Tag: Fiesta Bowl Preview

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Handicapping the Quarterbacks

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Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, DuckTV will be breaking down every aspect of the game.

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Keys to the Game
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Defensive Lines
Defensive Outlook

By Preston Hiefield

Marcus Mariota and Colin Klein are both dynamic players who lead dynamic offenses. US PRESSWIRE

Oregon: Marcus Mariota, Redshirt Freshman, 6-4, 210, Honolulu, HI.

By the numbers: 2,511 passing yards, 30 TD, 6 INT; 690 rushing yards, 4 TD

The positive: Entering the 2012 season there was really only one glaring question for this Oregon offense: who would replace two-year starting quarterback Darron Thomas? Shortly following Oregon’s Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin, Thomas made a head-scratching decision to bolt for the NFL instead of coming back for his senior season. Well, that decision may have been validated by the play of his successor Mariota. All the redshirt freshman has done in his first season at the helm is lead Oregon to an 11-1 record and a fourth straight BCS bowl game. Mariota (and the Oregon offense, for that matter) has looked virtually unstoppable in every game this season other than Stanford’s 17-14 upset of the Ducks in Eugene on Nov. 17. Not only is Mariota a much better runner and overall athlete than Thomas, but he appears to be a more polished passer as well.

The negative: Experience. For as gifted an athlete as Mariota is, there is no substitute for experience. This will be by far the highest profile game he has ever played in. Despite his seemingly unflappable demeanor, there is no telling how he will react when the lights shine bright on Thursday night.

 

Collin Klein led K-State’s offense to a Fiesta Bowl birth and a spot in New York as a heisman finalist. If Klein can establish the run early, the Wildcats will be hard to stop. US PRESSWIRE

Kansas State: Collin Klein, Senior, 6-5, 226, Loveland, CO.

By the numbers: 2,490 passing yards, 15 TD, 7 INT; 890 rushing yards, 20 TD

The positive: In addition to finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, Klein is the unquestioned leader of one of the greatest teams in the history of Kansas State’s program. He embodies what the entire Wildcats team is all about: tough, gritty, overlooked and under appreciated.The senior isn’t exactly a prototypical quarterback – he has more rushing touchdowns than he does passing touchdowns – but he is an absolutely perfect fit for what Bill Snyder wants to do offensively. Klein is a punishing runner who can carry the ball 20-25 times in a single game if necessary, but he is also accurate enough to beat a team with his arm. In Oregon’s past three BCS Bowl games they have faced three outstanding dual threat quarterbacks in Terrelle Pryor, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson. Well, make it a fourth straight great dual-threat with Klein, who will present a tremendous challenge to Nick Allioti and the Oregon defense.

The negative: Klein can be taken out of his comfort zone if he’s forced to throw. In Kansas State’s only loss of the season against Baylor, Klein completed 27 of 50 passes for 2 TD’s against 3 INT’s while being held to 2.3 yards per rush. Essentially, Baylor limited him on the ground and dared the Wildcats to put the ball in the air. The result? 24 points, just one point more than their season low (a 23-10 victory over TCU the week before). If Oregon crowds the line of scrimmage and makes Klein win the game with his arm alone, K-State will be in trouble.

Final verdict: Advantage Kansas State. This matchup is very close – both quarterbacks are perfect fits for their respective systems. Klein’s experience and leadership earns him the final nod. 

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Defensive Line

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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
Linebackers
Defensive Backs

By Zach Goldstein

The entire Kansas State defensive line is composed of a group of burly seniors, weighing in at an average of just under three hundred pounds. As we saw against Stanford, the Ducks ground game can take a statistical hit when facing a hefty front four. Like Oregon’s own Dion Jordan, Kanas State also possesses a Ted Hendricks Award Candidate in Meshak Williams. Williams is a terror from his defensive end spot, tallying ten sacks in 12 games. Williams also accumulated 14 tackles for a loss and averaged over two solo tackles a game.

