NCAA Endzone

BYU (10-2) vs. Oregon (7-5)

This matchup features the Cougars passing attack against the 4-2-5 defense of the Ducks which is tough against the pass, thanks to rover Jairus Byrd and free safety J.D. Nelson.

Brigham Young senior John Beck has revived the line of succession of great Cougar quarterbacks. He finished second in the nation in passing efficiency, completing 70% of his passes for 3,510 with 30 TDs and only 6 picks. Beck makes sound decisions and gets rid of the ball quickly making him a great fit for the spread scheme.

The spread offense of the Cougars is explosive to say the least. BYU averages 466.7 per game and 36.7 points a game - both marks are fifth in the nation. RB Curtis Brown (890 yards rushing) runs hard and gives the offense great balance. He is also the Cougars’ leading receiver.

Though the Cougars defense has stumbled down the stretch, it has done a good job of keeping opponents out of the end zone for the most part and BLB Cameron Jensen makes plays all over the field.

Oregon ended the regular season on a three-game skid but it has one of the most potent ground games in the nation. RBs Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson give the Ducks a formidable one-two punch. Stewart is a power back who has enough quickness to turn the corner and Johnson is smaller version of Stewart. Both benefit from running behind an experienced offensive line.

QB Dennis Dixon is athletic, but is turnover prone and most likely Brady Leaf, brother of former Washington State star Ryan Leaf, will be the starter in the bowl game. The big killer for the Ducks has been turnovers (30) and penalties. They must cut down the mistakes if they want to win.

Making matters worse, LB Blair Phillips, who leads the team in tackles, will likely miss this game because of a knee injury.

Prediction: Oregon is coming in with a three-game losing streak and the momentum is definitely not in the Ducks’ favor. BYU has that explosive spread offense that college program have fallen in love with, thanks to Urban Meyer, and will be hard to stop with a leader like Beck. Oregon must establish the run against a shaky Cougar defense to take the pressure off of Dixon or Leaf. In the end, BYU has too much oomph on the offensive side of the ball for the Ducks to overcome. BYU wins 38-26.