10/29/15 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

D A I LY E M E R A L D . C O M

# S A C K PA C K

⚑ GAMEDAY

PILING ON THE PRESSURE OREGON DEFENSIVE LINE’S MISSION IS SIMPLE: Find

a way to get to the quarterback. Led by DeForest Buckner,and Alex Balducci, the unit has overcome a poor start to the season and is now statistically one of the best Pac-12 teams at sacking the quarterback.

DEFOREST BUCKNER FINDS HIS OUTLET THROUGH ART

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⚑ GAMEDAY

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T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

➡ GUS

MORRIS, @G_AMORRIS

During the opening reception of the Art of the Athlete exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Katie Gillard, an art instructor from Beaverton, pulled me aside to watch a video.

The video was taken at the studio for the Art of the Athlete summer class, offered only to a handful of Oregon student-athletes.

Several athletes, working on their projects, were filmed discussing who was better: Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. The conversation went back and forth until the camera panned to Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.

“DeFo, are you going to contribute to this?” Gillard asked him.

Buckner looked up at the camera, smiled, then looked back down at his project.

“I got one mission: finish my art,” he said, then returned to his task at hand.

Moments like this were why Gillard and Lisa Abia-Smith, the organizer of the program, nicknamed Buckner “Dr. Defo.”

Over the course of the fourweek program, student-athletes learned simple art techniques, then created expressive works of art.

Abia-Smith, who headed the program all four years of its existence, was blown away by what she saw from Buckner.

She said the name “Dr. Defo” originated from his passion for and patience with his pieces.

“I have never seen, even in my art students, someone focus so closely and precisely on their work,” Abia-Smith said at the opening of the exhibit on Oct. 21.

“My best friend is a surgeon and

it’s that same sort of preciseness.”

In high school Buckner dabbled in art, taking a few classes here and there. He enjoyed his experiences but never really considered himself artistic. For Buckner, art is a way to convey emotion.

“It’s doing something different,” Buckner said after practice on Sunday. “It’s another way to express your feelings.”

Like many of the athletes’ artwork, Buckner’s pieces portrayed themes of family and culture. One of his pieces, a collage titled “Roots,” features the seal of American Samoa surrounded with maps of the Hawaiian and Polynesian islands from which Buckner draws his heritage.

“He was very concerned with making sure that the flag was there and that everyone had a place on it,” Abia-Smith said. “It was almost like a self-portrait through pictures.”

Art is also an outlet for Buckner to escape from the grind and pressure that playing a collegiate sport brings.

“It’s definitely a way to get away from everything,” Buckner said. “It’s a good way to shut everything out and focus on what you’re feeling in that moment.”

The summer program includes several access workshops, in which athletes help children with disabilities create works of art.

To Buckner, working with kids was one of the most rewarding aspects of the class.

“It was great being able to put a smile on the kids’ faces,” Buckner said. “It makes a big difference in their lives and it makes it a big difference in mine.”

⚑ GAMEDAY

OREGON VS ASU MATCHUPS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

➡ CHRISTOPHER

Royce Freeman playing in the game against Washington State (Adam Eberhardt).

KEIZUR, @CHRISKEIZUR

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

OREGON

For the players having a short week of practice, it can be tough to switch schemes to match the opposition. Luckily, both Oregon (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12) and Arizona State (4-3, 2-2) had byes last week.

Oregon comes into the game with cautious optimism after the return of Vernon Adams, Jr. who helped hold off Washington for a 26-20 victory. The Oregon offense has seemingly bounced back, and averaging 39.3 points per game. The defense is still, however, lagging.

Arizona State stumbled against then No. 4 Utah, falling 34-18. Similar to the Ducks, the Sun Devils are a team that can put points up on the board, but struggle on defense.

Royce Freeman

It should come as no surprise that Freeman is one of the players to watch for Oregon. The starting back has had an impressive season so far, racking up 997 yards and nine touchdowns. He is a nice combination of speed, power and balance. Pairing his athletic ability with his knack to read his blockers has resulted in a strong sophomore season.

Aiden Schneider

MATCHUPS TO WATCH THIS THURSDAY Oregon wide receivers vs.

Arizona State secondary

Oregon punt return vs.

