9-30-21 Emerald Media - Gameday

GAMEDAY 9.30.21

JOURNEY FROM DOWN UNDER

One of the most underrated reasons for the Duck’s undefeated start is punter Tom Snee, the Aussie whose path to Eugene was about more than just football.

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GAMEDAY

GAMEDAY, the Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.

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NEWSROOM

Editor in Chief Sarah-Mae McCullough Managing Editor Jael Calloway Copy Chief Amanda Lurey Sports Editor Shane Hoffmann Reporters Daniel Friis Jacob Hamre Daniel Vigil Charlie Folkestad Charles Gearing Photo Editor Ian Enger Design Editor Kira Chan

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ON THE COVER

Tom Snee (38) punts a ball. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves 48-7 on Saturday night, September 17, at Autzen Stadium. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

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OREGON

STANFORD

OREGON OFFENSE

STANFORD OFFENSE

Johnny Johnson III

No. 3

WR-X

SR

Elijah Higgins No. 6 WR JR

Kris Hutson No.14 WR-Z FR

Brycen Tremayne

Mycah Pittman No. 4 WR-H SO

Walter Rouse No. 75 LT JR

George Moore

Barrett Miller No. 63 LG JR

No. 77

LT

RS SR/TR

No. 81

WR

RS JR

T.J. Bass No. 56 LG JR/TR

Drake Nugent

No. 60

OC

RS SO

Alex Forsyth

Branson Bragg

No. 66

RG

RS SO

No. 78

OC

RS JR

Ryan Walk No. 53 RG RS JR

Myles Hinton No. 78 RT SO

Steven Jones

RS SO

Tucker Fisk

No. 88

TE

RS SR

Spencer Webb No. 18 TE-F RS SO

Bradley Archer

No. 87

TE

RS SO

Moliki Matavao No. 8 TE-Y FR

Tanner McKee No. 18 QB SO

Anthony Brown No. 13 QB GR/TR

Nathaniel Peat No. 8 RB JR

CJ Verdell No. 7 RB JR

Houston Heimuli

No. 74

RT

No. 34

FB

RS SR

STANFORD DEFENSE

OREGON DEFENSE Brandon Dorlus No. 3 DE SO

Thomas Booker

Popo Aumavae

No. 50

NT

RS JR

Keyon Ware-Hudson

No. 59

DT

RS FR

No. 4

DE

SR

Dalyn Wade-Perry

No. 50

DT

RS SR

Ryan Johnson

No. 23

DE

RS JR

Kayvon Thibodeaux No. 5 JOKER SO

Stephen Herron

No. 15

OLB

RS SO

Mase Funa No. 47 SAM SO

Ricky Meizan

No. 45

ILB

RS JR

Noah Sewell No. 1 MIKE FR

Jacob Mangum-Farrar

No. 14

ILB

RS JR

Keith Brown No. 21 WILL FR

Jordan Fox

No. 10

OLB

RS SR

DJ James No. 00 BCB SO

Kyu Blu Kelly

No. 17

CB

JR

Steve Stevens IV

No. 7

BS

RS SO

Kendall Williamson No. 21 SS SR

Verone McKinley III

No. 23

FS

RS SO

Alaka’i Gilman No. 33 FS SO

Mykael Wright No. 2 FCB SO

Zahran Manley No. 31 CB JR

Bennett Williams No. 15 STAR JR/TR

Jimmy Wyrick No. 18 NB FR

OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS Tom Snee

No. 38

PT

STANFORD SPECIAL TEAMS RS SO

Ryan Sanborn No. 23 PT/H JR

Camden Lewis No. 49 PK SO

Joshua Karty No. 43 PK/KO SO

Karsten Battles No. 63 LS JR

Bailey Parsons No. 42 LS SO Bryce Farrell No. 25 PR/KR SO

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GAMEDAY

PREVIEWING THE

STANFORD CARDINAL BY: Daniel Vigil @dannyvigill

PREVIEWING OREGON’S FIRST PAC-12 ROAD TRIP OF THE YEAR DOWN TO PALO ALTO.

