Game of the Week

Utah at Oregon

Saturday, September 19th (3:30 PM EST)

When Utah has the ball:

QB Jeremiah Masoli; athlonsports.com

Through the first two games, it doesn't appear the loss of QB Bryan Johnson has hurt the Utes. Junior QB Terrance Cain has answered the call, demonstrating his ability to run and pass the football with precision. He's currently 16th in the nation in total offense. RB Matt Asiata provides a running threat up the middle (250 yards, 3 TD), and WR David Reed provides a reliable threat downfield. The question is, “Can the Ducks provide some defense?” Through the first two games of the year, it's clear the Oregon defense has been hurt considerably by offseason losses. The total yards they've allowed are not significantly more than last year, but there has been a serious lack of pressure put on opposing quarterbacks. In 2008, the Ducks were 8th in the nation with 2.92 sacks per game. This season, they have only three sacks through two games. Last week was a good day for the Ducks' defense, however, as they were able to return a fumble for a touchdown and take one of their two interceptions to the house. If they are able to get pressure on Cain Saturday, the defense may be able to keep Oregon in this football game.

When Oregon has the ball: There's the offense. It only took two weeks for Oregon to start clicking on offense, as they beat Purdue in a 38-36 shootout. QB Jeremiah Masoli put in a solid game, but it appears he is the only threat to run the football now that LaGarrette Blount is watching from his couch. And it's not a good sign that Masoli is still waiting for his first touchdown pass of the year. But the achilles heel for the Ducks has been their third down offense. In 22 attempts this season, they have converted only 5 – good for 22.7% (107th in the nation). The Utah defense has been okay, but they really haven't played an offense with a pulse. The strength of their unit is the linebacking corps, where Stevenson Sylvester is one of the best in the nation.

Intangibles: After an embarrassing road loss to Boise State in the first week, the Ducks were able to find some rythym against Purdue last week. Oregon is in desperate need of a big win to get their season back on track and there may be no better chance to do that than against ranked Utah, who brings their nation-best 16 game winning streak into Autzen Stadium.

Prediction: Utah has been a solid team the first couple weeks, but putting away Utah State and San Jose State doesn't exactly impress anyone. There's no question Utah still has a talented and well-coached team, but it's only a matter of time before their long winning streak comes to an end. And I believe it will happen on Saturday.

My pick: Oregon

Keep an eye on: QB Jeremiah Masoli is the clear leader of the Oregon offense, but he hasn't looked very good in the passing game. He will need to complete some passes early in order to spread out the talented Utah defense. He's a playmaker, and Saturday should be a breakout game for Masoli and the Oregon offense.

Upset Alert

Cincinnati at Oregon State

Cincinnati looks to be the team to beat in the Big East after completely destroying Rutgers in the season opener. QB Tony Pike should have a terrific season, and the Bearcats are solid on defense. But...not so fast my friend...Oregon State has won 26 straight non-conference home games...26...let that set in. The Beavers have a terrific offense thanks to the Rodgers brothers (JacQuizz and James), and their defense is equally solid. It should be a close game, and there's no reason why the Beavers can't leave the field victorious.

About to go Nuclear

RB Toby Gerhart; AP Paul Sakuma

Stanford RB Toby Gerhart
Gerhart and the Cardinal will face San Jose State in a home game Saturday. Despite having a solid defense a year ago, the Spartans have struggled this season. They have struggled mightily in run defense, allowing 296.5 yards per game. Gerhart has the skills to really exploit a soft run defense, and should have a terrific game.

Numerical analysis

325
Rushing yards for Arizona RB Nic Grigsby in his first two games. Grigsby, a junior, is currently 2nd in the nation in rushing yards and has 3 rushing touchdowns. He will face his toughest test of the young season when Arizona travels to face a stingy Iowa defense on Saturday.

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