Quack Fix: Michael Clay leads the defense to Stanford, Basketball tips off against Vandy tonight

Happy Veterans day to all those have have served all country. Thank you for all that you've done.

What a huge weekend for Oregon athletics. Should be a fun night as the Ducks tip off in Nashville. And then the big game tomorrow night. Let's get to the quack:

• Adam Jude has a piece this morning on Michael Clay, Oregon's leader in tackles per game (and third in tackles despite missing 3 games due to an ankle injury). Clay grew up an MLS fan in San Jose, and played sweeper before transitioning to football full time. Clay is excited to battle with Stanford. if it comes down to who wants it more, I'm glad we'll have Clay leading the defense.
• Ken Goe has a piece on Darron Thomas this morning. While Duck fans are looking for a lot from Darron, he is clearly the afterthought in this game. Darron hasn't looked great the last two games, but before his injury, he was rounding into form, with a great second half against Cal and an exceptional half against ASU. I'm excited to see what he can do, and if he keeps Oregon playing like they can on offense, the Ducks can probably come away with a victory.
• Josh from FishDuck has a really good video previewing Stanford. He breaks down Stanford's main running play, and also shows how Stanford's offense is quite complex and versatile. While there is a lot of praise to heap on the Cardinal, I think it's important to remember they have not played one top 40 defense this season.
• Ted Miller and Stanford blogger Kevin Gemmell discuss the keys to the game. Miller says it will come down to the third quarter, which both teams have been dominant this season. Gemmell says Stanford needs to be itself and not get sucked into a shootout.
• Chip Kelly went on Scott Van Pelt yesterday for another classic interview.
• The Ducks are in Nashville and had a practice last night, to get to know Vanderbilt's odd floor.
• Bob Clark also has a piece on how Oregon ended up playing Vanderbilt tonight. Playing on the road against the 7th ranked team in the country is a bold way to start the season, especially when you're breaking in eight new players.
• Oregon women's basketball had an exhibition last night over Concordia, which resulted in a 119-54 victory. The big story of the game was the return of Nia Jackson, who is back after dealing with a knee injury for the last 9 months.
• Finally, some cross country news. The era of touted prep star Lukas Verzbicas lasted only two races at Oregon. The talented runner is leaving the program to train for the triathlon. This decision comes only two days before the Ducks head to Stanford to compete in the NCAA West Regionals.