The Oregon Duck joins students to cheer on the Oregon Ducks football team. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

No. 3 Oregon and the rest of the Pac-12 opened up conference play last weekend with six games on Saturday. Oregon brushed past Arizona in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 unanswered points after barely leading 24-19 at the end of the third. The Ducks eventually took the win by a final score of 41-19.

The Stanford Cardinal also played on Saturday against No. 24 UCLA, coming off of two impressive wins against Vanderbilt and USC where Stanford scored a combined 83 points. However, the Bruins were able to outlast the Cardinal with a final score of 35-24, giving them a disappointing loss in their first home game with fans in 665 days.

Now Stanford will face its 4-0 rival Oregon Ducks this Saturday. The game marks Oregon’s first road game since its win over Ohio State three weeks ago.

This game will be the Ducks’ first true conference test of the year. Historically, Oregon trails 34-49-1 in the all-time series. But Oregon has won the last two meetings with its last loss coming in 2018 — a

Oregon inside linebacker Noah Sewell (1) charges down the field. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

game which the lesser-ranked Ducks controlled for the majority.

Looking toward the weekend, Oregon opens as the early favorite in the matchup. Stanford currently sits at the bottom of the Pac-12 conference with the worst rush defense, allowing 209 yards per game.

With CJ Verdell off to a hot start this season, already tallying 334 yards on just over five yards per carry, the junior running back could have an explosive game after a rather quiet performance against Arizona. Travis Dye will also be dissecting Stanford’s rush defense after having a season high against Arizona with 92 rushing yards.

On the offensive end for the Cardinal, they will continue to struggle in the ground game in the absence of their three injured running backs Austin Jones, EJ Smith and Casey Filkins.

Their quarterback Tanner McKee — the 6-foot-6 sophomore from Corona, California — will have to rely on junior receiver Elijah Higgins, who had a

career-high 103 yards against UCLA last week.

McKee will also face a turnover-happy Oregon secondary, led by safety Verone McKinley III. McKinley is already having a career year with four interceptions, 23 total tackles and a forced fumble through four games. McKee has yet to turn the ball over this season.

McKee will face pressure with the return of Oregon’s biggest defensive star, Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux is listed as a full-go for the first time since the season opener.

With inside linebacker Justin Flowe out for the season, Stanford will have an advantage playing against freshmen Noah Sewell and Keith Brown who have taken up much of the workload in Flowe’s absence.

With notable injuries on both sides for these teams, this rivalry matchup should be a real test for the Ducks and the Cardinals. The game will be under the national spotlight with kickoff slated for 12:30 p.m. on ABC.

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GAMEDAY

PAC-12 POWER RANKINGS ALTERED AFTER FIRST WEEK OF CONFERENCE PLAY Through four weeks, Oregon remains the class of the Pac – and truly every program seems beatable.

BY: Jacob Hamre

Oregon football players and cheerleaders rush to the field at the beginning of Saturday night’s game at Autzen Stadium against the Arizona Wildcats. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

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GAMEDAY The Pac-12 has continued to be an odd conference this year as a few of the early favorites are already proving to be mediocre.

After four weeks of play, only four teams remain above .500. Previously ranked Washington and Utah have not been able to help the Pac-12 solidify itself as a top conference, already dropping two games apiece. Oregon and UCLA are the only ranked teams this conference has left as the gap between the rest of the conference continues to grow.

No. 3 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) Another week, another win for the No. 3 Oregon Ducks. Arizona had its moments, but the Ducks’ ball-hawking abilities proved too much for the winless Arizona Wildcats. Oregon ended with five interceptions en route to a 41-19 win.

No. 20 UCLA (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) The Bruins bounced back this week after losing to Fresno State in week three. They beat Stanford on the road, 35-24, in large part due to another great performance from senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Thompson-Robinson has been a huge part of the Bruins’ success this year and looks to fight off Arizona State for sole control of the Pac-12 South next week at home.

