There is no nice way to say it.
The ASU football team hasn’t had much success recently against the Oregon Ducks. In fact, UO has dominated the Sun Devils of late.
In 2004, a ranked and undefeated ASU team went into Autzen Stadium in Eugene and defeated a UO team that ended up finishing 5-6.
Since then, it has been all Ducks. In the next five matchups, UO has outscored ASU by a score of 212-94. In five straight losses to UO, the Sun Devils have been beat on average by a score of 42-19.
This year will be no easier. On Saturday, the No. 5 Ducks will invade Sun Devil Stadium with an incredible amount of speed and talent.
ASU coach Dennis Erickson is so impressed with UO on both sides of the ball, that he made a bold statement.
“To me, they may be the best football team in the country,” Erickson said. “When you look at them on both sides of the football, and in their kicking game, they are so balanced that it is hard to decide what their strengths are.”
Erickson is dead on. The Ducks are strong in a lot of areas; it is hard to point out just one strength.
The offense is fast and hard to stop. UO has beaten its opponents by an average score of 63-4. It starts with the playmaking sophomore running back LaMichael James and the Ducks rushing attack that averages 6.9 yards per carry and can hit a home run on any play.
“LaMichael James and [Kenjon] Barner are quick-strike on you all of the time,” Erickson said. “I have never seen a team that gets more big plays in the running game than the University of Oregon has this year and a year ago. Chip Kelly has done a wonderful job with them. They have all the tools. It is amazing to watch them play.”
The question coming into the season for UO was if a quarterback would step up to fill the shoes of Jeremiah Masoli, who was dismissed from the team.
Thus far, sophomore Darron Thomas has been up for the job, tossing eight touchdowns.
“Their quarterback Thomas is playing extremely well,” Erickson said. “Obviously, their strength is their running game, but when you force him to keep it, or force him to throw it, he is awfully good. He is faster than Masoli was. Now, he is a different kind of runner than Masoli, but he is a better thrower.”
This year does add a different element to slowing the Ducks’ offense though. ASU’s defense has seen a similar style of offense in practice all season. While ASU and UO’s versions of the spread offense are different, some of the general aspects of the offense are similar.
“There are some similarities,” Erickson said. “We are a different type of spread team. They are going to run the football, and they are going to run the option. The no huddle aspect of what they do, spreading them out and getting up to the line of scrimmage, that will help because they see it.”
The option is what sets the two versions of the spread apart, and has been a thorn in the side of ASU.
“The difference is dealing with the option and the things that they do with the option and the reading and the discipline that you have to have,” Erickson said. “It helps us, but we are facing a whole different deal now.”
The Sun Devils have also improved their team speed, something that has been severely lacking in previous matchups against the Ducks. Saturday will be a test to see how far the speed of ASU has come.
“It is hard to tell until you play them,” Erickson said. “Their team speed is proven over a period of time by how many points they have scored. We’ve got team speed, I believe. [We are] faster than we were. Is that as fast as Oregon? I don’t know.”
There is no time for an emotional letdown after a heartbreaking loss to Wisconsin last Saturday. The Ducks are too talented of a team to have an emotional hangover.
“You better have every focus that you have,” Erickson said. “We talk a lot about locking in and locking out in our mind. We are starting our league Saturday; we have nine football games left. All you can do is focus on the next game, which happens to be one of the best teams in the country.”
Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu.edu
