10-6-22 Emerald Media Group - Gameday

HEEDING HIS FATHER’S WORDS

Oregon defensive lineman Casey Rogers has found success with the help of a lesson his father instilled in him at an early age.

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THE

The Duck

University of Oregon Ducks hosted

defeated the Oregon State Beavers

claiming the Pac-12 North

OREGON

TROY FRANKLIN

DONT’E THRONTON

SEVEN MCGEE

STEVEN JONES

T.J. BASS

ALEX FORSYTH

RYAN WALK

MALAESALA

TERRANCE FERGUSON

BRYON CARWELL

DJ JOHNSON

TAKI TAIMANI

BRANDON DORLUS

BRADYN SWINSON

NOAH SEWELL

JUSTIN FLOWE

CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ

BRYAN ADDISON

TRIKWEZE BRIDGES

DONTAE MANNING

JAMAL HILL

SPECIAL

ANDREW BOYLE

CAMDEN LEWIS

KARSTEN BATTLES

SEVEN MCGEE KRIS HUTSON

ARIZONA ARIZONA ARIZONA

TETAIROA MCMILLAN

DORIAN SINGER

JACOB COWING

JORDAN MORGAN

JOSH BAKER

JONAH SAVAIINAEA

PAITON FEARS

ALEX LINES

JAYDEN DE LAURA

MICHAEL WILEY

UA DEFENSE

PLAYER

JALEN HARRIS

KYON BARRS

PARIS SHAND

HUNTER ECHOLS

KOLBE CAGE

JERRY ROBERTS

TREYDAN STUKES

JAXEN TURNER

CHRISTIAN YOUNG

CHRISTIAN ROLAND-WALLACE

GUNNER MALDONADO

PLAYER

KYLE OSTENDORP

TYLER

SETH MACKELLAR

JACOB

JAI-AYVIAUYNN

UA SPECIAL TEAMS

HIGHLIGHTING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WINS AGAINST THE WILDCAT PROGRAM

Marcus Mariota won his final Pac-12 Championship in exciting fashion.

For Oregon to punch their ticket to its first College Football Playoff ever, it needed to take care of business against a high-powered Arizona Wildcats team. Thanks to Marcus Mariota’s impeccable performance, that’s exactly what they did.

The stage for the 2014 Pac-12 championship was set in the brand new Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game featured unstoppable offenses that had each outscored their opponents by more than 80 points. The high-flying Duck offense averaged an unreal 547 yards per game while the Wildcats averaged an amazing 463 yards per game, respectively.

To kick off the game, Mariota led Oregon on a methodical drive that ended in a 34 yard Aidan Schneider field goal.

On the following kickoff, Arizona’s Tyrell Johnson fumbled, giving the Ducks great field position. Unfortunately, Mariota and the offense weren’t able to take advantage, kicking another field goal on fourth and goal.

The game remained a 6-0 stalemate for the next several drives until midway through the second quarter.

Asolid punt return from Johnathon Loyd set the Ducks up to start the drive at Arizona’s 39 yard line. From there, the offense marched down and Mariota punched a rushing touchdown from seven yards out.

This touchdown marked the first of many for the Ducks, and they didn’t look back after this point. Not only was the offense pulling its weight, but the defense was locking down one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. The Ducks’ defense forced the first seven Wildcat drives to end in punts.

By the time Arizona’s offense had managed to score, they were already down 30-7. Any momentum they might’ve gotten from a 69 yard touchdown pass instantly vanished on the next Ducks’ drive.

Facing a first-and-10 on his 43 yard line, Mariota showcased his legendary improvisation skills with a 46 yard throw to Darren Carrington. This was another classic example of how his elusivity in the pocket can lead to huge gains downfield. Just one play later Mariota found Carrington again, this time for an 11 yard touchdown.

The defense continued to show up, causing another turnover on Arizona’s next offensive possession.

Oregon would go on to win the Pac12 championship dominantly, 51-13. The Ducks won nearly every important statistical

BY JACK AARON • TWITTER @JACKMAARON

category, one of which being first downs. Oregon had 32 while Arizona could only manage 11.

Mariota had one of the best Pac-12 championship performances ever, throwing for 313 yards and two touchdowns, plus three more on the ground.

The Ducks will try to rekindle that championship magic on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.

