No. 8 Oregon prepares for Minnesota’s elite pass rush in Friday matchup

EUGENE — With limited exception, the greatest pressure Dante Moore has faced this season has come from the circumstances Oregon has been in and less from opposing defenses.

The No. 8 Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) have allowed just 11 sacks this season, which at a rate of 1.22 per game is tied for 23rd nationally. However, 10 of those sacks have come against No. 2 Indiana and Wisconsin, the top defenses at getting after the quarterback that Oregon has faced.

Minnesota (6-3, 4-2) enters Friday night’s matchup averaging 3.56 sacks per game, fourth nationally, and could end up as the defense with the most sacks that Oregon faces this season.

“They pin their ears back, especially when they have opportunities, and do a good job of recognizing,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “They do a good variety of things on defense. There’s a lot of change-ups but when they get to advantageous situations to rush the passer they take advantage of it.”

The Golden Gophers have 12 players with sacks this season, including seven with multiple sacks. The top four are all defensive linemen, led by Anthony Smith, whose 8.5 sacks are tied for the Big Ten lead.

Moore called Minnesota defensive line “huge” and “very powerful,” but is confident in Oregon’s offensive line to keep him protected again.

“Those guys up front have really made it tick for the guys in the backend,” Lanning said. “Obviously they’ve created some negatives.”

Smith has feasted on the Big Ten’s cellar dwellers to notch 26 tackles (11.5 for loss), but has been less impactful against the better offensive lines Minnesota has faced. Top-ranked Ohio State kept him out of the backfield and he had just .5 tackles for loss against Iowa.

Moore has attempted just 56 passes over the last three games, due in part to weather conditions, breaking his nose early in the third quarter against Wisconsin and blowing out Rutgers.

Rain could be a factor again on Friday, but regardless, despite its ability to generate pressure Minnesota’s defense is weaker at defending the pass than stopping the run. So Moore and the Ducks could air things out as long as he has time against a Gophers defense that uses a variety of fronts and coverages.

“I feel like we’ll be ready for sure with anybody that’s out there on the front five,” Moore said.

No. 8 Oregon (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) vs Minnesota (6-3, 4-2)

• When: Friday, Nov. 14
• Time: 6 p.m. PT
• Where: Autzen Stadium
• TV: FOX
• Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers) or Sling (college football season pass is just $199). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.