth in the Big Ten in sacks and has also gotten his hands on the football plenty of times, forcing a pair of fumbles and deflecting a pair of passes.
CB TJ Hall
Tops in the Big Ten in passes defensed with eight, TJ Hall is an absolute ball hawk from the cornerback position. He’s stepped into a big role as a senior and has one interception this season with more likely to come. The 6-foot, 190-pounder is defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s most trusted cover man on the outside.
KR/PR Kaden Wetjen
While Wetjen is technically a wide receiver, we are including him in this preview because his ability as a punt and kick returner is unmatched. He may legitimately be the best returner in the nation this year, with two punts already returned for a touchdown, and one kick going back for a touchdown as well. In a game where the Ducks are potentially going to be punting a handful of times, keeping Wetjen covered is going to be critical.
Are the Oregon Ducks built to score on Iowa?
Theoretically, the answer to this question is yes. The Ducks have a statistically great offense that ranks inside the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, total offense, and rushing offense. However, a lot of their production has come against bad teams, and they are averaging just 21 offensive points per game (in regulation) against the four best defenses they have faced. So what will it look like this weekend against Iowa? That’s the big question. When Oregon is firing offensively and moving the chains, they can play with anyone in the nation.
What should we expect on Saturday?
I don’t think we see the offensive production from Oregon that we saw against teams like Rutgers, Oregon State, or Oklahoma State, but I do think that the Ducks are going to be able to find some success with the ball. Iowa’s defense is really good, but the Ducks have talent, and I think they’re going to put some things together and find some success. Ultimately, I think the Ducks can score 20-25 points and win this game on the road.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What the Oregon Ducks should expect from Iowa’s defense
