Oregon Ducks: By the Numbers

The Sooners have stiff competition in the No. 14-ranked Oregon Ducks in Wednesday night's Alamo Bowl.

SAN ANTONIO — The Oklahoma Sooners will take the field for one last time in 2021 on Wednesday night.

After a month of turmoil and change, the No. 16-ranked Sooners (10-2) will face a team who has walked a path of similar instability in the No. 14 Oregon Ducks (10-3).

Passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon has taken over as interim head coach for the Ducks after Mario Cristobal took the top job at Miami, matching up with Oklahoma’s need to call in Bob Stoops off the golf course to steady the Sooners’ program.

Opt outs have plagued both teams, so plenty of new faces will have an opportunity to make their mark in the Alamo Bowl.

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Kayvon Thibodeaux :: Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard-USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon’s defense had an up-and-down 2021 season, and they’ll have to finish the defense without Kayvon Thibodeaux, the potential No. 1-overall pick in the NFL Draft, and defensive back Mykael Wright.

Between the two defensive stars, Oregon has lost 115 combined tackles.

Thibodeaux himself was credited for seven sacks, eight quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles this year, wreaking havoc off the edge for Oregon.

Wright accounted for 65 of the 115 tackles between himself and Thibodeaux, also adding an interception and four pass breakups this year.

On top of the opt outs, the Ducks entered San Antonio with plenty of injuries on defense, meaning the Oklahoma offense could have plenty of success battling the shorthanded Oregon defense.

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Oregon right guard Steven Jones :: Kyle Robertson / Columbus Dispatch-Imagn Content Services, LLC

While the Ducks will be without plenty of key players, Oregon is used to the lineup churn.

This season, 44 different players have started games for Oregon due to guys being in and out of the lineup all year long with injuries.

In fact, only six Ducks have started all 13 games this year.

On the bright side, however, the Oregon offensive line has remained mainly intact, helping the offense carry the load for the Ducks.

As a result, running back Travis Dye has dazzled, and he’s just one of four players in all the FBS who leads their team in both rushing yards (1,118) and pass receptions (41).

The Sooners will be without Isaiah Thomas, Perrion Winfrey, Nik Bonitto and Brian Asamoah in their front seven, making the task of creating pressure on Duck quarterback Anthony Brown even more difficult on Wednesday night.

Even with all of those starters, OU was going to have their hands full with the Oregon offensive line, as the unit checks in at No. 10 in the country in allowing tackles for loss, only allowing 50.0 negative plays all season long.

14

Verone McKinley III :: Troy Wayrynen / USA TODAY Sports

Another positive from Oregon’s stellar offensive line play has been their ability to take care of the football.

The Ducks are tied for 14th in the country in turnover margin this year, entering the Alamo Bowl as a plus-10 in the takeaway department for the season.

Brown has only thrown six interceptions this year, and Tim DeRuyter’s defense has excelled at forcing opposing quarterbacks into mistakes.

Safety Verone McKinley III has totaled six interceptions himself this season, the best mark in the FBS, and he’ll have his sights on Caleb Williams come Wednesday night.

A shootout very well could break out in the Alamodome, and an opportunistic interception from either the Sooners or the Ducks could prove to be the difference. 

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