Nov 05, 2013 02:56 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Oregon Ducks' running back De'Anthony Thomas was particularly confident in his team's offense for the upcoming game against Stanford, saying they will post 40 points in a win, ESPN reported.

Anyone who has watched Oregon play football over the last several years knows they score a lot of points, no matter the coach, quarterback or any other offensive personnel member. Stanford has been one of the few teams of those years that has come up with an antidote for the up-tempo, high-scoring Ducks offense.

Last year, it was Stanford that ended Oregon's hopes of a National Championship bid with a 17-14 victory, which stood as the Ducks' only loss. This year, the Ducks are once again unbeaten going into their matchup with the Stanford Cardinal.

"I don't think so," Thomas told Oregon's official website. "I feel like, this team, we should at least put up 40."

Oregon is averaging 55.6 points per game, second in the nation and also allowing just 16.p points per game, good for seventh best. But Stanford is allowing only 19.6 points per game and broke Oregon's three-year streak of PAC-12 championships last year as well.

If Thomas' prediction turns out to be true, it may not be entirely his doing. Stanford will have its hands full with the Ducks' quarterback Marcus Mariota. He has thrown 20 touchdowns, no interceptions and well over 2,000 yards, while also carrying the ball for nine rushing touchdowns.

Stanford head football coach David Shaw likes to conduct his practices by assigning a backup quarterback to imitate opposing throwers. This allows the defense to get at least a preview of what their opponent's passer will look like on game day. With Mariota, it was hopeless and Shaw admitted to no being able to ask someone to imitate the young QB's stellar offensive play.

"We have to sign somebody," he joked.

The loss to Stanford is the only one in Mariota's college career, that loss and lack of offense is also believed to have hurt his chances at winning the Heisman Trophy. Oregon head football coach Mark Helfrich told Oregon's website he planned to use Stanford's recent success against his team as motivation.

"If our guys use last year as a motivational factor to practice harder ... we'll take it," he said. "Any external motivation that was used to prepare, great."

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