Arizona special teams

The big storyline in Seattle was the return of wide receiver Darren Carrington, who helped bolster the lagging Ducks’ aerial attack.

Carrington is a big-bodied receiver who is skilled at shaking open on his routes, resulting in big chunks of yards. Pairing him with the reliable Bralon Addison and talented Dwayne Stanford makes it likely that Oregon will have a target available on each play. Against Washington, the three combined for 251 yards and two touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, the Sun Devils have held teams to 251.6 passing yards and have snagged six interceptions. They’ll try to jam up Oregon at the line of scrimmage to keep the Ducks from using their speed downfield.

With two similar teams facing off, the game will likely boil down to a few key moments. For Oregon, one of those moments could come during punt returns.

Addison has been the man to return them for Oregon all season, and he has the ability to read the field sometimes breaking one for big yards. ASU’s junior punter Matt Haack is no slouch kicking the ball. He has averaged 42.6 yards per punt this season, and his season-high is a whopping 63 yards. Haack will try to kick the ball away from Oregon.

This could go in Oregon’s favor — year-afteryear field position wise — even if Addison never gets a chance to return a punt.

The Emerald is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon.

Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

NEWSROOM EDITOR IN CHIEF DA H L I A BA Z Z A Z X 3 2 5 PRINT MANAGING EDITOR COOPER GREEN D I G I TA L M A N A G I N G E D I T O R JACK HEFFERNAN HIRING AND TRAINING DIRECTOR K AY L E E T O R N AY MANAGING PRODUCER SCOTT GREENSTONE AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR KIRA HOFFELMEYER

DESIGNERS RAQUEL ORTEGA JARRED GRAHAM GINA MILLS OPINION EDITOR TA N N E R O W E N S SPORTS EDITORS JUSTIN WISE H AY D E N K I M KENNY JACOBY NEWS EDITORS JENNIFER FLECK F R A N C E S A F O N TA N A LAUREN GARETTO

A&C EDITORS EMERSON MALONE CRAIG WRIGHT DA N I E L B RO MF I E L D

The Oregon sophomore kicker from Portland, Oregon has had a strong season. So far, he has made 11 field goals and 32 extra points for a total of 65 points. Schneider has been accurate from distance and has provided a nice outlet for when the Ducks struggle to find the end zone. Look for him on Thursday to salvage what otherwise would have been empty Oregon possessions.

ARIZONA STATE Demario Richard

Back from an injury that kept him out of the game against Utah is running back Demario Richard. While most of his work is done on the ground, averaging 88.2 rushing yards per game, he also has an effect in the passing game — catching 18. In total, Richard has six touchdowns on the year.

Devin Lucien

It’s become something of a tradition that the opposing team’s top wideout becomes a player to watch when facing the Ducks, as the porous secondary encourages breakthrough performances.

On Thursday, the nod goes to senior Devin Lucien.

Though he has had a relatively quiet year, with just 338 yards and one touchdown, Lucien has the speed and size to create some mismatches that could be exploited for some big gains.

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⚑ GAMEDAY

STACK UP ➡ JUSTIN

WISE, @JUSTINFWISE

According to preseason expectations, Thursday night’s contest between Oregon and Arizona State on ESPN was intended to feature two of the top programs in the Pac-12 – possibly the nation. The teams were ranked inside the top 15 of the AP poll and both had marquee non-conference match-ups to open the season.

However, when the Ducks and Sun Devils meet in Tempe, Arizona, it will feature two teams still in pursuit of becoming bowl eligible.

Arizona State and Oregon are coming off bye weeks with 4-3 records and two Pac-12 losses.

Arizona State has mirrored many of Oregon’s struggles. The offense, guided by quarterback Mike Bercovici, hasn’t transitioned as well from 2014 to 2015 as it was initially expected to. The unit is averaging just 28 points per game and Bercovici’s quarterback rating is listed at 52.6.

The numbers contributed to Arizona State being dominated in games versus USC and Texas A&M in September.

A win at UCLA a few weeks ago displayed the group’s potential, though. As for Oregon, the team is trying to win consecutive games for the first time this season. With a healthy Vernon Adams, Jr. and Darren Carrington providing another dynamic threat, the prospects look much brighter than what they were a couple weeks ago.

