Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, DuckTV will be breaking down every aspect of the game.
Keep up with previous posts
Keys to the Game
By Jessica Waite
With the Fiesta Bowl right around the corner, the Oregon Ducks plan to kick off the New Year January 3rdwith a big win against the Kansas State Wildcats. A Fiesta Bowl win would be huge for Oregon’s program by boosting next seasons potential recruiting class, and sustaining the national perception of Oregon as an elite football program. Kansas State also hopes for a win to top off a historic year for their football program. 2012 was the first year the Wildcats were ranked number 1 in the BCS, before being knocked off by Baylor late in the season.
Michael Clay, Kiko Alonso, and Dion Jordan lead a ferocious attack defensively. Scott Olmos US PRESSWIRE
A win for Kansas State would would be a perfect ending to a phenomenal year, especially against an offensive juggernaut like Oregon. In order for either team to earn a victory, they must rely heavily on their linebackers. Oregon and Kansas State’s linebackers provide solid competition for each other. As a whole, Kansas State has good linebackers that are extremely good at performing their assignments and rarely make mistakes. However, Kansas State relies heavily on one of their linebackers—Arthur Brown.
Arthur Brown was named the Big-12 defensive player of the year, notching 91 tackles. However, Kansas State was exposed in their blowout loss to Baylor, giving up 342 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. Baylor was the most prolific offense they played all year, and exposed their lack of depth and overall athletic ability, which is what Oregon has.
Oregon relies on three sensational seniors in Michael Clay, Kiko Alonso, and Dion Jordan. Clay alone has 92 tackles on the year—8 for loss, while Alonso has 75 tackles—12 for loss, and four interceptions. Jordan provides a triple threat for Oregon’s linebacker squad. Although he is mainly a defensive end, Jordan’s versatility allows him to be utilized as a key outside linebacker for the Ducks in their 3-4 defensive package. He has had an astounding 10 ½ tackles for loss and 5 sacks, making him the best pass rusher for Oregon.
With all the positive aspects of Oregon’s linebacker positions, they also have some flaws. Oregon’s biggest flaw is their linebackers cannot seem to properly cover their assignments at times, seeing as their opponents have had success with short to intermediate passes to the middle of the field. Considering these areas are the linebackers main jobs in the passing game, the Ducks have a few things to work on in preparation for the Fiesta Bowl.
As far as the linebacker position on each team, both Oregon and Kansas State have their flaws and strengths. It will be interesting to see how each teams different dynamics will play out on Thursday, January 3rd.