Oregon @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 1, 2014 ) Stanford 16, Oregon 45

Stanford can clinch the Pac-12 North and keep its playoff hopes alive with a win Saturday over visiting Oregon, which has won three straight to re-enter the conference race. The surging Ducks are coming off their most complete effort of the season and should offer a solid test for Stanford, which has won eight in a row to move into the No. 7 spot in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

The contest features the top two running backs in the Pac-12 in Oregon’s Royce Freeman and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, a Heisman Trophy candidate who leads the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 241.6. Freeman had 180 rushing yards and the Ducks recorded a school-record 777 yards in total offense in last Saturday’s 44-28 win over California, while McCaffrey had 220 all-purpose yards in Stanford’s 42-10 win over Colorado. Stanford ranks 30th nationally in scoring defense at 20.2 points but now must slow down a potent Oregon offense led by quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. The dynamic senior has thrown for 887 yards and 10 touchdowns during the Ducks’ three-game win streak.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Stanford -10

ABOUT OREGON (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12): The Ducks’ offense began clicking three games ago, when Adams returned from a broken finger and wide receiver Darren Carrington made his season debut after sitting out the first six games due to suspension. Carrington has caught 14 passes for 344 yards in the last three contests, and the offensive line turned in its best outing last week as Adams, Freeman, Tony Brooks-James, Taj Griffin and Kani Benoit combined for 475 rushing yards. DeForest Buckner has a team-high seven sacks to lead the defense, which held the high-powered Cal offense to 28 points last week.

ABOUT STANFORD (8-1, 7-0): Quarterback Kevin Hogan struggled in last season’s 45-16 loss to Oregon with 237 passing yards along with no touchdowns and one interception, but he enters Saturday’s game on a high note with a pair of touchdown passes against Colorado and 152 rushing yards in the last two games. Linebacker Blake Martinez leads the Pac-12 in tackles at 10.4, and the defense continued its growth with a season-high 10 tackles for loss against the Buffaloes. Stanford, which closes the regular season with home games against Cal and Notre Dame, leads the FBS in time of possession with an average of 35 minutes, 17 seconds.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oregon has won 10 of the last 13 meetings in the series, including four of the last six at Stanford.

2. Stanford is 28-3 at home under coach David Shaw.

3. Oregon K Aidan Schneider is 16-of-17 on field-goal attempts, including six in a row.

PREDICTION: Stanford 41, Oregon 34