Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, DuckTV will be breaking down every aspect of the game.
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Defensive Lines
By McLean Cannon
While most eyes will be on the dazzling speed and playmaking ability of the Oregon backfield or the bruising running style and efficient quarterback play of Kansas State’s Heisman finalist Collin Klein, the defenses on both sides present an intriguing matchup that may prove to be the difference in the game.
For Oregon, it comes down to forcing turnovers, which the number four Ducks have been able to do successfully all season long. Oregon ranks tied for first in the nation with 38 forced turnovers, leading the country with 24 interceptions, four of which have been returned for touchdowns. Cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and linebacker Kiko Alonso lead the team with four interceptions apiece, while safeties Avery Patterson and Erick Dargan have tallied three picks each.
Oregon’s defense swarms to the ballcarrier– even when they try to go over them. US PRESSWIRE
However, KSU has committed just 10 turnovers all season, third fewest in the country, with Klein throwing only seven interceptions in 272 pass attempts. Should the Wildcats continue to limit their mistakes, the pressure could be on the Ducks’ defense to find other ways to get off the field and provide its offense with good field position.
Senior linebacker Michael Clay, who will be playing in his final game for the green and yellow, leads the Ducks in tackles with 92. Alonso, a fellow senior, has recorded 75 tackles and a team-leading 12 tackles for loss. Junior defensive tackle Taylor Hart has paced the Ducks with eight sacks on the season, and senior defensive end and projected 1st round NFL draft pick, Dion Jordan, has tacked on five sacks of his own.
On the other side, the Wildcats boast one of the nations most efficient teams, and most of that stems from their defense, which leads the nation with a +22 turnover margin. The Wildcats also boast a top 25 scoring defense at 21 points per game, and an elite rushing defense, which allows just 119 yards per game.
Big 12 Defensive player of the year Arthur Brown leads a strong Kansas State defense. Scott Sewell-US PRESSWIRE
Kansas State lost the turnover battle only twice this season, once against lowly North Texas, and again against Baylor, the Wildcats’ only loss.
Senior linebacker Arthur Brown leads the Wildcats with 91 tackles on the year. Senior defensive end Meshak Williams has paced the team with 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and fellow defensive end Adam Davis has recorded 7.5 sacks of his own. Defensive backs Allen Chapman, Nigel Malone, and Ty Zimmerman lead KSU with 5 interceptions each.
While the high turnover margin and elite rushing defense indicates a successfully aggressive defense, Kansas State will likely play a relatively basic and conservative defensive scheme, allowing its disciplined defenders to make tackles in space and prevent explosion plays. Against eleven of their twelve opponents, the scheme worked, and played directly into the hands of their equally efficient offense.
When the Wildcats don’t make mistakes, their scheme works, and allows the Wildcats to play and beat nearly any team in the country. But as we’ve seen before, Oregon’s offense can conjure many mistakes from their opponents, and containing it for an entire game is a very hard thing to do. Even for the nation’s elite defenses, the Ducks’ offense poses some of the most challenges in the nation.