Michigan State has been eyeing this game since the beginning of last season. This time, the Ducks have to head to East Lansing to take on the Spartans. Oregon defeated Michigan State 46-27 last season in Eugene. This is a new season and Oregon is replacing Heisman Trophy quarterback Marcus Mariota with transfer Vernon Adams. Adams led the Ducks to victory last week against Eastern Washington where he was the quarterback last season. This week will provide the transfer quarterback with his first big test with the Ducks.
Connor Cook is back at quarterback for Michigan State who is coming off a great 2014 season where they finished 11-2. Their only losses were to Oregon and Ohio State, two of the four College Football Playoff teams. The Spartans survived a late comeback from Western Michigan last week and ended up with a 37-24 victory.
Here is what you need to know about Saturday’s primetime matchup:
The Basics
Who:
Oregon Ducks vs. Michigan State Spartans
When:
September 12th, 8 PM ET
Channel:
ABC
Where:
Spartan Stadium; East Lansing, Michigan
Line:
Even (Line is according to OddsShark and is subject to change.)
Last Meeting:
Oregon won at home 46-27 against Michigan State at the beginning of the 2014 season.
Oregon Ducks Preview
Vernon Adams is the new Oregon quarterback. (Getty)
Vernon Adams may not be Marcus Mariota, but he offers Oregon a similar dual-threat capability. Oregon had 731 total yards of offense in their first game against Eastern Washington. Running back Royce Freeman had 180 yards on the ground in Week 1 while the defense forced two turnovers. The secondary will be tested this week against Michigan State with Connor Cook behind center.
Michigan State Spartans Preview
Michigan State leaned heavily on the running game against Western Michigan with 40 attempts for 196 yards. Quarterback Connor Cook was expected to be the source of stability for the team this season, but Cook looked inconsistent in the first game. For the Spartans to beat the Ducks, Connor will have play up to the high level he is capable of playing.
Heavy’s Pick
Oregon 38, Michigan State 31
Heading into the season, it looked like Michigan State would be the easy pick for this game with the Ducks losing Mariota and starting a quarterback that played at a smaller school. However, the more you look at Oregon you realize the amount of weapons they still possess. Adams has played against Division I competition at Eastern Washington and played well. While Michigan State will benefit from being at home, Oregon has too many weapons for Michigan State to stop and the Ducks will get a big road victory to start the season.