Here’s how Oregon and Arizona State stack up: Oregon offense vs.

Arizona State defense Oregon’s offense looks like a completely different animal with Adams behind center. The graduate-transfer returned after missing back-to-back games to lead Oregon to 442 yards of offense and a 26-20 win over Washington. In addition, wide receiver Darren Carrington returned from his six-game suspension and became Adams’ main target, finishing with five grabs for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

With that said, coach Mark Helfrich said there are still a number of “simple mistakes that we can correct.” But the speed and excitement Oregon’s offense is normally associated with was certainly there at Washington. Royce Freeman took advantage of the added passing threat and ran for 138 yards on 27 carries.

All of it together resulted in Oregon’s most complete performance on offense all season, and a reason for optimism heading into the latter half of the schedule. But Arizona State’s front seven poses a stiff challenge for Oregon.

The group is ranked second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards allowed, giving up just 129.3 yards per game. It also ranks first in the conference in sacks with 24.

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Arizona State offense vs.

Oregon defense Bercovici has thrown for 14 touchdowns and just five interceptions, and running back Demario Richard is averaging 5.2 yards per rush. But those numbers have been outdone by a myriad of other problems Arizona State’s offense has faced.

The offensive line is giving up an average three sacks and 7.7 tackles for loss, according to The Oregonian.

It opens the door for an Oregon defensive line that has had its share of struggles this season too. However, the unit appears to be coming into its own as of late. The Ducks rank fifth in the conference in rush defense and second in sacks with 21.

And based on Oregon’s pass defense this season, getting to the quarterback could be crucial for the defensive line this week. Bercovici is averaging 39 passes per game, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if his attempts total is higher on Thursday.

Elsewhere on defense, Tyree Robinson’s move from safety to cornerback for the Washington game appears to be permanent.

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đ&#x;“– COVER

KEY IN RESURGEN ➥ JUSTIN

WISE , @JUSTINFWISE

When discussing Oregon’s pass rush this season, defensive line coach Ron Aiken is quick to to describe the areas of technique he often stresses to his group in practice about getting to the quarterback. “Flip your hips,� “get skinny� and don’t rush “the passer with your shoulders square to a blocker.� “Flipping the hips� and “bursting to the quarterback� is what Aiken preaches most often, and despite a lack of quarterback pressure in the first couple weeks, Oregon has enjoyed an increasing level of success from the defensive line in that regard as of late.

The unit ranks second in the Pac-12 in sacks with 21, and the combination of nose tackle Alex Balducci and defensive end Deforest Buckner has recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks alone.

But Aiken sees a group with plenty of work left to be done. “There’s still more sacks that we’re leaving out there, contact on the quarterback [in which] we need to make sure we take him to the ground,� Aiken said on Sunday, before describing the technique that many of his players need to become more consistent at. “It’s technique that we do in practice, but we need to make sure we bring it to a game.�

It seems to be a defining phrase for not just the defensive line, but the entire Ducks team as it gets set to face Arizona State on Thursday night. The talent runs deep — against Washington State, the Ducks used nine players in their rotation on the defensive

line — and the potential is clearly there. “But we just need to finish,� Balducci said. “There’s a lot of tackles outside the box and a lot of sacks that we could’ve gotten (at Washington.)�

It is all part of a larger emphasis on getting to the quarterback that the Ducks defensive coaches instilled this past offseason. And it has translated to Balducci becoming the “biggest plus� for the defensive line this year, according to Aiken. “Alex has done a great job flipping his hips and getting on the edge of guys to give us additional pressure,� Aiken said. “We’ve upgraded what we do with our nose tackle on pass rush.�

Balducci, who used the offseason to work on that facet of his game, appears to be pleased with the personal results too. “Last year, we really focused on dropping eight guys and containing the quarterback,� Balducci said. “This year, we’re letting the front go more and do our thing. I feel like I’m getting there.�

It’s a modified role for Balducci compared to previous seasons, but his success has become the perfect complement to Buckner, who is described as one of the most dominant players in college football, according to Pro Football Focus. Buckner currently has 36 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks. “He’s the No. 1 interior pass-rusher in the country, and ranks second at his position in run-stop percentage. Just ask Colorado’s offensive line how much fun he is to block,� the analytics site writes.

