The Eastern Washington Eagles are in for a tough out in their first game of the upcoming college football season. The 2014 Big Sky (FCS) champions take to the road against last year’s College Football Playoff (FBS) runners-up the No. 7 Oregon Ducks. Will the Ducks’ dynamic offense be on display? Or will the Eagles pull something magical out of their sleeves? Read on as we break down this intriguing game.
Eastern Washington may be an FCS school, but they have a handful of players that could cause the national championship runners-up some headaches. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is now with the Oregon Ducks, but Jordan West can be a solid replacement after going 3-1 as a starter last season. West completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,072 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]West is entering his first season as a full-time starter, and Cooper Kupp will prove to be his explosive weapon right out of the gates. The junior wide receiver has 2,704 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns in his first two seasons. An FCS Jerry Rice Award winner in 2013, Kupp averages a score every 4.4 receptions.
Kupp could gain significant yardage against an Oregon defense missing some key players in its secondary. He caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Washington last year, the Eagles’ lone game against an FBS school last season.
West and Kupp will need to connect early and often against Oregon. The Eagles will field a very vulnerable defense, one that allowed 442 yards per game and allowed opponents to score 89 percent of the time while in the red zone last season. Eastern Washington also lost a host of players in linebackers Ronnie Hamlin, the Big Sky’s all-time leading tackler, and Cody McCarthy. All-American safety Tevin McDonald is also gone.
With so many holes on defense, sophomore linebacker Miquiyah Zamora will need to be at his best in the season opener. He had 102 tackles in 2014 and should put a plug in the running routes against an Oregon offense facing uncertainty at quarterback.
The Eagles have won their last five games against schools from the state of Oregon.
Betting on the Oregon Ducks
Vernon Adams may not get the starting job on day one. That distinction belongs to Jeff Lockie, who backed up last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota for the past two seasons. Lockie already has taken live snaps for the Ducks in his three years with the team. But he’s had very limited playing time, completing just 29 of 41 passes for 264 yards with a touchdown and an interception as Mariota’s backup.
Lockie won’t look like Mariota, especially not with two of last year’s top receivers Devon Allen (ACL surgery) and Darren Carrington (suspension) out of this game. He’ll still have running-back-turned-receiver Byron Marshall to pass to, who led the team with 1,003 yards receiving and six touchdowns last season.
With Oregon’s uncertainty at quarterback and lack of depth at receiver, running back Royce Freeman may need to shoulder plenty of the offensive load. He was stellar last season, rushing for 1,365 yards along with a conference-high 18 touchdowns.
The Ducks could score aplenty with Freeman or Marshall, but their front seven on defense will need to cover for a questionable secondary against Eastern Washington’s stellar receiver in Kupp. Oregon has a young secondary with sophomores Chris Seisay and Arrion Springs, along with true freshman Ugo Amadi and Charles Nelson, who is now a defensive back after his previous stint at wideout.
Oregon’s front seven should be solid with the return of defensive end DeForest Buckner, who had four sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season. Buckner also broke up four passes and was responsible for three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Expect him to threaten Eastern Washington’s rather inexperienced quarterback, Jordan West.
Oregon is 9-1 SU/ATS in its last 10 games as favorites.
Writer’s Prediction
Oregon wins, but the Eagles keep the game a little too close for comfort. Create a betting account now and get set for a big season of college football.