Arizona State (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) After a loss to BYU stripped them of their top-25 ranking, the Sun Devils returned to form, beating Colorado 35-13 in week four.

Week five will bring Arizona State its biggest game of the season thus far, taking on No. 20 UCLA on the road. A win for the Sun Devils would put them back in contention for a top25 placement.

Oregon State (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) The Beavers won their first game in The Coliseum since 1960 in week four and did it convincingly. Sophomore Chance Nolan threw four touchdowns in the 45-27 win against the USC Trojans. The Beavers look to give the cross town rival Ducks a fight for the Pac-12 North.

Utah (2-2, 1-0 Pac-12) A pair of early losses have had Utes fans shaking their heads this year. After an initial top-25 ranking, Utah lost to BYU and San Diego State. Then their prized transfer quarterback Charlie Brewer left the program after he was benched. In his wake, they got out of the losing streak this week, beating Washington State 24-13 at home.

Washington (2-2, 1-0 Pac-12) The Huskies were another Pac-12 school who have been disappointing early in the season. Losing to Montana in week one after starting the year at No. 20 has pretty much summed up the start of the season for Washington. They escaped another loss in week four, handling Cal in overtime, 31-24.

Stanford (2-2, 1-1 Pac-12) After two big wins in a row, Stanford could not fend off the No. 24 Bruins, losing 35-24.

A difficult schedule has been the downfall for the Cardinal, already having played three teams who have been, or are currently, ranked this year. It doesn’t get any easier in week five as they’ll welcome the visiting No. 3 Ducks.

USC (2-2, 1-2 Pac-12) The Trojans might just be the biggest disappointment of the conference this year, starting off as the second-highest ranked Pac-12 team. Big losses to Stanford in week two and Oregon State in week four have hurt this team, while still trying to find a long-term replacement head coach after the firing of Clay Helton.

Colorado (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12) After showing signs of talent in a heartbreaking week two loss to Texas A&M, Colorado has been outscored 65-13 the last two weeks. This team cannot afford many more losses if they want to keep any Pac-12 title hopes alive.

Cal (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12) The Golden Bears lost a close overtime game to Washington in week four after finally getting their first win in their previous game.

Cal is hoping that a week five win against Washington State will change its season trajectory.

Washington State (1-3, 0-2 Pac-12) Having its only win of the season come against Portland State is definitely a concern for this Cougar team. It might be a long season for Wazzu as they still have to play Oregon and BYU in future weeks.

Arizona (0-4, 0-1 Pac-12) Not much to explain about this one as the Wildcats are having a season that has not been exciting. Losing to Oregon this past week in a five-interception night is a fairly good depiction of this young season. Arizona hopes to pick up its first win against UCLA in week five, but it won’t come easily.

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GAMEDAY

OREGON’S EMERGING SECRET WEAPON ON SPECIAL TEAMS Tom Snee took a roundabout path to become a college punter, but he’s turned into one of the Ducks’ most productive players –– and a big reason why they’re No. 3 in the nation.

BY: Daniel Friis @danielfriis10

Oregon Ducks punter Tom Snee (38) aims down the field. Oregon Ducks football take on USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2020. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

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With 30 seconds remaining in Oregon’s showdown with Ohio State, Ducks punter Tom Snee took a long snap from his own 45-yard line and bombed a football that bounced to the other side of the field off the Ohio State 4-yard line to the 10-yard line.

It was his second time pinning the Buckeyes within their 10-yard line in the game. But, this time, it was to seal off a 35-28 upset victory.

“I always had that game circled on my calendar since the nonconference games were released a few years ago,” Snee said. “It was surreal.”

In one of the biggest games in school history with a packed crowd in Columbus, Snee, the Aussie who hadn’t played American football until three years before, came up huge. He is one of the latest talents from down under to showcase his skills on the gridiron.

Australia is one of 80 countries to offer some form of football to a variety of ages. There are currently six Aussies in the NFL and dozens more that have already played.

