No. 25 Oregon Ducks (4-2) will face No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones (8-3) at the 2021 Playstation Fiesta Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Arizona. The Ducks achieved birth in the game after defeating the USC in the Pac-12 Title Game, which Iowa State is losing to Oklahoma in the Big Ten Title.
Oregon is listed as a 4-point underdog according to William Hill sportsbooks. While theTerritory Duck did before each Oregon game, we looked at the key factors and what the end result of the game is. See how the Territory Duck the team sees the game in progress.
Erik Skopil:
I am an optimist. I say this because Iowa State is the most accomplished team this year. They have more impressive victories. They have been more consistent.
I believe that Oregon is improving. Remember that they played five games less than the state of Iowa, which means that the rate of improvement of a game experience is different. But I felt that the USC games were a turning point. This was certainly the case for the Andy Avalos group. I have a feeling that the Ducks will once again be good enough against the race (they held Cal and USC under two yards per load) to limit opposing scoring opportunities. The biggest question is on the other side of the ball. Does Tyler Shough have that in him? That’s the million dollar question in Eugene now. Otherwise, Ducks will need many breaks to achieve this. If he does, I can see Oregon winning this game in many ways.
Despite all that, I think this will be a difficult game from the start to the finish line. The Ducks have a chance to end their season on a high, as they did in 2019, with the conference championship and New Year’s Six bowl wins to end the season. I think they did it.
Oregon 27, Iowa state 24
Matt Prehm:
For the first time in the entire season, the Oregon Ducks will have their four best healthy recipients available for this game. I think this will seem like a lot for an offense that hasn’t been at its best in the past few weeks. I like the Ducks to be able to race Iowa, even if CJ Verdell doesn’t play for Oregon. I think this will be a solid showing in the attack on the Ducks. It may not be the best, but it has improved a lot. In defense, I don’t think the ISU has anyone who can block Kayvon Thibodaux and Noah Sewell. I hope those who play both. For KT, this may be his best game in Oregon. ISU will put your things on the ground, but Oregon’s coverage of the pass will make the difference.
Give me Oregon 27, Iowa State 23.
Kevin Wade:
After looking like a non-starting playoff player, the Big 12 changed its post-season narrative with Texas dealing with Colorado and Oklahoma playing in Florida. The state of Iowa, the second best team in the conference, has the offensive weapons to expel the Ducks from the building and the combination of running back Breece Hall and quarterback Brock Purdy will make this game challenging for Oregon’s defense.
Oregon has shown constant improvement on the defensive side of the ball with its best game so far closing the talented USC athletes, but when the state of Iowa is able to perform, they are a force to be reckoned with. This side of the ball will depend on the Iowa State’s ability to stop Kayvon Thibodeaux’s passing race and the play of other defensive players like Brandon Dorlus and Jordon Scott.
Offensively to the Ducks, they opened a can of worms by presenting the equation to Anthony Brown. Not only does the state of Iowa have to prepare for Tyler Shough, who has sometimes shown strong command of Joe Moorhead’s RPO-based attack, but now he will have to prepare for any wrinkles Brown might add. Regardless of CJ Verdell’s status this weekend, Oregon should be able to plan to open its receivers and break Iowa’s odd stack.
I think the state of Iowa will be able to find its points early and will probably lead in the first half, but expect the Oregon defense to come to a halt, giving Oregon a victory for possession in the fourth quarter.
Oregon 34, Iowa 31
Jared Mack:
Oregon is back in the Fiesta Bowl for the first time since 2013, and faces its best opponent of the season in the tenth state of Iowa (8-3). The Cyclones present one of the best offensives in the country, with Brock Purdy and Breece Hall leading the offensive. In the typical Big 12 style, this team can score with the best of them. The Cyclones have featured over 400 attack yards in eight of their 11 games this season, with Hall and company accumulating over 200 yards on the ground in six of those matches as well. Oregon’s defense made a great display of quick defense against the USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game, keeping the USC at 38 yards in 28 attempts. Oregon will need this version of their defensive front to have a real chance of winning this game. The secondary Ducks, fresh from a three-interception game against USC’s Kedon Slovis, will have their fair share of opportunities against Purdy. Purdy had 18 touchdowns this year and had nine interceptions, including three in the Big-12 Championship game.
On the offensive side, Oregon seems to be a little lost in moving the ball through the air. Joe Moorhead and Tyler Shough will need to figure out what to fix soon, as the state of Iowa is likely to allow some great passing games. The attack on the Ducks has been solid lately, as the appearance of Sean Dollars in the conference championship game could help the Ducks once again if CJ Verdell is unable to play. Going into the game, I’m not as confident in Oregon’s attack as I was a month ago. Shough’s confidence has plummeted, and his hesitation in playing can become a killer for Oregon in this bowl game. I will take Iowa State to win by touchdown, but I hope the game will be played until the final minutes.
Iowa State 34, Oregon 27
Ethan Wyss:
Iowa running star Breece Hall will have a day against Oregon’s weak defense. I can only imagine that it would be a similar performance that Duck fans remember from Jermar Jefferson against Oregon State, where they allowed 226 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa has a strong front 7 that will force young Tyler Shough to make mistakes in his first bowling game of his career. I wasn’t kind to Oregon in my prediction before the PAC-12 championship game, asking Oregon to lose by two goals. They’ve stepped up, especially the defense of the Ducks, and if they play at the level they played against the USC, that could go in Oregon’s favor. I don’t think that will be the case, however, I think Oregon will lose the turnover battle and that will decide the game. Cyclones win and cover.
Iowa State 33, Oregon 24
Sign up to receive the FREE DuckTerritory.com newsletter and get all your Oregon news straight to your email inbox daily.
If you are not a VIP subscriber to DuckTerritory.com, consider sign up today and get your first month for just $ 1!