Oregon football is back in action Saturday as the No. 7 ranked Ducks play host to visiting Boise State on Saturday night. The DuckTerritory staff delivers the final game predictions ahead of the week two contest between regional rivals Oregon and Boise State.
Matt Prehm
A new era ofOregonfootball has arrived. The Ducksentered their first season in the Big Ten Conference as the nation's No. 3 rankedteam in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, but the Ducks struggled out of the game to beat visiting Idaho 24-14.
The Ducks entering the 2024 college football season as the No. 3team in the country marksthe highest preseason ranking for Oregon since 2014 —a season that ended with the Ducks playing in the national championship game. Those same championship-levelexpectations arein placefor the 2024 version of Oregon football.
Last week was a rough week for all three of us. Matt and Erik went 5-for-9 in the prop bets, while Jared went 2-for-9. All three of us also failed to hit Oregon in covering the spread and coming anywhere close to what any of us had predicted for the final score.
Here are the standings going into Oregon's second game of the season.
1. Matt 5-5 (W-L)
1. Erik 5-5
3. Jared 2-8
As Oregon prepares for what's expected to be a championship-caliberseason, theDuckTerritory.com staff deliverstheirfinalpredictions ahead of Saturday's game, including three team prop bets, three individual offensive prop bets, three individual defensive prop bets and final score predictions for Oregon vs. Boise State.
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Team Prop Bets
Over/Under: Oregon hits 500 yards on offense
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Over
Erik Skopil - Over
Over/Under: Oregon averages over 4.5 yards per carry
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Over
Erik Skopil - Over
Over/Under:Ashton Jeanty runs for 125.0 yards
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Under
Erik Skopil - Over
Offensive Individual Prop Bets
Evan Stewart 3.5 catches
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Under
Erik Skopil - Over
Dillon Gabriel 325.5 passing yards
Jared Mack - Under
Matt Prehm - Over
Erik Skopil - Over
Jordan James 130.5 all-purpose yards
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Over
Erik Skopil -Over
Defensive Individual Prop Bets
Sacks recorded by 3.5 or more players
Jared Mack - Under
Matt Prehm - Under
Erik Skopil - Under
Jeffrey Bassa 7.5tackles
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Over
Erik Skopil - Over
Jabbar Muhammad 1.5 passes defended (PBUs + INTS)
Jared Mack - Over
Matt Prehm - Under
Erik Skopil - Over
Score Predictions
Matt Prehm-Oregon 45, Boise State 21
I think this is going to be a bounceback game for the Oregon Ducks and especially along the offensive line. Last week was a dud of a performance and the offense knows that. They've been reminded of how poorly they played all week in practice and then having to face the media and talk about what went wrong and what didn't go right in their closer than expected 24-14 win over Idaho.
Boise State enters week two looking for an upset and they are viewed as a three-score underdog to Oregon. I like the Ducks being able to run the football effectively against Boise State after Boise allowed 139 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries to Georgia Southern in week one. But where I expect the Ducks to be even better in week two is explosive plays. I like Oregon's skill guys getting open in the secondary for chunk plays and also turning quick passes into longer plays. Last week, Boise State allowed 322 yards passing through the air to just an okay offensive passing attack by the Eagles. The plays will be there for Oregon's skill guys to make them.
While I have Boise State rolling up 21 points on Oregon, I think this will be a game where the Ducks limit the damage that star running back Ashton Jeanty will have. He rushed for six touchdowns and 267 yards last week on just 20 carries. He won't face a defensive front that's nearly as weak against the run this time around. I like defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell each having big games stuffing the gaps in the interior, and then Oregon's speed on the outside preventing the Broncos from turning the game loose.
That being said, this game will be somewhat close for almost its entire length. I like Boise State to hang around the 10-17 point differential for most of the game and it won't be until a mid to late fourth quarter touchdown by Oregon that pus the Ducks over the spread and into the 40s for points.
Erik Skopil -Oregon 38, Boise State 24
What is this team made of? I think we'll find out on Saturday. Despite being 1-0, the narrative regionally as well as nationally hasn't beenoverlypositive. Billed as a national title contender, they needed four quarters to hold off a Big Sky team. I get it. That looks bad, and the subsequent ranking drop was deserved. I haven't made a 180 on this team though yet. There is just a longer and more pronounced laundry list of things to work on than I'd expected.
I think we'll exit Saturday feeling better about where things stand, but not confident everything is fixed. I don't expect we'll see critical alignment issues, and I'd bet the O-Line plays better and more downfield passes are attempted and completed. Those all feel attainable. I also expect some defensive concerns to arise. Ashton Jeanty is about as good of a back as there is in the country. The Boise State line is very stout too. While Jeanty won't set school-records on Saturday, I bet he does enough to turn some stomachs.
I don't think it's a cover, but I also don't think it's a real fourth quarter sweat. I anticipate the offense will again move it with consistency, but finish drives better and that will be the difference between weeks.
Jared Mack -Oregon 35, Boise State 21
I think the Ducks will start the season 2-0.
It was a bit alarming the way Oregon took home the first game of the season but a win is a win. Now, welcoming Boise State into Autzen Stadium will be a different task but its one I feel Dan Lanning and company are ready for.
Just like many observed Oregon seemed slow out of the blocks in game one, I think the opposite will happen this week and the Ducks will play with their hair on fire, starting with Dillon Gabriel. I think Gabriel won't put up the same stats as last week but will be more efficient with his decisions, opting to throw the ball deep, as the offensive line will give him more time. With that, I think Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart can have some success against a secondary that struggled last week against Georgia Southern.
Defensively, Oregon's ability to stop the run will be the biggest story of the game. If they can hold Ashton Jeanty in check, the Ducks will have a great chance of winning the game. Quarterback Maddux Madsen is no slouch but the talent around him and the Ducks' pass rush could be some downfalls.