With soccer and rugby being two of Australia’s three most-watched sports, the country has had a knack for producing loads of kicking talent in recent years.

Snee could be next up.

Since moving to America three years ago, he’s been forced to change his mannerisms, day-to-day routines, ways of communications and driving techniques. Snee credits his teammates for making the transition easier.

“When I came here, we had an old specialist room, and they all took me under their wing and showed me the ropes,” Snee said. “I had to get used to a bunch of small things that everyone takes for granted.”

But none of these “small things” can top what Snee learned both on and off the field. He continues to live every day to the fullest knowing it can all be taken away.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Snee was originally discovered

by Oregon representatives for his domination on the “footy” field.

Australian rules football, or “footy” to be short, is a contact sport that’s slowly become one of the country’s pastimes. The game is played with two teams of 18 players on an oval field with the goal of scoring on the other team’s side through backward pitches, running and kicks.

The sport combines rugby and soccer to create a game as physically and athletically demanding as possible. For Snee, it came easily.

GAMEDAY

Oregon Ducks punter Tom Snee (38) kickes the ball across the field. Oregon Ducks football take on USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2020.

(Maddie Knight/Emerald)

His tremendous play on the pitch gave him a spot on Prokick Australia, a program aimed at getting Aussies in the NCAA and eventually the NFL. Current San Francisco 49er Mitch Wishnowsky and current USC Trojan Ben Griffiths highlight some of the more well-known alumni.

Snee’s recruiting process was anything but normal. He met with head coach Mario Cristobal and

other coaches over Skype in March 2018 and committed to the school just months later in July when he saw the facilities for the first time.

Snee burst out of the gate in a big way, winning the starting punting job as a freshman in 2018. He averaged 35.2 yards per punt in his 10 games with only one punt surpassing 50 yards.

Then in 2019, Snee learned the

brutalities of a collegiate sport. He was redshirted while the Ducks opted for a more experienced punter, Blake Maimone. Determined to never lose the job again, Snee put his head down and committed to the work.

“I grew quick here as a freshman in 2018, but these past few years in America have seen me develop a lot,” Snee said. “I’ve become more

mature and had to look at things from a different perspective which is never a bad thing.”

In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Snee bounced back. Of his 25 punts, 11 of them pinned opponents within the 20-yard line, including four against UCLA. He also increased his average yards per punt by 8 yards and notched his career-high with a 53-yard punt.

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GAMEDAY As stellar a season as it was for Snee, it was just as bittersweet.

With a pandemic infiltrating throughout the globe, Snee was unable to return to Australia. In fact, he hasn’t been back home in two years. He took advantage of this time to explore the rest of America, but his heart always belonged somewhere else.

“Just don’t take anything for

granted,” Snee said when asked what he’s learned as a Duck. “As hard as it is not being able to go home, I’m still grateful for having those experiences.”

Now a redshirt sophomore, Snee has taken advantage of every opportunity.

Through four games this year, Snee has already punted five balls over 50 yards and topped his

career-high with a 56-yard punt against Fresno State. He’s also pinned his opponent within the 20-yard line nine times, becoming a major special teams weapon for the Ducks.

“Boy he’s hitting the ball really well,” special teams coach Bobby Williams said. “He’s spending a considerable amount of time in the weight room, and he’s really

developed physically since coming here.”

Breaking his own personal records by the game, Snee could be poised for an explosive 2021 campaign. He’s already in early talks for the Ray Guy Award, a trophy given to the NCAA’s most outstanding punter. But, win or lose, his aspirations of joining his fellow Aussies in the NFL will always be the goal.

Just don’t take anything for granted. As hard as it is not being able to go home, I’m still grateful for having those experiences.”

TOM SNEE

Oregon football punter

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GAMEDAY

OREGON STUDENTS FRUSTRATED

BY NEW TICKETING SYSTEM BY: Charlie Folkestad @folkestad3

There have been multiple changes to Oregon’s student ticket distribution.

Is it working?