In addition, Buckner is a semifinalist for the Ted

Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s best defensive end, and projected by multiple media outlets to go in the first round of next year’s NFL draft. He’s garnered all this acclaim while taking on as many as three blockers on a given pass play. “Deforest is doing what’s expected and more,�

Aiken said.

Balducci’s output has become even more beneficial then, because of the certain times in which Buckner is double or triple teamed. But, it’s not just him. True freshman Henry Mondeaux has recorded three tackles for loss and three sacks, and Jalen Jelks and Tui Talia have each added a sack of their own, which has translated into the Ducks’ rotation including as many as nine players. “It’s nice because you know you got guys going in that can apply pressure,� said Balducci.

Now, as Aiken said, Oregon will continue to try and translate the technique they consistently work on at practice into a game situation at Arizona State.

The defensive line will face a quarterback in Mike Bercovici, who averages 39 passes per game and likes to sling it downfield.

And for the Ducks’ defense to be successful, the defensive line has to be an integral part, which means defenders will have to flip their hips and burst to quarterback. But it also can be simplified. “You want to measure what you do by winning ball games,� Aiken said. “So we have to do what we can to win ball games. We have to figure out how to get the quarterback.�

Buckner, Balducci, and Mondeaux are all dominating forces on the defensive line (Adam Eberhardt).

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NCE DeForest Buckner is considered one of the most dominant defensive players in the country and leads an improving Ducks defensive line (Cole Elsasser).

Defensive line anchors improving Oregon pass defense ➡ WILL

DENNER, @WILL_DENNER

Oregon’s defense was only responsible for five sacks through the first four games of the 2015 season.

Of the five, 1.5 came from the Ducks’ defensive line. In three games since (Colorado, Washington State and Washington), the Ducks combined for 16 sacks on opposing quarterbacks - more than tripling their previous output.

Most importantly, Oregon’s defensive line totaled 10 of the team’s last 16 sacks, including all four in its most recent victory at Washington.

Although Oregon’s secondary has drawn criticism in nearly every game this season because of its 121st-ranked pass defense, the defensive line’s lack of pressure at the beginning of the year is partially to blame. Without a consistent pass rush, opposing quarterbacks have been allowed too much time in the pocket. Sacks don’t tell the whole story, but much of the defensive line’s increase in production over the last three games can be attributed to more hits on quarterbacks. As a result, Oregon’s pass defense is slowly becoming more well-rounded.

Senior defensive end DeForest Buckner is responsible for a large portion of the unit’s improved pass rush. Buckner’s five sacks are a teamhigh, and he’s been unstoppable in stretches this season.

Early in the third quarter against Washington, Buckner sacked Huskies quarterback Jake Browning on back-to-back plays, single-handedly halting a promising scoring drive.

“He’s just that factor, he’s going to get through that line of scrimmage,” said cornerback Ugo Amadi, who grabbed the game-clinching interception against Washington.

Defensive coordinator Don Pellum believes his defensive line has been similar all season. The major improvement over the last few games has come from the secondary.

“I don’t know if the [pass rush] has changed a lot,” Pellum said. “What we’re doing overall between the front and the back, I think we’re playing better coverage behind them and allowing a little more time for our guys to continue to rush.”

However, interior defensive linemen, particularly senior nose tackle Alex Balducci, have stepped up for the Ducks. Balducci has two and a half sacks on the season, all of which came during the last three games.

Combining Buckner and Balducci with a rotation of Tui Talia and fastemerging Henry Mondeaux at the opposite end position, Oregon has a formidable defensive line.

Still, the Ducks are weary of plays left on the field. Sixteen sacks over the last three games is an improvement, but the Ducks feel like they should have more.

“We’re doing well, but we just need to finish,” Balducci said. “There’s a lot of tackles outside the box and a lot of sacks that we could’ve gotten.”

Oregon’s pressure against Washington almost wasn’t enough, as the Huskies nearly came back and spoiled a 26-20 victory.

Thursday’s game at Arizona State won’t be as forgiving. Quarterback Mike Bercovici is protected by an experienced offensive line of four seniors and a junior. The unit also hasn’t given up more than one sack in four of its seven games. Oregon’s defensive line, its anchor, will be tested once again.