Marcus Mariota’s original locker is tucked away in a corner just past the bar at Taylors. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

The last time the Arizona WIldcats played in Autzen Stadium, they defeated the No. 2 Oregon Ducks 31-24, stopping the Marcus Mariota-led offense. (Emerald Archives).

DESPITE A COMMANDING VICTORY, OREGON PLAYED UNDISCIPLINED FOOTBALL AGAINST STANFORD

BY AARON HEISEN • TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN

Not many eyes east of Oregon tuned into “Pac-12 after dark.” Nor did many Stanford fans fill the visiting section at Autzen Stadium.

Could you blame them?

The No. 13 Oregon Ducks lucked out with the lack of viewers, as the 45-27 scoreline might suggest there were a slew of positives the team could extract from their performance. Far from it. The Ducks’ discipline issues — which manifested themselves as eight penalties for 87 yards against Washington State last Saturday — continued against the Stanford Cardinal.

By halftime, the Ducks had committed more penalty yards than the Cardinal had rushing yards. 90-45. A testament to their run defense? Sure.

No matter, they had covered the 18 point spread, leading 31-3 with 30 minutes to play. In large part due to their defense forcing four threeand-outs and a fumble — which was returned to the Stanford 3 yard line and resulted in a Bo Nix rushing touchdown the following play.

“Frustrated is an understatement, that’s a complete lack of discipline on our part,” head coach Dan Lanning said on the radio at halftime. “We have to coach it better. I want to see us play a clean game. The only team to beat us is us. Where we’re at in penalties is embarrassing.”

By the end of the game, the Ducks had tallied 14 penalties for 135 yards.

Lanning had a point, though: the Cardinal weren’t going to do anything to challenge his team. This was an internal conflict. It was imperative that the Ducks clean up their miscues because teams that remain on their schedule — such as No. 18 UCLA, No. 21 Washington and No. 11 Utah — will take advantage of them.

“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Lanning said. “It showed up in the past. It showed up again this game and we got to do a better job of coaching that. The penalties can’t happen. It has to be something that we improve on.”

A number of Oregon’s early penalties came from its offensive line. The Ducks’ first touchdown — a screen pass turned upfield by Kris Hutson — was called back because of an illegal man downfield. A few plays later, guard Marcus Harper was called for a false start which killed the opening drive, forcing the Ducks to settle for a 38 yard field goal.

Okay, okay, enough trashing. After all, there must have been a few positives as the Ducks put up over 40 points for the fourth straight game.

Despite conceding its first sack of the 2022 season, the offensive line unit made up for its first half penalties. They opened gaping holes in the running game and got downfield to create lanes as the Ducks found success on screen passes.

“We want to lean on our strengths,” Lanning

said. “I think our O-line’s been a strength all year. Our backs were running hard. We were obviously able to involve the quarterback in the run game, and wide receivers too; that was part of our plan. If they didn’t take it away, we were going to continue to lean on it.”

Quarterback Bo Nix led the Ducks with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns on six attempts as he became the first Duck to breach the 100 yard single-game rushing mark this season. His night was highlighted by an 80 yard touchdown trot — the longest touchdown of the Ducks’ season, one that left Nix “sucking wind on the sideline,” Lanning said.

Running back Bucky Irving complemented Nix’s performance as he turned 10 carries into 97 rushing yards.

While the Ducks’ rushing game set the tone, their defense — which entered the week with the fewest rushing yards surrendered among all Pac12 teams this season — did its best to maintain that rank.

Save garbage time, they held the Cardinal to under 100 rushing yards.

Last season, the Ducks first loss came at the hands of the Cardinal — a game that remains Stanford’s most recent Pac-12 conference victory. It was a loss that weighed heavy on the mind of Oregon safety Bennett Williams, as he was unable to travel to Palo Alto, California, and contribute to the game.

On Saturday, the senior channeled that

feeling as he led the way for the defense.

“I think I had a little extra motivation,” Williams said. “I didn’t get to play last year, and I had to watch that on TV with my leg up. I was fired up for this game, and I wanted to take it to them.”

His approach translated into seven tackles and a forced fumble.

As the Cardinal struggled to find success on either side of the football, they decided they’d try to rile up their opponents as a way to remain in the game. The result: a second quarter scrum and a reinforced stereotype.