Kansas State Defensive End Meshak Williams is an absolute stud for the Wildcats on the front four. Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

 

Adam Davis, a highly talented pass rusher plays the other defensive end position and is just as dynamic. Not only can Davis sack the quarterback, which he’s done nine times in twelve games, Davis is also a skilled open field tackler. With 38 solo tackles on the year, look for Davis to factor heavily in K-State’s effort to force the Duck running backs inside.

Now for the tackles, Vai Lutui and John Sua. Lutui is a 6’2, 300 pound tackle, with 22 tackles on the year in 12 games to go along with 8 tackles for a loss. Lutui is a big bruising tackle who could create disruption inside for the Ducks o-line.

The last member of the starting Kansas State D-Line is John Sua. Sua who stands at 6’0, weighs in at over 300 hundred pounds and does a good job to clog up holes in the middle of the line. His numbers aren’t anywhere near those of his line mates and look for the Ducks to go at Sua’s direction as he lacks the quickness to laterally keep up with the speedy Oregon offensive weapons.

 In terms of the Oregon D-Line, what they lack for in size they more than make up in speed and athleticism. Dion Jordan is the star of the group, make no mistake about it, a healthy #96 means a long day for the Wildcats and their offensive line. Jordan comes off a year in which he was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team as well as finishing as a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award. Jordan’s senior year saw him accumulate 44 tackles, including 10 1/2 for a loss and 5 sacks. Jordan will need to play smart as he will try and contain the once Heisman hopeful Collin Klein.

After a strong performance in last season’s Rose Bowl, Senior defensive end Dion Jordan will be a key to the Ducks attack defensively. US PRESSWIRE

 

The other defensive end for the Ducks is junior Taylor Hart, like Jordan, Hart has a rare blend of size (Jordan is 6’7 while Hart is 6’6) and athleticism. Hart tallied eight sacks and 33 total tackles over the course of the twelve games he played. Both ends, Hart and Jordan, must play smart in order to contain the elusive Klein. On the inside part of the line lie two run clogging beasts, Isaac Remington and Wade Keliikipi.

Remington who serves as a valuable asset to the line is a monster of a player at 6’6,300 lbs, his numbers don’t wow you, he averages under two tackles of a game but he’s a force to be reckoned with and sometimes draws double teams which could lead to high sack totals for both Hart and Jordan.

Lastly is Wade Keliikipi who has impressed as a junior in his nine games. Keliikipi had averaged over two tackles a game as he totaled twenty and through in two sacks as well.

Overall the D-line battle seems to be pretty even with the edge at defensive end going to the Ducks while the Wildcats tackles are more imposing than that of the Ducks. The battle of the trenches will be an interesting one to say the least.

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Defensive Backs

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Leading up to the Fiesta Bowl, DuckTV will be breaking down every aspect of the game.

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Keys to the Game
Linebackers

By Shannon Hartley

The Oregon Ducks face up against the Kansas State Wildcats in what will be their first return to the Fiesta Bowl since Oregon’s beat down of the Colorado Buffalo in 2002. The Ducks and Wildcats both have very high powered offenses that put pressure on opposing defenses and score points fast.

Defensive backs on both sides of the ball will be crucial throughout the game. The Ducks’ secondary has suffered injuries, but luckily their “next guy up” mentality and depth from rotating numerous players has helped them overcome the losses.

Sophomore Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is one of Oregon’s standouts in their secondary. Credit: Scott Olmos US PRESSWIRE

Kansas State will most likely be playing without starting free safety Ty Zimmerman, after suffering a leg injury late in conference play. Zimmerman is one of three DB’s for K-State that has racked up five interceptions this season.

Oregon is leading the nation in passes intercepted on the season with 24, but not all are credited to the defensive backfield. Seven of those 24 come from linebackers, which leaves Oregon with only one more pick than the Wildcat DB’s, who have 16.

Big concerns for both secondaries will be setting the sideline and lining up the right angle to keep explosion plays from happening. For Oregon it will be corralling Collin Klein and John Hubert on the outside when they run option plays. Oregon’s DB’s need to take good angles because although Collin Klein has a large frame, he is shifty and makes defenders miss, especially on read-option runs up the middle.

