ScoopDuck Roundtable: Players of the Game vs Idaho

One of our final roundtables for the week as we take a stab at who might stand out on offense and defense. We used to break these into two articles but I’ve decided to make them into one. For this we are picking one player from each side of the ball to have big games on Saturday.

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As one might expect with this one an expected blowout, some of our predictions are slightly different than usual. With that in mind here are the predictions from the ScoopDuck team.

Linden Hile:

Offense: Give me Ajani Cornelius to keep Dillon Gabriel’s blindside clean all afternoon while laying down the law as a run-blocker to boot.

In games with large talent discrepancies, the trenches are often where physical advantages are at their greatest effect.

While I expect Oregon’s skill positions to be highly efficient and put points on the board, I think Ajani Cornelius and the offensive line’s performance will be the most dominant.

Defense: I’ll nominate Aaron Flowers to show out against Idaho this weekend. I expect Oregon to rotate players at an incredible clip and this likely means plenty of opportunity for freshmen.

Given the Vandals’ noted penchant for downfield passing, the safety position will be asked to make lots of plays and my money says Flowers makes an impression early.

I expect him to fly around in his first college action and give fans even more optimism for the future of Oregon’s secondary.

Max Torres:

Offense: I’ll be honest and say I was a tad bit skeptical of Tez Johnson coming into the season last year. But he quickly proved he’s a Power 4 playmaker and a valuable asset to Will Stein’s offense. He and Gabriel should connect on a few deep balls or some big catch-and-runs on Saturday. 

Defense: I think the Vandals will have a tough time running the ball against Oregon’s massive front, which means they’ll have to try and take some deep shots and dink and dunk their way down the field. Kobe Savage is a really active player and the staff really prioritized him for a reason. He’ll fly around the field and make his presence felt in coverage and against the run.

Collin King:

Offense: Dillon Gabriel shouldn’t be a huge shock here, as the dual threat QB is poised for some pretty impressive stats against an FCS opponent. I’m predicting that Gabriel plays at least the first half before being relieved and throws for around 230-250 yards. My prediction is that Gabriel also scampers for around 40 yards and has 2 total TDs.

Defense: As for Jordan Burch, I think he is poised for a double-digit season in sacks, he had another season in the system and could develop his pass rush arsenal a bit more. He was certainly a key player for Oregon last season and losing him in the second matchup against Washington was detrimental to the defensive pass rush. I could see Burch having a disruptive day with a sack or two before being pulled and letting the younger guys get some reps.

Jhop:

Offense: I think it’s time for Oregon to use Jay Harris and get him acclimated to the speed of Division 1 football. There’s no need to put much mileage on Jordan James and even less reason to rush Noah Whittington back. I think this is a game Jay Harris racks up over 100 and leads all rushers.

Defense: Pick your poison if your Idaho. But I think we’ll see them lean on the run game after falling far behind early on. Which means Oregon’s linebackers should get plenty of snaps and tackles. I expect Oregon to rotate those young guys in early so I’ll simply pick Kamar Mothudi to lead all tacklers on Saturday.