On a potential fumble, Nix was unaware the ball was blown dead. So, he threw himself headfirst into a Cardinal player, his helmet flew off and the two squads came together. Somewhere in the congregation, Ducks receiver Seven McGee threw “a punch” that failed to surface on any social media platform. He was ejected and had something to say about it.

Pac-12 refs, man.

On Saturday, the Ducks and the Cardinal combined to produce yet another ugly Pac-12 game broadcasted as background entertainment for nightlife across the country. It saw the Ducks emerge victorious, improving to 5-1 (2-0), before they travel to play the Arizona Wildcats next Saturday.

Oregon’s 45-27 victory was muddied by a slew of penalties: a mistake the Ducks must clear up if they want to acheive any goal they have for this season.

Ducks freshman running back Jordan James (20) edges over the line in order to score a rushing touchdown for the Ducks. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

LOOKING AROUND THE CONFERENCE AND SHARING THE STORIES THAT WEEK FIVE BROUGHT PAC-12 FANATICS

LOOKING AROUND THE CONFERENCE AND SHARING THE STORIES THAT WEEK FIVE BROUGHT PAC-12 FANATICS

Utah is still good, and Colorado is still bad. But there was new information found in the second week of conference play.

BY BRADY RUTH • TWITTER @BRADYRUTH10

The Ducks, Trojans, Utes and Bruins are all undefeated in Pac-12 play in 2022. No. 12 Oregon, of course, took care of business in Autzen Stadium late Saturday night, but not until after five other conference contests captured the attention of the West Coast.

UCLA (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) upsets No. 15 Washington (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) 4032 in undefeated clash

No. 18 UCLA has done wonders to make fans forget about the near-fiasco against South Alabama in week three. Since narrowly defeating the Jaguars, the Bruins have scored 85 points in two dominating conference victories. Friday night, Dorian Thompson-Robinson led the UCLA offense to nearly 500 yards of offense and five touchdown drives, handing Washington its first loss of 2022. The defense wasn’t great, but it doesn’t have to be when No. 1 is leading the charge on the other side of the ball. UCLA hosts No. 12 Utah (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) in a highly anticipated matchup next Saturday.

For the first time all season, Michael Penix Jr. looked human. The Washington quarterback still had an impressive night with 345 yards and four touchdowns. But his two interceptions — one of which resulted in a UCLA scoring drive — proved to be the difference in the contest. Of the teams that Washington has beaten this year, only Kent State has a win over an FBS opponent. The Huskies looked unprepared for their first conference road task of 2022. Washington trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half.The team has some major defensive adjustments needing to be made before next week’s game against Arizona State (1-4, 0-2 Pac-12).

Second half surge propels No.6 USC (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) over Arizona State (1-4, 0-2 Pac-12)

The Trojans have now won 17 of their last 22 games against Arizona State. Saturday night, USC opened the first half with three straight touchdown drives, and then did it again to start the second half. Aside from an interception from Caleb Williams in the endzone, there were very few blunders by Lincoln Riley’s offense. Come to think of it, there have been few wrinkles in the USC offense all season. The Trojans march back home for a week six game against Washington State (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12).

It was a 4 point game at halftime. Maybe Arizona State fans can cling to that for consolation. The Sun Devil defense needs work, as does the offense. But firing the head coach right before conference play started was certainly a message that ASU is already working to forget 2022. Arizona State was limited to just 88 rushing yards and is in major need of a bounce back next week. A chance to shock the nation comes with an unfavorable meeting with No. 21 Washington (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) next week.

No. 11 Utah (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12) rolls Beavers (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) 42-16 in ugly afternoon game

The Utes needed just 361 yards to manhandle Oregon State and send the Beavers to the bottom of the conference standings. Utah was outpassed,

outrushed and yet outstanding on defense. The Utes’ defense captured four interceptions from Beaver quarterbacks and scored more points off turnovers than the Oregon State offense could earn. Utah hits the road for its game with No. 18 UCLA (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) next weekend.

What’s the opposite of a turnover chainsaw? Is playing four quarterbacks but only having four scoring drives good? What happened to being 3-0 with cries of “rank the Beaves” stirring in Corvallis? Oregon State raised many questions in its second straight blowout loss to a Pac-12 opponent. The Beavers actually moved the ball pretty well, they just couldn’t finish drives or come up with an answer for how to stop Cameron Rising. A season that had started so strongly has turned suddenly sour and Oregon State has a lot of work to do to prepare for its game against Stanford (1-3, 0-3 Pac-12) next Saturday night.

