In advance of Thursday’s football game between Stanford and Oregon, The Daily’s David Cohn chatted with Hayden Kim, senior sports reporter for The Daily Emerald, Oregon’s student newspaper, to get perspective from both campuses on how the Cardinal could beat the Ducks.
David Cohn (DC): This is a marquee matchup that we are about to see on Thursday between two top-five programs. At The Daily, we have already given our analysis on why and how Oregon can win this game, but I want to focus on the reasons why and how Stanford can win this contest.
What is your first impression of the Cardinal’s season so far?
Hayden Kim (HK): The Cardinal has looked impressive this year. I buy that Stanford is a top-10 team, but in my view, it isn’t as good as it was last year. After losing Zach Ertz ‘12 and other key players, Kevin Hogan’s numbers are down, and I believe that is largely due to losing those players. In the general sense, I think the Cardinal is the by-product of being underrated the past couple years and thus was a little bit overrated this season to compensate for these past few years.
DC: That is certainly a fair point about this year’s team, and one that Stanford fans have discussed in great length, especially after the loss to Utah. Personally, I believe that loss was largely the by-product of a poor performance on offense that was exacerbated by a very hostile road environment. However, in returning to this week’s matchup, I am wondering how Oregon, as a program, as well as its fans, view last year’s contest in the context of Thursday’s game. Was last year an anomaly in their eyes, or is Stanford seen as a legitimate threat to the Ducks?
HK: Oregon as a team is fully confident that it will be improve upon its performance from last year. While Stanford poses threats on the defensive end with a good front along with linebacker Shayne Skov, the Ducks feel like they will play much better on both sides of the ball.
In regards to the fans, I still believe that they are fully aware of what kind of threat the Cardinal poses, and in that context they will be skeptical of the outcome until the game is over. Last season the Ducks were favored in the matchup and it ended in a somewhat ugly 17-14 outcome, something no one expected. I do not necessarily view last year’s game as an anomaly, but there is definitely a sense that the Ducks could have played better. With the combination of Oregon having arguably its best team since the 2010 BCS title run along with the Cardinal posing less of a threat on both sides of the ball, I would say overall that the Ducks and their fans feel much more confident in comparison to last year. Also, add the recent comments by De’Anthony Thomas, who said the Ducks will score at least 40 points this Thursday, and there is a different feeling on the Ducks’ side.
DC: While I agree that the offense can be questioned for its inconsistent performances at times, the Stanford defense, while not completely healthy, still poses a very serious threat to Oregon, simply because Stanford’s defense has been masterful at eliminating big plays. I am confident that we will not see a repeat of 2011, at least on the defensive side of the ball. With regard to DeAnthony’s comment, his quote really was unnecessary and foolish on his part, simply because he is giving even more motivation to a confident Stanford team that will not be intimidated by the Ducks. While Stanford may not be able to execute its game plan as perfectly as it did last season, Stanford has shown that Oregon is not unbeatable, and that the Cardinal’s style of play is well suited for stopping Oregon. It all begins with getting pressure on Mariota, with a talented and experienced defensive front seven.
What are your feelings on the Oregon offensive line this season, and its ability to contain the defensive pressure that will undoubtedly come from Stanford?
HK: I think the line has done surprisingly well this season. There has to be some credit given to the offensive line for Mariota’s success this year. Hroniss Grasu is currently the top-rated center in the country and in addition, players like Tyler Johnstone and Hamani Stevens have held their own against some of the better defensive lines in the country in Tennessee (which has multiple NFL prospects) and UCLA. So, in regards to how the Ducks will react to the Cardinal defensive line, I think it will be the biggest test of the year for the offensive line specifically. While the aforementioned teams have helped strengthen the offensive line as a unit, the Cardinal and Skov will undoubtedly pose a physically defense that could well force Mariota’s first interception of the season.
DC: This will definitely be the Oregon offensive line’s biggest test. With apologies to UCLA, Stanford’s defense is a far more dangerous unit. Trent Murphy has been virtually unstoppable this season with 9 1/2 sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for loss in only eight games; the double teams that Murphy commands allow players like Josh Mauro, Blake Lueders and Kevin Anderson to have great chances to “party in the backfield.” Skov, in addition to his immense talent, is also an extremely cerebral player who is capable of gathering an immense amount of information on Oregon’s play-call from the looks that he sees on the line. In addition, when it comes to recalling info from film, Skov is a savant, which means he can act like a coach and help his teammates get set when Oregon inevitably goes into its frenetic pace.
Let’s turn to Stanford’s offense and Oregon’s defense. Another glaring weakness that I see for the Ducks is Oregon’s defensive front matching up against Stanford’s offensive line. The Stanford offensive line has imposed its will on pretty much every opponent so far, and coaches in the Pac-12 have said that the Ducks defensive line is a concern. What are your thoughts?
HK: While the Cardinal offensive line has been on point this season, the Oregon defensive line has been one of the more underrated portions of the Oregon defense. Wade Keliikipi and Ricky Havili-Heimuli have been solid throughout the season. Having said that, I can’t necessarily defend against the argument that the Ducks defense has been its most subject area as a whole. That will be the biggest key for the game and at this moment in time, it will remain as a question mark until proven otherwise.
DC: We will certainly find out how Oregon’s defensive line fares against a huge offensive line that is extremely physical and rarely allows any substantial pressure. Consensus All-American David Yankey will be a nightmare for the Ducks, and Andrus Peat has already completely neutralized UCLA’s all-conference defensive standout Anthony Barr this season.
The third area in which Stanford may have a significant advantage is special teams. As Stanford fans already saw against a solid team in Washington, the Cardinal can overcome an inconsistent offensive performance by Kevin Hogan and still win. Ty Montgomery is a threat for a touchdown return every time he touches the ball. In addition, Stanford is hoping Jordan Williamson will return for Thursday’s game, and Williamson is significantly better than either Alejandro Maldonado or Matt Wogan.
In all honesty, I would be very nervous if I was a Ducks fan on every fourth down that the Cardinal defense is able to force.
HK: In regards to special teams, I definitely feel Stanford has the advantage. As you well know, the game down to a couple kicks down the stretch last season. If anything, that is the biggest concern heading into the game for Ducks fans: If the game comes down to a kick, will the Ducks prevail or not?
And after losing an award watch list punter from last year, the Oregon special teams have definitely been subject and have not been necessarily tested yet this season because of the success on offense.
DC: Do you have a prediction for the game?
HK: Oregon wins 35-24.
Contact David Cohn at [email protected].