Oregon Ducks Defensive Keys to the Game vs. No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes

Oregon's defense faces another big test on Saturday against prolific quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

The Oregon Ducks defense was the subject of a lot of criticism a year ago. And understandably so.

Many would say that a group loaded with talent and some big-name coaches--namely head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi--underachieved in many departments like pass rush, tacking and pass coverage. 

It's now year two under Dan Lanning, and expectations are still as high as ever. Headlined by highly-touted transfer portal additions like Jordan Burch and Tysheem Johnson, the defense looks improved through three games compared to 2022, but there's still plenty of room for growth.

The Ducks escaped their test of the season in Lubbock on the backs of a Jeffrey Bassa pick-six, and they'll need more big plays this week against the No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes.

Here are my defensive keys to the game for Oregon against the Buffs.

1. Get Pressure on Shedeur Sanders

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Sanders is the heart and soul of this Colorado offense, so it goes without saying that the Ducks need to get pressure on him and hit him as many times as possible. You knock him off his game and the offense becomes less effective and explosive.

The Buffs' offensive line has allowed 16 sacks through 3 games, so this Oregon defensive front should be foaming at the mouth to cause some chaos in the backfield. 

Getting after Sanders is even more important when you take into account that the Buffs have struggled to run the ball. Yes, Houston running back transfer Alton McCaskill is expected to be available, but he can't be superman behind a poor offensive line. 

This offense is fairly one-dimension thus far, and Oregon can do themselves a big favor by harassing the best player on the team all game long.

2. Limit Explosive Plays

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

The Buffs have two of the best receivers in the country early on in Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horne Jr., who both transferred in from South Florida. They're Sanders' favorite targets and lead the team in catches, so the Ducks secondary needs to do their best to keep everything in front of them and limit the explosive plays.

Ripping off big plays isn't only effective, it also fires a team up and the Ducks don't need the Buffs to get any sort of momentum going on Saturday. I'm still not completing sure what Oregon has in the secondary through three games, because only one of them was against a quality opponent in Texas Tech. 

Tyler Sough threw for 282 yards and averaged 7.4 yards per pass and two receivers averaged more than 10 yards per catch. There's definitely signs of improvement from a year ago, but that group can't get complacent, and certainly can't take this group of wideouts lightly.

3. Get off the Field on Third Down

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

Maybe I could've put this one at the top of the list, but it's nearly impossible to overstate the importance of having a good day on third down. 

The Ducks have done a good job of getting off the field on third down, with opponents converting on 31.7% of third downs, a mark that ranks No. 29 nationally. Colorado completes nearly half of its third downs at 47.8% and in a game that some expect to be a shootout, you don't want the Buffs having the ball any longer than is necessary. 

They don't call the third down the money down for nothing, and I'm sure Dan Lannign and Tosh Lupoi want to make some money on Saturday with some big third-down stops.

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