Know the Enemy 2023: Oregon Ducks Football

A friend answers our questions

credit: calbears.com

We asked our friends over at The Quack 12 Podcast to answer some questions about Oregon football for us. Adam Chimeo graciously answered the call to be our go-to expert for the upcoming matchup.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Some answers were edited slightly for clarity. Any additional input provided will be clearly denoted with “WFC:” at the start

Make sure to check out Rob Hwang on The Quack 12 Podcast previewing the game.

Bo Nix and the offense are the story of the season, since the departure of the last OC to ASU, what schematic changes happened to improve upon 2022?

AC: Shout out to Kenny Dillingham because he has ASU ready to compete against everyone they play against despite all the crap that Herm left behind for them. I am low-key afraid to play that team this late in the season. 

To answer your question, Will Stein has proven a bit more cautious throwing the long ball than Dillingham was, though I believe this is due to Bo Nix correctly choosing the open man for a quick completion and typically good yards after the catch. The combination of Stein providing quick options for his QB and Nix adjusting the play before the snap to better take advantage of the defense has made the Oregon offense efficient and deadly. 

Who do you look forward to facing in the Big 10?

AC: Definitely the two legends of college football: Ohio State and Michigan. Love them or hate them, they are the true blue-bloods of the sport, and it has always meant something more for the program when we faced them (though, I suppose that will likely change now that we’ll be playing them almost annually). 

Ohio State beat us nine consecutive times before that Anthony Brown-led team in 2021 finally took them down in the Horseshoe. If we had lost that game, no doubt the narrative would be different coming from Buckeye fans, so at least we’ve got that going for us. Also, our 2007 win against Michigan was a program highlight, so it’ll be tough to live up to that hype when we face them on the road next season.

As far as the others, most of them are mediocre football teams, and the other two have disturbing sexual assault wraps that have tainted their reputations (one recent, one especially bad but now more removed) so overall I’m still mainly bummed that we blew up what was the best conference in college football. 

Weather looks quite inhospitable this weekend, do you think it’ll add enough chaos to the game to make it competitive vis-a-vis the massive spread?

AC: I think it could affect the deep ball, which would hurt each team more or less the same amount. Though giving this Duck defense one less thing to worry about could have a disastrous result for the Golden Bear offense. Regardless of the weather, I expect Bucky Irving and Jordan James to put up big numbers, and as I wrote before Oregon’s offense isn’t overly reliant on the deep ball to move down the field. Also, Cal has regularly given up not just big plays, but huge plays in almost every game this season; I expect that to continue this Saturday, led by Bucky. 

In terms of overall talent, how would you compare this Oregon team to previous incarnations?

AC: There are individual positions that have been occupied by better players in Oregon’s past, but right now this is clearly a top 5 team in Oregon history. Some of our greatest teams in the past (2019, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2001, 1994, 1916, etc.) have been especially good on one side of the ball or the other; this year’s squad excels at both. It’s got a blend of veterans, promising youngsters, and talented stopgap transfers that quickly made Lanning’s squad one of the Ducks’ best. What sets this year’s team apart is the talent on both lines, and it could be what makes them the final Pac-12 Champion. 

Who are the best players on your team and what makes them your game changers?

AC: I mean… easy answer: Bo Nix. Slightly harder answer: Bucky Irving. Especially if the weather is as bad as it looks like it will be, Irving will likely play a big role in the first half of this game. I say the first half, because if Cal isn’t able to stop the run early, Oregon may make this thing ugly enough by halftime that Bucky can get some rest in the second. 

There are talks that Dan Lanning is trying to make Oregon Georgia West. How successful has he been in that operation?

AC: Recruiting classes are continuing to land at an all-time high for the program, though still not top-5 like Georgia pulls and Lanning still relies on the transfer portal to fill his roster, so I suppose there is some room for improvement there if we want to be truly like Georgia, but that’s just because Georgia is on an unreal level. As far as talent evaluation goes, I think Lanning is doing a great job, so it’ll be interesting to see what the team looks like when it is fully of his making. 

Which player on offense should Cal fans know about?

AC: Troy Franklin will play a big part in this game even if the passing game is sloppy wet. I imagine Nix and Franklin will still have a good connection throughout the game (considering it never rains in Autzen Stadium) and that Franklin will sneak in a couple long receptions while the Cal defense focuses on the run game. Franklin could wind up Oregon’s best receiver of all time, and I don’t expect some rain drops will slow him down that much. 

Which player on defense should Cal fans know about?

AC: Tysheem Johnson is coming off two interceptions in Salt Lake City and is a solid tackler, so I’ll go with him. Though this Duck defense has a lot of standouts that deserve some attention, especially in the pass rush if you know what’s good for ya. Brandon Dorlus, Jordan Burch, and Matayo Uiagalelei have been terrorizing Pac-12 QBs all season. 

Who’s one under-the-radar or X-factor player who could swing this game for you?

AC: Terrance Ferguson is only under the radar because Oregon has a lot of good playmakers, but I believe this big tight end is going to have a big day through the air. He has already made some impressive catches this year, and Stein has drawn up some plays that have equated to big gains from Ferguson out of the play-action game. He could leave Cal fans asking themselves, “how the Hell do you stop that?”

What does Oregon need to do to win the game?

AC: Run the ball efficiently and hit enough passes to keep the defense honest. If Cal is able to focus solely on the run game then things may start off slow for the Ducks, so the other thing the team will need to do to win is stay disciplined on defense. Fernando Mendoza has been a promising young QB so far, but he has also feasted against some pretty bad secondaries. If the Duck defense can play at their usual level and limit big plays then they should be able to take care of the Golden Bears in Autzen.

What does Cal need to do to win the game?

AC: Go balls to the wall and win the big moments. Hope that the rain Gods are on your side (even though, as stated earlier, it never rains in Autzen Stadium) and focus on shutting down Oregon’s run game. On the other side of the ball, trust in Mendoza and take it to the Duck secondary, who typically like to play man. You need Nix to have the ball in his hands as little as possible, so drain that clock and fight on fourth down with Jaydn Ott. Just because you lost to USC on the two-point conversion attempt doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take that aggressive attitude into this game, you’ll need it.  

How do you see the game going?

AC: I think this game will go much like the game against Colorado and Utah; Oregon will score on the majority of their first half drives while Cal is unable to match TDs with TDs. The third quarter will also be won by the Ducks thanks to an efficient touchdown drive led by Nix early in the second half, and the game will be into garbage time shortly after.  

We don't condone violence at W4C, but we like this question as an opportunity for folks to air it out. Whom do you most want to punch in the face?

AC: LARRY. FUCKING. SCOTT.

WFC: Amen.