Kansas State’s secondary not only needs to help contain Oregon’s explosive runners in Kenjon Barner, De’Anthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota, but they need to keep Oregon from stretching the field with easy throws and catches to wideouts.

Both the Ducks and Wildcats have secondary defenders that are willing to come up and make tackles. Looking at each teams defensive statistics, both have three defensive backs in the top five. Oregon strong safety Brian Jackson, free safety Erick Dargan and cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu have combined for 170 of the Ducks’ total tackles while Kansas State’s strong safety Jarard Milo and cornerbacks Randall Evans and Allan Chapman have all combined for 201 of the Wildcats’ total tackles.

These numbers don’t show to be in Oregon’s favor, but you have to factor in that Oregon plays a lot of bodies throughout games, has suffered from injuries and often took out starters early in the season due to blowout victories.

Oregon benefits from depth, but Kansas State definitely has the finer tuned secondary. Oregon’s most experienced defensive back is sophomore cornerback Terrance Mitchell. Strong safety Brian Jackson is a junior, but this season is his first year as a starter. Ifo-Ekpre Olomu and Erick Dargan both began starting this year as sophomores.

Kansas State’s defensive backfield is filed with all juniors and seniors with the exception of sophomore cornerback Randall Evans. They are more experienced and play more frequently, so one could easily give them the edge, but that would be premature conclusion to which secondary is more talented.

Oregon has had success with younger defensive backs in the past with former players like Jairus Byrd and Patrick Chung. Current starters Terrance Mitchell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu have both received high praises for their play as young pass defenders.

This game will be very fast-paced and exciting to watch. Each teams defensive backs need to step up and execute their gameplan. Both secondaries are very skilled. Oregon excels with speed and athleticism, while Kansas State has experience and consistency. It will be fun to watch the game changing plays both secondaries make in the Fiesta bowl on January 3.

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Linebackers

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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.

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Keys to the Game

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By Andrew Murray

For being in drastically different geographically location, Kansas State and Oregon are identical teams statistically. The Ducks are second in the nation in scoring while the Wildcats are tenth in that category. The Wildcats are 24th in scoring defense and the Ducks are 26th in scoring defense.

The Ducks utilize senior running back Kenjon Barner, who has 21 rushing touchdowns on the season, while Wildcats running back John Hubert has scored 15 touchdowns. Both teams possess dual-threat quarterbacks with Marcus Mariota for the Ducks and Collin Klein for Kansas State.

Many factors of both teams seem to match evenly. For either teams offense to operate effectively, their playmakers will have to take advantage of the edges of the field. In both team’s losses, neither of them could develop a running game on the outside. Against Stanford, the Ducks rushed for 196 yards, 127 yards below their season average. Against Baylor, the Wildcats rushed for 76 yards, 123 yards below their season average. 

Both team’s offenses pride themselves in dominating the outside perimeters of the field with expert running from the running back and quarterback positions. Both defenses have experienced similar challenges in trying to defend against these types of high octane offenses in practice. 

The key for both offenses to be effective will be for the quarterbacks to dictate the edge of the defense through option reads. This is will be especially important for Collin Klein, who has 22 rushing touchdowns on the season. While Mariota has only has four rushing touchdowns, he has shown an ability to sprint out of the pocket and buy time to pass or run. Securing the perimeter will be crucial in supplanting an efficient offense for either team.

Beyond the offensive game plans, turnovers will also be a primary factor in the game. The Ducks have been tenacious in taking the ball away from their opponent, setting a school record 38 forced turnovers. The Wildcats have been no slouches either, collecting 18 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries. 

In recent years, both defenses have been cited as liabilities for not keeping up with their offenses. This year they have stepped up to supply short fields for their offenses constantly. Mariota and Klein will have to be judicious with their ball handling, as the two quarterbacks have thrown a combined 13 interceptions.

Whichever team controls the edges of the field and commits the least amount of turnovers will end up being crowned the Fiesta Bowl winner.