Oregon came into tonight's game looking for revenge after Arizona beat them 42-16 a year ago, but have gotten off to a slow start. The Wildcats' defense has held Oregon's explosive offense in check, but their offense hasn't been able to capitalize.
Biggest Play: Trailing 3-0, the Ducks turned to trickery to get on the scoreboard. Running back Royce Freeman took the pitch, stopped, and threw it back across the field to quarterback Marcus Mariota, who lept and caught the ball between two defenders before trucking the second one into the end zone. The play swung momentum back towards the Ducks, which they've used to stay on top.
Biggest Surprise: Oregon's inability to run the ball against an average Arizona defense has been shocking. The Ducks' offensive line is one of the worst in college football, but they've only managed 81 yards so far against mostly three-man fronts (for some context, they average over 225 rushing yards a game).
Oregon Key Player: Marcus Mariota has had to carry Oregon's offense more than usual with their lack of a running game, and he still has the Ducks on top. Mariota's been his normal, efficient self, going 9-16 for 102 yards, and also caught the touchdown mentioned above.
Arizona Key Player: Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon has done a good job of moving the ball and keeping Oregon's offense off the field, but Arizona's front six (they play a 3-3-5 defense) has done a superb job stopping the run and applying pressure on Mariota. They've slowed the Ducks' explosive offense, and have kept the game close so far.
Who Has The Edge? Oregon has to have the edge simply because they're playing at home. However, they have to start separating themselves early in the third quarter or Arizona will start to capitalize.
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