The Ducks turned in a solid performance in their season opener against Houston with a 48-27 victory. Oregon had a balanced offensive attack, led by quarterback Dennis Dixon (who ran for 141 yards and passed for 134), running backs Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson (who combined for 133 yards on 25 carries), and wide receiver Brian Paysinger (who led the team in receiving with 4 catches for 62 yards). The defense struggled to put the clamps on a Houston team that actually outgained Oregon in total yardage 538-468. Running back/receiver Anthony Aldridge led the way for Houston with a ridiculous 295 yards of total offense.

The Offense: Oregon's offense showed how explosive they can be with big plays and quick scores throughout the game, but also showed signs of inconsistency as Dixon struggled to locate his receivers. Still, offense shouldn't be an issue for Oregon in 2007.

The Defense: Talent in the front seven is fairly limited compared to Oregon's Pac-10 foes (especially after high school All-Americans Simi Fili and Myles Wade failed to qualify academically). The Ducks will have to rely on forcing turnovers and a bend-but-don't-break mentality to keep opponents in check.

Special Teams: The Ducks have struggled on special teams for the last couple of years, causing Mike Belotti to spend more time and resources on the unit. The kicking & return games looked much improved over last year, and could provide the team with an added spark.