Week 2 - Fresno State at Oregon

Week 2 CFN Fearless Prediction – Fresno State at Oregon

- CFN Fearless Predictions

Fresno State (1-0) at Oregon (1-0) Sept. 8, 6:30, Pac-12 Network

Here’s The Deal: Different cast. Same results. Oregon is a machine that just keeps cruising through adversity and changes in personnel. The backfield was new in game one, missing LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, yet the fifth-ranked Ducks had no problems pummeling visiting Arkansas State for 50 points in the first23 minutes. A gradual step up in competition will afford the program a chance to become battle-tested before Pac-12 play begins in two weeks. Upset-minded Fresno State and new head coach Tim DeRuyter will travel to Eugene looking to make national headlines with an upset of one of the country’s top teams. The Bulldogs opened the season by handling Weber State, 37-10, but have their sights on a much bigger prize. During the glory days under former head man Pat Hill, this was a school that prided itself on being the kind of squad that no one wanted to see on the non-conference schedule.

Why Fresno State Might Win: The Bulldogs are led by a backfield that plays as if it belongs in the Pac-12. All-star QB Derek Carr has a terrific arm and an NFL ceiling, beginning the year with a tight 20-of-25 effort for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. He’ll spend much of the afternoon looking for rookie WR Davante Adams, who debuted with seven catches for 118 yards and both of Carr’s touchdown strikes. On the ground, Robbie Rouse is just 5-7 and 190 pounds, but he’s a bona fide workhorse, with nine 100-yard efforts since the beginning of 2011. Fresno State has the skill players to hang with an opponent that’s going to make the scoreboard light up.

Why Oregon Might Win: Not only were the Ducks brilliant in the opener, but the Fresno State D it gets this week isn’t much better than the Arkansas State D it gashed on Saturday. Oregon produced a spate of big plays out of QB Marcus Mariota and backs Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas, operating the attack as if it was already the middle of October. Besides the substantially higher degree of potency, the Ducks also boast a much better defense than the Bulldogs. In fact, this could be coordinator Nick Aliotti’s best all-around group in years. Oregon is athletic and disruptive on defense, jumping routes on lazy throws, and stripping the ball in pileups.

What To Watch Out For: Can Mariota keep it going for a second straight week? Okay, so the opponent calls the Sun Belt Conference home, but No. 8 is already the hottest thing in a rookie at this level. Known more for his athleticism and straight-line speed, the redshirt freshman pop the cork on his career by throwing for three scores and 200 yards on 18-of-22 passing. With more reps and tougher opponents, he’ll smooth over the wrinkles in his game, a frightening thought for Pac-12 defensive assistants.

What Will Happen: It’s going to take a special defense to halt the inevitable forward progress of the Oregon offense. Fresno State doesn’t have such a D. In fact, there’s a very good chance that the Bulldogs will offer up very little resistance at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks will crank out more than 550 yards of balanced offense, forcing Carr & Co. to play from behind shortly after kickoff.

CFN Prediction: Oregon 54 … Fresno State 24
ATS Consultants Line (Click for more lines and picks) Oregon -34.5 O/U: 75
Must Watch Rating (5 – Phineas & Ferb, 1 – Steve Harvey): 2.5