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⚑ GAMEDAY Vernon Adams has some hard work ahead of him to prove that the program has what it takes to win (Adam Eberahardt).

THE QUESTION SEEMS TO COUNTER WHAT THE PROGRAM PREACHES ➡ ANDREW

B A N T LY, @ A N D R E W B A N T LY

For a team that buys in to the ‘Win The Day’ mentality, Pac-12 championship talks will seem premature.

But following Oregon’s 26-20 win over Washington, that’s exactly what some stars of this Ducks football team had on their minds, even though the Ducks are more than two games behind Pac-12 North-leading Stanford.

In Seattle, a reporter asked if the Ducks could run the table, a question that was leading and equally premature in the first place.

“I think we can,” Adams said.

“You know, we just got to clean up the little mistakes, the little baby mistakes, the penalties, continue not to turn the ball over and be better on third downs. I think we do that and I think we have a good shot at it.”

Defensive end DeForest Buckner echoed a similar thought after the game.

“The win is a foundation for the second half of the season. Obviously our goal is to win out, so we have the opportunity to be one of the best teams up there (in the Pac-12 standings),” said Buckner.

A six-point win over Washington – a team thought to finish in the bottom half of the conference before the season – and Oregon is ready to run the table?

The Ducks played well. Give them credit. They protected the football, the secondary kept Washington’s receivers in check and Oregon had a quarterback who threw the ball with some authority.

A good foundational restart, perhaps.

But a momentum boost to then win out? That seems foolish. Senior linebacker Rodney Hardrick agrees.

“The way we look at it, it’s each day, each practice, each meeting,”

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Hardrick said to me after Tuesday’s practice. “So [we] really don’t care about anything that’s going on, any expectations or anything like that. We focus on what we need to do each day.”

Sure, Adams and Buckner — and the whole Oregon football team — felt good after the win and were likely excited to move forward – they’re human. And the reporter was trying to exploit that emotion in his or her recap – we’re human.

The win needs to be taken for what it is: A step in the right direction. “[The win] doesn’t really change much, but guys are more enthusiastic, have a lot more energy,” Hardrick said. “Things are going easier. People are doing their jobs correctly.”

And that’s what they’ll need to do to get by Arizona State, California, No. 8 Standord, USC and Oregon State to complete just the regular season. Obviously, it can’t be ignored that there is more than a month of football left before the Pac-12 Championship on Dec. 8 is played.

Focus in on the Sun Devils and you’ll see a team in an eerily similar situation. Both teams are 4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Pac-12, coming off a bye week, got routed at home to a conference foe, and most importantly, can’t afford another conference loss.

So, if there’s one thing Oregon cannot have going in to Tempe, it’s too much confidence and an expectation to return to Eugene with a win.

While I’m not forecasting such ideas, if the Ducks have any shot of returning to Santa Clara to defend their title, they first have to win today.

⚑ GAMEDAY

WHY ASU WILL BEAT OREGON

➡ M AT H E W

TONIS

**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Mathew Tonis, the football beat reporter at The State Press.** With public opinion souring on the Sun Devils, the team needs to turn their play around, and quickly, or face even more criticism from both outside the program and in. As a team that had national title aspirations, it seems as though the National University Holiday Bowl is now a long shot.

Following another anemic offensive performance in the rearview mirror after a bye week, the ASU offense is still searching for a full game in rhythm, and the Oregon defense is the perfect opponent to do that.

Despite Todd Graham’s insistence that the ASU offense is a run, play action fake team, the most success the Sun Devils have had comes from airing the ball out with redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici.

The run game should receive a massive boost with sophomore running back Demario Richard returning to the lineup after not playing against Utah. The boisterous back has made it clear all week how important he is to this offense and, with the way ASU played without him, the fans more than agree.

Oregon’s pass defense ranks last in the Pac-12, which should allow space for senior D.J. Foster and redshirt senior Devin Lucien to operate down the field and Bercovici to find his form from his three-game run in 2014 when people around Tempe anointed him as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the conference.

While those bold predictions have not come true, the offense has looked very good at times and has the playmakers to exploit a weak Duck secondary and advance the ball down the field at a rate ASU hasn’t seen since Taylor Kelly hung up his pads for the final time after the Sun Bowl.