In recent years, the Oregon student section has come under criticism for failing to live up to what Don Essig still calls “the loudest student section in the country.” While many students still leave Autzen at the conclusion of “Shout,” others are struggling to get inside.

Alumni love to wax about the days of waiting in line for hours at Erb Memorial Union just to get their ticket into Autzen, a ritual that has long since been replaced with refreshing a web page on mobile devices.

These days, the biggest barrier to attending a football game is not the weather, the long walk to Autzen or even COVID-19 — it’s getting a ticket itself. For current students, obtaining tickets may somehow be even more difficult than waiting for hours on the EMU lawn.

Starting in 2021, student tickets are no longer free. What used to be a mandatory student ticket fee was replaced by a payper-game policy. Dr. Bill Harbaugh, an economics professor who worked with ASUO for over 10 years to help dismantle the mandatory fee, is still unsatisfied.

“At the last minute, the administration kind of pulled a fast one on us,” Harbaugh said. “Instead of creating a fee where people had to pay if they wanted tickets, they instead are taking the money from another university fund and giving it to the athletic department for the tickets.”

That fund, which comes from the university’s licensing fees, used to be split between academics and athletics. It now tips in favor of the athletic department.

The Oregon student section at Autzen Stadium is packed to the brim with students during Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Wildcats. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

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GAMEDAY

“If that’s still going on, it seems like they’re hitting the students from both ways,” Harbaugh said. “First they’re charging you this $100, and there aren’t really enough of those available so students have to buy regular tickets too.”

Many students opted to pay $100 over the summer to receive a “Student Duck Sports Pass” for football and basketball games, which still requires students to claim their ticket during the Sunday window — albeit free of a fee.

“Even the people who are operating [the ticketing system] are still trying to figure out how to do so most effectively,” Oregon Pit Crew president Sam TidrickSchmidt said. “With any system you design, there’s gonna be flaws. I appreciate the acknowledgement I’ve received [from the athletic department]... but for a student who is just trying to attend a game, I more than sympathize and understand the frustration.”

For those who missed the deadline to buy the Sports Pass, tickets need to be purchased for each game individually. Non-Power-5opponent football games are $10, conference games $20 and basketball games $5. These prices are not lowered in games that fail to sell out.

There is no doubt the fees previously paid by ASUO for tickets are funding relevant student resources. However, it does create another hurdle for students to attend games.

The non-physical tickets highlight the first major problem. A 2015 FishDuck blog post outlines the common frustrations of online ticketing: “Once the clock strikes, thousands of students will simultaneously try to claim a ticket as their own (most of whom are using the same UO Wi-Fi). Most people will end up getting stuck at the refreshing screen, screaming obscenities at their computer.”

For the average Oregon student, the process of claiming a football ticket goes something like this: - Have an alarm set at 10:59 a.m. on the Sunday before a home football game.

- Open the Go Ducks Gameday App, navigate to the student ticket portal and log in with your username and password.

- Wait in a virtual line in the ticket portal.

- Pay $20 as you claim your ticket at checkout. (If you have the sports pass, this is where your purchase pays off.)

“Students just wish it was a little clearer,” Tidrick-Smith said. “A lot of them wish they could avoid that claiming process because it is hectic.”

The process leaves a ton of room for error. Have an internet issue? Phone not working properly? Busy during 11 a.m. on a Sunday? Good luck getting a student ticket.

“Economists hate rationing things out by queueing,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just a giant waste of [everyone’s] time… The athletic department likes it [because] having a long line for tickets is often a way of advertising that you’ve got a popular event.”

Of course, getting into the student section itself is also first-come, first-serve.

Students who want to be near the front will need to arrive “a little bit before gates open,” according to Tidrick-Schmidt. Gates generally open two hours before kickoff.

For those who do get tickets and seats, Autzen is still a great experience. But there is work to be done in making sure each student gets in the building.

The Oregon student section at Autzen Stadium is packed to the brim with students during Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Wildcats. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season.

