When Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders get to the Orange Bowl to compete in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, they’re going to be facing off against one of the most well-balanced, talented, and effective teams in the country as they get to play Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks.
While I’ve talked a fair bit about just how impressive the Ducks are on the defensive side of things, it’s not like we can ignore what Oregon brings to the table on offense. This is a team that will want to score a ton of points and is equipped to be able to do just that against just about anyone.
This season, Oregon has managed to score 39.2 points per game (which ranks at No. 9 in the nation in scoring offense) while gaining 468.9 total yards of offense per game (which ranks at No. 11 in the nation in total offense).
Oregon’s got a really good offense! And that shouldn’t shock anyone. So, what will McGuire and the Red Raiders work to do when facing the Ducks in the Orange Bowl?
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire explains what the Texas Tech Red Raider defense must do to slow Oregon’s offense in the Orange Bowl
“We talk all the time about complementary football, how we play off of each other,” McGuire said. “Indiana did a phenomenal job of doing that, meaning their offense was on the field probably longer than anybody else or comparable to some of the tough games that they’ve had. Indiana was really effective on offense, we’ve got to be effective on offense to help our defense.”
That makes sense. Move the ball effectively, sustain long drives, wear down the Oregon Ducks defense, and keep the Oregon offense on the sidelines.
“I think with those guys, it all starts with their run game, where they create explosive [plays] is off their run game,” Texas Tech’s head coach continued. “And so we’ve got to eliminate some of those explosives, get the ball down, make them drive the field, and the biggest thing though is you stop the run, now you’ve earned the right to rush the passer.”
All of that feels easier said than done, but it is a formula to slowing the Ducks and forcing their offense to do things that it’s not comfortable doing.
“Our defensive line has got to show up,” McGuire emphasized. “They’ve shown up every week putting pressure on the quarterback, this quarterback is special.”
So, to recap, what Texas Tech has to do to slow Oregon’s offense is to have the Red Raiders play effective and efficient offense that drains the clock, stop the Ducks’ rushing attack which in turn limits big plays and then pressure Dante Moore, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. No big deal!