Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford has jumped all over Oregon.
Do the Ducks have a major comeback in them? Or does the Pac-10 race suddenly get complicated again?
Ducks get the opening kickoff in the second half and they need to score. And their defense needs to show up.
Turning point: With Stanford leading 10-7 in the first quarter, it looked like Oregon made a defensive stop. But cornerback Javes Lewis was flagged for his second pass interference penalty, which gave the Cardinal a first down on their 39. Nine plays later, it was 17-7, and it became clear that the Ducks weren't in for an easy afternoon.
Stat of the half: 316. That's Stanford's total yards at halftime against a defense that gives up on 300 yards per game. The Cardinal are killing the Ducks with balance -- 189 yards passing, 127 yards rushing.
Best player in the half: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is making it impossible for the Ducks to gang up on Toby Gerhart. He's completed 9 of 14 passes for 189 yard with a touchdown and he hasn't let a couple of dropped passes -- including one that would have gone for a touchdown -- get to him.
What Oregon needs to do, What Stanford needs to do: Oregon can't score 17 points on its first possession after the break. But it needs seven with a drive that gets quarterback Jeremiah Masoli back in sync. A touchdown makes the Cardinal lead a manageable 10 points. Of course, then the Ducks need their defense to step up. As for Stanford, it needs to finish. Oregon is fully capable of coming back. The Cardinal can't get too conservative but it also can't take unnecessary risks. It would be really good to thwart the Ducks first possession and not let them get any second-half momentum.
STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford has jumped all over Oregon.
Do the Ducks have a major comeback in them? Or does the Pac-10 race suddenly get complicated again?
Ducks get the opening kickoff in the second half and they need to score. And their defense needs to show up.
Turning point: With Stanford leading 10-7 in the first quarter, it looked like Oregon made a defensive stop. But cornerback Javes Lewis was flagged for his second pass interference penalty, which gave the Cardinal a first down on their 39. Nine plays later, it was 17-7, and it became clear that the Ducks weren't in for an easy afternoon.
Stat of the half: 316. That's Stanford's total yards at halftime against a defense that gives up on 300 yards per game. The Cardinal are killing the Ducks with balance -- 189 yards passing, 127 yards rushing.
Best player in the half: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is making it impossible for the Ducks to gang up on Toby Gerhart. He's completed 9 of 14 passes for 189 yard with a touchdown and he hasn't let a couple of dropped passes -- including one that would have gone for a touchdown -- get to him.
What Oregon needs to do, What Stanford needs to do: Oregon can't score 17 points on its first possession after the break. But it needs seven with a drive that gets quarterback Jeremiah Masoli back in sync. A touchdown makes the Cardinal lead a manageable 10 points. Of course, then the Ducks need their defense to step up. As for Stanford, it needs to finish. Oregon is fully capable of coming back. The Cardinal can't get too conservative but it also can't take unnecessary risks. It would be really good to thwart the Ducks first possession and not let them get any second-half momentum.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ted Miller
Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-10. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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