Duck Stuff: Morning Mud

Morning Mud

• Josh White and Joel Gunderson @FishDuck.com preview the game today against Arkansas St. and give their predictions.

Josh has the Ducks winning by 36 and Joel believes Oregon will have a 39 point advantage.

• Rob Moseley takes his turn at predictions and can't wait to see Marcus Mariota.

I can't wait to see … how Marcus Mariota handles the moment. Pretty much everybody associated with Oregon (way to buck the trend, Dion Jordan) thinks the cool customer is impossible to rattle. But even great quarterbacks (and yeah, it seems premature to call Mariota "great") have instances when the moment gets to them — Dennis Dixon at Cal, Joey Harrington in the Civil War. Mariota won't be perfect, but will certainly start to show why he's Oregon's future.

Prediction: Oregon 59, Arkansas State 9

• Adam Jude says freshmen these days get up to speed early as many of them will see playhing time.

Five freshmen cracked the Ducks' two-deep for the season opener: Arik Armstead and DeForest Bucker on the defensive line, receiver Bralon Addison and tight ends Pharaoh Brown and T.J. Daniel.

"The young guys coming in now, they're on it," fifth-year senior running back Kenjon Barner said. "They know the tradition we have here, they accept that tradition, and they live up to it."

• Rob Moseley has a Q&A with senior punter Jaskson Rice.

• eDuck lays out all the transportation options to Autzen Stadium today.

• Rob Moseley lays out the unanswered questions about this seasons opener.

• Aaron Fentress breaks down the reasons to get excited for the early schedule despite some lackluster opponents. Here is just one:

Plenty of time to examine the quarterbacks: Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota is the starter but sophomore Bryan Bennett should play a ton. This will give all of us a chance to dissect the two to death after only being privy to watching them perform during the spring game over the past eight months.

• I will have my usual highlight video of the game tonight posted tomorrow afternoon and here is my prediction:

Oregon 46 Arkansas St. 10.

GO DUCKS!