Defensively, ASU has been, quite frankly, dominant at times, shutting down dynamic running backs like Paul Perkins and Devontae Booker. The Sun Devils, aside from two games against triple-option offenses, have nearly shut down the line of scrimmage, forcing opposing quarterback to air the ball out, with varied success.

While Vernon Adams, Jr. said earlier this

week that he likes going against blitz-heavy defenses, he hasn’t faced one that blitzes quite as often as the Sun Devils do. ASU consistently brings pressure on the quarterback, and inexperienced or unprepared passers are in for a rude awakening with Laiu Moeakiola or Christian Sam charging from the edge.

The Duck offense has not seen an animal like the Sun Devil blitz attack and, if ASU can finally force turnovers like it wants to, it could be a long day for Adams and the rest of the offensive unit.

Once again, this is a game the Sun Devils need. Graham has preached all season this is the most talented team in his time in Tempe and a fourth loss in eight games would be near disaster for both the current state of the program and for future prospects.

On a night where ASU will honor its favorite son, Pat Tillman, it’s hard to imagine the Sun Devils being anything less than fired up to grab a win on national television and keep their slim Pac-12 South hopes alive, at least for this week.

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⚑ GAMEDAY TRUST WHAT YOU SEE AND TAKE WHAT THEY GIVE YOU. DON’T FORCE ANYTHING AND JUST HAVE FUN. SCOTT FROST, Oregon offensive coordinator.

As far as offensive coordinator Scott Frost is concerned, when the Ducks are balanced, they are a better team (Emerald Archives).

FROST: TEMPO IS EVERYTHING AGAINST ASU ➡ KENNY Oregon, fresh off a bye week, has had extra time to prepare for its game against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe on Thursday night.

Following practice on Monday, quarterback Vernon Adams, Jr. said the bye week was “a little too long,” but the team is “ready to play.”

Arizona State is a team that likes to blitz a lot on defense, but Adams said he likes playing those types of teams because it gives the wide receivers a lot of one-on-one opportunities.

“Arizona State does a lot of good things on defense,” Adams said. “They try to confuse you with stuff and you’ve just got to be smart.

You’ve just got to make sure the o-line and running backs are in the right protections, and if you see something, just trust it. Trust what you see and take what they give you. Don’t force anything and just have fun.”

Offensive coordinator Scott Frost said the Sun Devils being described as a blitz-heavy team is “an understatement.”

“These guys blitz not just one extra guy but two extra guys a bunch of the time,” Frost said.

“I think their blitz percentage is between 55

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and 60 percent, so on more than half the plays they’re coming after us.”

The goal of Arizona State’s defense, Frost said, is to “create chaos” by taking away the easy plays and leaving the quarterback vulnerable to the pass rush. He described the defense as boom-or-bust. Teams that have faced it often lose yardage on consecutive series, only to break out for long gains shortly thereafter. Patience, therefore, is the key to defeating it.

“There are going to be some series they win,” Frost said. “When they’re going to be that aggressive and gamble, they’re going to make their share of plays. We just have to hit on our share of plays, too, and hopefully when we hit on our share of plays, they’re big plays.”

The Ducks restored balance to their offense last week in their win over Washington, thanks to the returns of Adams from a finger injury and wide receiver Darren Carrington from a suspension. In previous weeks, back-up quarterbacks Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie lined up behind center, and Oregon’s passing

game was severely limited. The offense was unbalanced, so opposing defenses were able to focus their efforts on stopping the running game because the passing game wasn’t a threat.

Frost said having Adams and Carrington back made a “huge difference in the game,” and Adams, in particular, made plays that “really bailed us out.”

“When we’re balanced, we’re a better team,” Frost said. “For a while there we felt like our best chance was to run [the ball] a bunch, and we ran it well when we did, which was great to see. But if we can make throws down the field, it loosens everything up, so we’re going to have to be balanced.”

Frost thinks Oregon’s tempo on offense will play a “big factor” in the game. He plans on being selective in terms of when to utilize a fast-tempo attack, so as to give Oregon’s defense ample time to rest.

“If our defense has been on the field a long time, I don’t want to go fast and put the defense right back on the field if it doesn’t work,” Frost said. “We’ll pick our spots with the tempo.”

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