Monday’s Fiesta Bowl will be a clash between two top college offenses led by dynamic quarterbacks.

No. 8 Oregon’s Bo Nix, a Heisman finalist and Pac-12 offensive player of the year, will try to outduel No. 23 Liberty University’s Kaidon Salter, who leads the nation’s top Division I rushing attack.

They’re not exactly gunslingers, but they’re close.

Jan. 1’s Fiesta Bowl is the 37th bowl the Ducks (11-2) have played in, and the 14th on New Year’s Day. It’s also the fourth time the Ducks have played in the Fiesta Bowl, where they’re 2-1.

This is Liberty’s (13-0) first Fiesta Bowl appearance. It’s also the first meeting between the Ducks and the Flames.

In his second year with Oregon, Nix led the nation with 40 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 77.2%, slightly below the major college football record. He was second nationally with 318.8 yards passing per game and threw for 4,145 yards to become the second Oregon quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season, joining Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who threw for 4,454 yards in 2014.

Nationally, Oregon has the No. 2 offense in Division I, scoring 44 points a game. The Ducks are trying for 12 wins for the first time since 2019 and sixth time in program history, all since 2010.

Liberty’s Salter is one of five FBS quarterbacks with at least 40 touchdowns. He completed 60.9% of his passes for 2,750 yards with 31 touchdowns and five interceptions, and has rushed for 1,064 yards and 12 scores.

The Flames have the nation’s top rushing offense (302.9 yards per game), third-best total offense (514.9 yards per game) and the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense (40.8 points per game).

Salter led Liberty to a Conference USA title, beating New Mexico State 49-35 in the Dec. 1 championship. Salter completed 20 of 25 passes for a season-high 319 yards and two TDs. He also led the Flames in rushing with 165 yards on 12 carries in the game.

Filling the gaps

The Ducks will lean on younger players as a handful of starters opt out of the bowl game.

One of those, Rodrick Pleasant, came to Oregon for football and track, and the speedy cornerback will get a chance to do both in the near future. Pleasant, who has three tackles in six games this season, has moved up the depth chart for the Fiesta Bowl. With Khyree Jackson opting out and Trikweze Bridges transferring to Florida, Pleasant has been practicing with the second-team defense and could see more reps against No. 23 Liberty than he has all season, especially if Jahlil Florence is not back from injury or limited.

“Getting out there I might have a chance to play, so I’m excited about it, trying to show what I can do,” Pleasant said. “Obviously you want to play as a freshman, but at the end of the day it’s about development. I’m happy with the way that they’ve taught me and me being able to develop as a football player was special. I’m ready to keep growing.”

Pleasant said he’s learned a lot about the finer points of football from defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin while also learning Oregon’s playbook this season.

On the other end, defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus will cap his Oregon career with a 57th game, including his third New Year’s Six bowl. A first team all-Pac-12 selection by the league’s coaches and AP, is widely projected as a second- or third-round pick in this year’s NFL draft. Dorlus is the most prominent Oregon defender playing in the Fiesta Bowl and he said there was no consideration to opting out against his mother’s alma mater.

“I put in blood, sweat and tears to this program for five years and I mean there was no other option to be honest,” Dorlus said upon arriving in Phoenix Tuesday afternoon. “I love this game. I love playing with my teammates. I love the coaches that are around me. I love the organization. I feel like why not one more trip down here, one more business trip and finish off on a good note and beat my mom’s school.”

The fifth-year senior has 25 tackles (6.5 for loss), including a career-high five sacks, and nine pass breakups this season.

“These guys are here excited to play for the game,” said coach Dan Lanning. “You heard Brandon say he couldn’t think of not getting the opportunity to go out to work with his team one more time. We’re certainly excited to have him here if he wants to be a part of that.”

Dorlus enters the Fiesta Bowl with 106 career tackles (27 for loss), with 12 sacks. He’ll get one more opportunity to add to his marks before heading to the Senior Bowl and vying for draft position.

Liberty’s offense

In its first year in Conference USA, Liberty won the Group of Five conference’s championship. The Flames lead the country in rushing behind a triple-option based offense with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Liberty also leads the country in interceptions (21). However, the sixth-year FBS program played the weakest schedule in the country, in part because it went from independent to joining C-USA.

Impact players

Liberty running back Quinton Cooley, the CUSA Newcomer of the Year, is 13th nationally with 1,322 rushing yards and 16 TDs. A transfer who began his career at Wake Forest, Cooley has seven 100-yard games this season.

Liberty receiver CJ Daniels is a fourth-year sophomore who leads the Flames with 47 receptions for 988 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Fiesta Bowl

No. 8 Oregon (11-2) vs. No. 23 Liberty (13-0)

When: Jan. 1 at 10 a.m. PT

Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

TV: ESPN