EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has seen limited action in the team’s first two lopsided wins and figures to have another short night Saturday when the 23rd-ranked Ducks host San Jose State. Herbert has tossed nine touchdown passes for Oregon, which ranks fourth nationally in scoring at 60 points per game after rolling to victories over Bowling Green (58-24) and FCS-member Portland State (62-14).
TV: 5 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Oregon -41.5
Recommended Videos
A Heisman Trophy candidate who has thrown a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive games, Herbert played just nine drives in last Saturday’s win over Portland State, completing 20 of his 26 passes for 250 yards and four scores. A total of 11 different Ducks have rushed for or caught a touchdown – including sophomore wideout Jaylon Redd, who is tied for the Pac-12 lead with three touchdown receptions. Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said his team won’t be guilty of overconfidence against San Jose State, which opened with a demoralizing 44-38 loss to UC Davis before falling 31-0 at Washington State. “The approach we have is, stay humble, stay hungry, attack every single opportunity that we have created ourselves,” he told reporters. “We have created great opportunities for ourselves because of the way we are playing."
ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE (0-2)
Sophomore quarterback Montel Aaron competed 13-of-25 passes for 94 yards against Washington State, but the Spartans were held to 109 total yards and fell to 45-153 all-time against Pac-12 opponents. Linebackers Kyle Harmon and Jesse Osuna and cornerback Nehemiah Shelton each recorded interceptions for the Spartans, who were picked to finish last in the West Division of the Mountain West preseason poll and rank 124th nationally in team defense. Bryce Crawford punted 11 times for a 43.7 yard average last week and also serves as the team’s placekicker.
ABOUT OREGON (2-0)
Tony Brooks-James ran for 107 yards and two scores while freshman CJ Verdell ran for 106 yards and another touchdown in last Saturday’s win over Portland State, which allowed 562 yards while gaining 224. Oregon, which begins conference play at home against Stanford next week, has committed a total of eight penalties for 90 yards in two games and enters Saturday’s contest with no major injuries. Senior Jalen Jelks leads the defense in tackles with 15, two more than fellow linebackers Troy Dye and Kaulana Apelu.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The teams are meeting for the first time since 1998, with Oregon holding a 12-6 lead in the series.
2. Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo played quarterback at San Jose State from 1998-2002.
3. The Ducks have won 22 consecutive home non-conference games dating back to 2008.
PREDICTION: Oregon 56, San Jose State 10