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ScoopDuck Predictions: Offensive Player of the Game

On3 imageby:Justin Hopkins•12/28/21
On3 image

We are a day away from the Ducks taking the field in San Antonio against Oklahoma. Which figures to be one of the more interesting game in college football.

Let’s be real, there isn’t much on the line here. Other than pride. Which should be enough. But I suppose we’ll wait and see on that.

Under normal circumstances, this would have seemingly been an amazing matchup with some real fireworks. I’m not sure what to expect but let’s see who might stand out on offense.

Jarrid Denney: Travis Dye

Will this be Travis Dye’s last game as a Duck? The star running back still hasn’t declared whether he intends to return next season, and he may decide to cash in his chips after a stellar 2021 campaign. Whether Wednesday is his last game as a Duck or not, I would count on him to deliver a massive performance. 

Dye carried the Oregon offense during the second half of the season. He’s had nearly a month off to recover after a grueling end of the regular season. He should be able to handle a large volume of carries Wednesday, and he will be up against an Oklahoma front-seven that has been decimated by opt-outs. Dye will run wild against the Sooners in what could be his finale in an Oregon uniform. 

Joel Gunderson: Dont’e Thornton

While I may have picked Oregon to come up short in my game prediction, I do believe we’re going to witness a much different performance from this team, specifically on offense. And I don’t think he was specifically made to keep it simple during the season — Anthony Brown’s limitations were certainly a factor — but I do expect to see a more wide-open attack from Oregon and Joe Moorhead in this one.

The guy benefitting will be the piece I’m perhaps the most excited about, and that’s Thorton. Troy Franklin has star written all over him, but, to me, Thorton is the biggest X-factor going forward. His combination of size, speed, and ball skills could make him a more consistent and impactful version of what we wanted Devon Williams to be.
If Moorhead and Brown allow it, the Alamo Bowl could be Thorton’s true breakout performance.

JHop: Travis Dye

I don’t like to piggy-back on other picks but I really had no choice. As much as I’d love to think Oregon starts chucking around the ball, we know who the quarterback is. And I’m not going to pick on him, but the Ducks will likely lean on the run game once again.

I like Travis Dye here. I think he’ll be dynamic and be used in the pass game as well as the run game to beat Oklahoma. I could see him putting up a 200-yard performance and giving fans some excitement about his potential (and likely) return to Oregon next season.

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