Arizona (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) becomes latest team to embarrass Colorado (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12) 43-20

Jayden de Laura. That’s it. That’s the recap. The Arizona quarterback threw six touchdown passes on 484 passing yards Saturday night against Colorado. Being 9-14 on third down and possessing the ball for over 35 minutes of play, the Wildcat offense had a field day against the Buffs and gained a comforting win to even their conference record. In week six, Arizona hosts No. 12 Oregon (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12), a team which it’s 5-15 against since 2000.

Ralphie has to be bored. The only possible good news for Colorado from its fifth uncontested loss of the season is that it seems to have found its quarterback. He hasn’t been good, but Owen McCown has played each of the last two games for the Buffaloes without substitution. With Karl Dorrell fired after the worst start since 2006, it’s becoming clearer with every blowout blunder that there is no solid future in this program. Colorado has a bye week next week and hosts Cal (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) in week seven.

Washington State (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) bounces back with 28-9 win over California (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12)

The Cougar defense again proved it belongs to be compared with the best in the conference. Washington State relented 31 rushing yards and kept the Bears at bay throughout the entire game to secure its first conference win of the year. The offense was incredibly underwhelming, but a big fourth and goal conversion helped the Cougars capitalize when it mattered. Washington State overcame two poor interceptions and added an ugly win to the 2022 resume. The Cougars get the Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) in LA next week.

California is impossible to figure out. One week, it’s destroying Arizona or hanging with Notre Dame; the next it can’t move the ball and Jack Plummer looks like a system quarterback. The Bears had just two scoring drives on the day, and the defense had few answers for Washington State’s Cameron Ward. Cal is off next week and plays Colorado (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12) in two weeks.

Ducks senior quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass to the left side of Ducks offense. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

The Ducks crowd surfs through a packed student section during the third quarter. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

NO MATTER THE SPORT, CASEY ROGERS KNOWS TO STAY NEAR THE BALL

BY AARON HEISEN • TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN

Despite a 42 point lead and an imminent pick-six, Casey Rogers wasn’t celebrating. At least, not yet.

After intercepting an Eastern Washington pass, his teammate Trikweze Bridges seemingly had a lane to the end zone. However, as Bridges approached the goal line, he tripped over his own feet and the ball spat out. Rogers’ instincts kicked in. His humility proved valuable. In a split second, he channeled a philosophy that had been ingrained in him since he was a child, one his father endlessly preached.

“Pursue the ball and you’ll put yourself in the right spot,” his father, Lelan Rogers, would say.

Rogers always listened. However, he couldn’t have predicted the advice would lead to his first collegiate touchdown. Yet, there he was, emerging from the pile in the end zone. The ball raised in his right hand as proof to the official that he had recovered Bridges’ fumble.

It was time to celebrate. Credit to his father’s lesson.

Heeding those words often guided Rogers into advantageous positions. In other words, following the ball meant trusting his gut. On Sept. 10, it put him in a spot to corral the loose ball. It’s why he sought out the University of Oregon after entering the transfer portal in April. It’s why, as a kid, he had a knack for a variety of sports, and retained those skills, ultimately applying them to football.

His father’s words weren’t baseless. Lelan knew what he was talking about.

His life revolved around a ball for longer than his son had been alive. He was named an assistant lacrosse coach at the University of Syracuse in 2007, where he would remain for the following 14 seasons, before earning a head coaching position at Utica University in 2022.

His love for lacrosse influenced Rogers to give it a try. It became his first sport. A natural athlete, it didn’t take long for him to develop his skills.

“He always had a lacrosse stick in his hand,” Lelan said. “So he was a little above the curve.”

As a coach’s son he had an advantage in lacrosse. But that athletic ability, that likening he took to ‘being around the ball,’ translated to each sport he pursued. At 14, it manifested itself on the ice rink. Rogers wanted to try hockey: a sport that is tough to pick up as an adolescent with little skating experience.

Not for Rogers.

Growing up in New York, playing hockey isn’t uncommon. Two of his best friends convinced him to give it a go. All he had to do was sign his name up for the local pick up game, and if anyone needed a player, Rogers could lend a hand. Similar to lacrosse, it didn’t take long for him to grow comfortable, the only difference was the objective — keep your eyes on the puck.