(Ian Enger/ Emerald)

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GAMEDAY

‘WE HAVE A LOT OF PLAYMAKERS ON THIS DEFENSE’ Oregon’s ball-hawking secondary seals deal in first conference game BY: Charles Gearing @GearingCharlie A series of vital interceptions covered up for an otherwise uninspired defensive performance in week four.

Thirty seconds after a 63-yard catch and run touchdown from wideout Jaylon Redd, junior safety Bennett Williams gave the Oregon offense a short field by way of a diving interception on the Arizona 25-yard line.

Just a minute-and-a-half into its first conference bout of the year, Oregon found itself with a 10-0 lead over the Wildcats. And, after all too many ebbs and flows, the Ducks went on to win 41-19 on Saturday in Autzen.

But the interception in the early moments was just one of many pivotal plays from the secondary on Saturday.

While the Oregon run defense struggled to contain the Wildcats’ ground game, the secondary flourished in key moments, hauling in five interceptions on Saturday.

“Those plays are huge for us, and we have a lot of playmakers on this defense,” Williams said.

The secondary struck again by way of a Mykael Wright toe-tapping interception in the back of the endzone to nullify a potential Wildcats scoring drive.

The play marked Wright’s second interception as a Duck and his first since

2019, but the small sum is a testament to his ability to stick to receivers on the perimeter.

By halftime, the Wildcats mustered a surprising 229 yards of offense — an especially remarkable number given a first-time starter under center in Jordan McCloud.

Even with high-skill plays from the secondary, the Oregon defense as a whole seemed at times to stoop to the level of its opponent.

Aside from a costly slip up by way of a miscommunication between safety Jordan Happle and cornerback DJ James, the vast majority of the Arizona damage was delivered in the ground game and on short passes underneath. When the Wildcats went deep, the Ducks made them pay.

At the half, the difference in the game

Ducks defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus (3) dodges one player while Arizona Wildcat Paiton Fears (74) reaches out for the tackle. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)

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GAMEDAY lay in the Ducks ability to create timely turnovers in the secondary, and that remained true through the rest of the evening.

At the tail end of a 68-yard drive, the Wildcats knocked at the door on the first possession of the second half. But the Oregon secondary proved dangerous in the red zone once again as Verone McKinley III intercepted the ball on the two-yard line to suffocate the Wildcats’ scoring attempt.

With the turnover, McKinley III became the first Oregon player of all time to have an interception in three consecutive games.

“Verone McKinley [III] continues to be a dominant player back there,” Cristobal said.

As the offense sputtered and subsequently

Verone McKinley [III] continues to be a dominant player back there.”

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struggled to create momentum, the defensive play felt less and less sustainable. In the final minutes of the third quarter, Arizona doubled Oregon in time of possession, and it was beginning to show.

“Sometimes you just can’t get stuff going,” Oregon center Alex Forsyth said of the Ducks’ midgame offensive struggles.

The defense, even in secondary, began to break rather than merely bend. The Ducks gave up large chunks of yardage on the ground and through the air. By the fourth quarter, Arizona added 109 more yards to an already far-too-large game total.

But, as had been the case all night, the secondary was resilient.

Trailing 34-19, the Wildcats crept into Oregon territory for a final gasp at closing the Oregon lead.

But, as McCloud delivered a ball to the right side, Williams read the play, closed on the ball and high pointed it mid-air, breaking multiple tackles en route to a 68-yard touchdown return.

“I saw the endzone and felt like it was taking me forever to get there,” Williams said.

Williams is in the midst of a breakout year with three picks in four games. He’s been a force in the run game as well.

With 46 seconds remaining, the Ducks added one last interception from Nate Heaukulani, placing an exclamation point on an explosive performance from the secondary.

The defense — imperfect as it was — made big plays when the offense couldn’t. It bent, and bent, and bent, but didn’t break.

Oregon Ducks and Arizona Wildcats collide during Saturday night’s game at Autzen Stadium. The Oregon Ducks crush the Arizona Wildcats 41-19 in game four of the 2021 season. (Ian Enger/ Emerald)