Washington State vs. Oregon live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch online

It just doesn’t get any easier. Fresh off a thrilling win over the USC Trojans, the Washington State Cougars and quarterback Luke Falk are looking to avoid a letdown when they travel to Eugene, Ore., to face star running back Royce Freeman and the Oregon Ducks at 8 p.m. ET on Fox (live stream).

Falk is white-hot to start the season, tossing for 1,718 yards and 16 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. Falk and Co. field an explosive offense averaging 495.8 yards and 41 points a game. Falk will look to his standout wide receiver, Tavares Martin Jr., to continue his torrid start to the season. Martin has 445 yards and seven touchdowns on the season to date.

The Ducks face their biggest challenge so far this season without their starting quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert was lost to a broken collarbone last week, and he was replaced by Taylor Alie who was also banged up during last week’s game.

Coming into this week, Taggart has been cagey on whether he will stick with Alie or go with freshman Braxton Burmeister. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Oregon rushing attack will be key to whether the offense lives up to its 49.6 points per game average vs Washington State.

The Cougar’s offensive line and how it protects Falk from a strong Oregon pass rush will be a critical factor in determining who wins this game:

Adding to Washington State’s problem this week is Oregon’s defensive strength: getting into the backfield. Although, as a unit, they’re 50th in S&P+, they’ve racked up 20 sacks and 43 tackles for a loss as a team this year, or four sacks per game and more than eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage. It’s a recipe for near disaster against an offensive line that has struggled in both pass and run blocking so far this season.

Washington State’s defense will need to show up in key moments just like it did during the team’s last victory:

The next four USC plays were run for 1 yard, incomplete pass, run for no gain, field goal. If I had to point to one sequence that likely saved the game for WSU, that’s it. Faced with an 11-point deficit, the defense bowed up and kept USC out. What an incredible effort.

The Ducks were beset by so many injuries vs. California, that Taggart suspected divine malevolence:

Without question, the most discouraging news from the weekend was the loss of starting quarterback Justin Herbert. His fractured collarbone will keep him off the field.

“Taylor is one of those guys that is day to day,” Taggart said. “He got dinged up a little bit and couldn’t go back in the game. When he went down, I wanted to call a timeout and see if I could exercise some demons on that field.”

Oregon’s Jalen Jelks will be looking to dominate in all aspects of the game and make it a long day in Eugene for Washington State:

Some say he’s only a pass rusher, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Honestly, he plugs gaps very well for always enduring a double team from opponents. He’s currently tied for fourth on the team in total tackles with Kaulana Apelu (20). Anytime your defensive end is tied with a starting linebacker for tackles, it’s a good sign.

Oregon is off to a decent start to the season, losing only a 37-35 game at Arizona State two weeks ago. This game will be a test to see exactly how good this Oregon team is. With a win the Ducks would launch themselves into the elite class of the Pac-12. Oregon’s rushing attack, which averages 261 yards per game, will look to control the clock and keep the ball out of Falk’s hands.

Falk will have to get rid of the ball quicker than he has throughout the season, unless he’s ready to spend the majority of the game on his back. Falk will also need his receivers to step up their games, as they have been plagued by drops throughout the season. Washington State also must be careful to guard against an emotional letdown after giving its all to beat USC.

Washington State vs. Oregon Prediction:

Washington State is a better team than Oregon, but this game has upset written all over it. Washington State struggles to protect its quarterback and run the ball effectively, and those just happen to be two of Oregon’s greatest strengths on defense. If the Oregon defensive line can control the trenches and the running attack can help the Ducks control the clock, they might be able to neutralize the high-flying Cougars offense. This game should be the perfect test to see if Washington State can compete for CFB Playoff spot, but I think the Cougars lose a close one to Oregon.