It's finally game week for Auburn and Oregon.

No. 16 Auburn has plenty of questions to answer when it faces the No. 11 Ducks Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Will the running game turn a corner? Will Bo Nix shine in the first season-opening start by a true freshman quarterback at Auburn since 1946?

Oregon has questions, too, which we haven't had a chance to dive into as we focused on Auburn's preseason camp and the beginning of its preparations for the Ducks over the last three-plus weeks. Today, we begin our deep look at the Ducks by looking at five key storylines you need to keep your eyes on heading into the game.



Oregon limited at receiver

Oregon lost one starter and two backup receivers to injuries during preseason camp. The biggest loss is outside receiver Brenden Schooler, who caught 21 passes last season.

Freshman Mycah Pittman was praised for his consistency in preseason camp and in the spring and for not dropping passes. He appeared to be well on his way to playing in the season opener and seeing significant time, but he injured his right shoulder and is also out of the game.

Meanwhile, freshman JR Waters, a 3-star prospect, also injured a foot and is out for the opener.

Oregon's receivers were incredibly inconsistent last season, dropping 52 passes, including eight that would have been touchdowns. A few catches could have made a dramatic difference in the season.

The good news for Oregon is Penn State transfer Juwan Johnson is expected to play after being limited with muscle cramps last week at practice. The 6-foot-4 senior is expected to be the Ducks' top receiver this season after catching 54 passes for 701 yards in 2017 at Penn State.



Pay attention to the running backs

Oregon's backfield is potent because of the spark provided by CJ Verdell, who eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards last season as a freshman. He was the only player from a Power 5 conference to hit those marks.

The rotation with Travis Dye might be relatively equal in carries against Auburn, which could present problems for the Tigers as they keep fresh legs in the backfield. Dye rushed for 739 yards as a freshman last season while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

And don't forget about quarterback Justin Herbert. He averaged 5.5 carries per game in 2018 and scored two touchdowns on the ground.



Strength against strength in the trenches

The battle everyone will be focused on Saturday will be in the trenches. Oregon returns all five of its starters along the offensive line. Auburn returns four of five starters on the defensive line, has depth and first-round talent on the depth chart. Both teams would like to lay claim to having the best offensive and defensive lines in the country, and one can garner early heat from the media with a strong performance Saturday.

Two offensive linemen from Oregon's squad last season contemplated an early jump to the NFL, but opted to return, and left tackle Penei Sewell is back after sitting out six games with a high-ankle sprain last season.

Oregon's offensive line against Auburn's defensive line might just decide the winner of the game.

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That Oregon secondary is ... suspect

You haven't heard a lot about Oregon's secondary in the preseason because, well, Oregon still doesn't know what its two-deep will look like on the depth chart.

That's good news for Auburn, at least on paper.

The Ducks return starting cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Thomas Graham Jr. and one safety in Jevon Holland, but a strong safety and all backup jobs are still up for grabs entering game week, it appears. Interestingly, the strong safety spot is a battle right now between the starter last season (Nick Pickett) and Brady Breeze.

“We got to have something set before we get out there in Dallas,” safeties coach Keith Heyward said, according to OregonLive.com. “At what point? We’ll talk about that as a staff. We’re going to make sure no matter what the best 11 is on the field. For me, at the boundary safety spot that may not be set. I still got two good guys who are playing good football and they deserve to be on the field and they both help the team in different ways.”

The Ducks will rely on freshmen in the two-deep in the secondary, so if Auburn can pick its spots and the offensive line keeps freshman quarterback Bo Nix clean, the Tigers should find success in the passing game.



The best pro prospect on the field?

NFL scouts will flood the sidelines and the press box at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. A dozen-plus NFL prospects will play in the game, and the two best will face off against each other every time Oregon's quarterback touches the ball: Ducks QB Justin Herbert and Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

Brown can do a lot to force Herbert out of his comfort zone with his push in the middle. Herbert could show off his arm strength and accuracy on the move, too. Brown will not affect Herbert on every play, but he will be a factor.

Herbert is projected by many as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after choosing to return to Oregon for his senior season. The folks at WalterFootball.com called the decision a mistake. It's not bad news for Oregon, obviously. The Ducks get to pay one more season with an NFL-type quarterback leading the offense, but a QB is only as good as his receivers and offensive line. The receivers struggled at times last season, which is why there's an influx of new talent heading into this game.

Herbert, however, is a legitimate threat to take over the game and making his receiver better. His completion percentage (59.4) should have been higher last season if his receivers held on to the ball (those 52 drops last season were killer), but Herbert has proven he can throw every pass that is asked of him. He finished last season with 3,151 yards and 29 touchdowns with eight interceptions.