Five Questions Ahead of No. 13 Oregon vs. Hawaii

Oregon returns home to Autzen for its final non-conference game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

We're just a little over 24 hours away from kickoff in Eugene between the No. 13 Oregon Ducks and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

The Ducks are favored by multiple scores for their week 3 contest, but Dan Lanning certainly isn't taking this week's matchup lightly against Timmy Chang, a legendary college football quarterback.

We've learned a bit about this Oregon team through two weeks, but there's also still quite a bit of unknowns due to the difference in quality of opponents. 

Here are my five questions heading into Saturday's game.

1. Can Jordan Burch dominate?

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Statistically speaking, Hawaii has one of the worst offensive lines in all of college football. Sure, they've played one more game than most schools due to week 0, but the Rainbow Warriors have allowed 14 sacks on the year.

If there was ever a game for South Carolina transfer Jordan Burch to dominate, it would be this one. He didn't record a statistic in Oregon's week 2 win over Texas Tech and we didn't see a whole lot of him in the second half.

Dan Lanning said earlier this week that that was partially due to Texas Tech's tempo and how that affected the dynamic of making substitutions. Bottom line, no one on Hawaii's offensive line should be able to match up with the 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end, so consider him in line for a big day.

2. How Well Does Oregon's secondary contain the passing attack?

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Hawaii's passing offense is averaging 324 yards per game, which ranks No. 14 in the country. Oregon's passing defense on the other hand, hasn't been a strength.

Fortunately for the Ducks they got a great test last week against Texas Tech. It was a mixed bag to say the least, factoring in pass interference calls and some spotty coverage. But that's not to say there weren't positives. Khyree Jackson did redeem himself a bit with an interception. Jeffrey Bassa had a pick-six, and Bryan Addison had an interception in the game's final seconds.

The pass rush was arguably the most consistent I've seen since Lanning was hired, and that has a direct effect on the secondary. Hawaii has some solid playmakers at wide receiver in Kansas transfer Steven McBride and Pofele Ashlock, so look for the defense to hone in on that duo. 

3. Does Oregon's ground game have a bounce-back day?

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

The Ducks didn't have a bad day running the ball against Texas Tech. I would say they didn't look like themselves and it certainly wasn't as effective as we expected.

That said, they did run for 113 yards on 31 carries, which comes out to 3.6 yards per carry. I tend to think that was more on the offensive line than the backs, as some linemen were running into each other on pulls, which isn't something you want to see.

Oregon's average offensive lineman should outmatch Hawaii's starters upfront, which could mean a big day for Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington and Jordan James.

4. Can the Ducks play a clean, disciplined game?

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Penalties were a big issue for the Ducks a week ago in Lubbock, wracking up 14 for a total of 124 yards.

Whether it was pass interference, false starts or holding--a lot of those came in big moments. Third downs turned into first downs and kept the defense on the field, while false starts killed drives and forced the Ducks to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. 

The best teams in college football are disciplined and that shows up every week. If Oregon wants to cement themselves as an elite program it can't change from week to week. They're back at home this week, which should help.

5. How Involved are the Tight Ends?

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Oregon's tight ends played well last week against Lubbock. Terrance Ferguson dropped one of his targets but he made up for it with a two-point conversion that turned out to be crucial.

He and Herbert didn't stuff the stat sheet, but every time they caught the ball it felt like they were in an important situation, often times moving the chains for a fresh set of downs. Ferguson has had a bit of a quieter start to the season than I expected, but that's probably because Troy Franklin is Nix's favorite target.

I'd like to see Will Stein make it more of a point to get Patrick Herbert involved against Hawaii, because I think he's an undervalued piece of this offense.

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