“Hockey was probably the sport that was the most intriguing,” Lelan Rogers said. “I always tell him, it was probably the best sport he picked up because he had to learn how to be a team player [rather than the ‘star’].”

As a coach’s son, Casey Rogers had a knack for a variety of sports; that dexterity translated to success in football.

The balls used for the game are picked up around the field after warm ups concluded. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

the ball and you’ll put yourself in the right spot

Both lacrosse and hockey require a high level of physicality. However, in lacrosse, he found success from experience and a great understanding of the game from a young age; which helped him find proficiency on the rink.

He had the opportunity to take his lacrosse career to the collegiate level, but in his senior year of high school, he showed flashes of potential on the football field, so he chose a new path. Regardless, a ball remained the objective. His dexterity as an athlete translated to the football field, yet he didn’t know just how far it would take him.

In his senior year of high school, he only received one scholarship offer for football. So he chose to use the following year as an opportunity to increase his exposure to collegiate programs. He attended football camps during the summer. and played at Old Farms Preparatory school, rather than trying to walk-on as a freshman.

The first camp he attended was at Penn State, not far from his hometown of Syracuse. Lelan Rogers went along with him, the two experiencing that environment for the first time. As the drills began, he noticed Rogers would be asked to do them twice.

“Oh, they liked your son,” a fellow father told him. “I’m telling you right now, you’re going to end up getting contacted.”

Sure enough, Penn State head coach, James Franklin, asked to meet with Rogers after the camp and informed him they were planning on keeping tabs on him during his year at prep school. It was a step in the right direction.

A few weeks later, Lelan received a phone call. While attending the Penn State camp was validating, when Lelan saw the name on the other end of line he knew his son had followed the right path with football.

The name: Brian Daboll.

Daboll — the current head coach of the New York Giants — was the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama at the time. He was calling to invite Rogers to an exclusive Alabama football camp.

Again, Rogers impressed the coaches at the camp. They saw him as a tight-end, but he began to turn the heads of the defensive coaches with his knack for hovering around the ball. It caught Tosh Lupoi’s attention. The Alabama defensive coordinator asked Rogers if he could try defensive-end.

Of course, he was up for anything.

Rogers left the camp excited for his year at prep school and the scholarship offers to come. They never did from Alabama or Penn State. He chose to play at Nebraska, instead. He stayed for five years. He grew close to the Cornhuskers’ defensive line coach Tony Tuioti and his teammate Jordon Riley. He earned significant playing time and an opportunity to contribute, however, he never felt fully content as a Cornhusker. He felt that in his gut. He knew he needed to maximize his final year of collegiate eligibility.

Tuioti got hired at Oregon, Rogers followed not long after.

“Coach T was a big reason why I came [to Oregon],” Rogers said. “When he gave me the opportunity to come here, it was really a no brainer. He’s speaking the same language as he did at Nebraskas, so it’s kind of a quick transition.”

Rogers also sought out Oregon for a chance to compete in a bowl game. Unlike Nebraska, his new program sports a deep defensive-line room, one that could have presented as an obstacle to a veteran transfer accustomed to a starting role.

However, he accepted this challenge, taking on the role of a leader as he was familiar with coach Tuioti’s coaching style. Since arriving in the summer, Rogers quickly established himself in the front-seven rotation, showing an ability to wreak havoc as he’s retained his father’s lifelong adage.

NO. 12 OREGON TRAVELS TO THE DESERT TO FACE UNRANKED ARIZONA

NO. 12 OREGON TRAVELS TO THE DESERT TO FACE UNRANKED ARIZONA

BY KEIJI PATTERSON • TWITTER @PATTERSON_KEIJI

Oregon’s red zone offensive success is key to the Duck’s putting this one away early.

In their second road game of the season, the No. 12 ranked Oregon Ducks (4-1, 2-0) will travel to Tucson, Arizona, to battle the revamped Arizona Wildcats (3-2, 1-1). It will be interesting to see how the Ducks fare in a desert climate for the first time this season.

After a resilient comeback win in Pullman, Washington, against the Washington State Cougars in week four, and a 45-27 home blowout victory over the Stanford Cardinal in week five, the Ducks’ are fully immersed into their conference schedule.

Senior quarterback Bo Nix set a career best with 428 passing yards against the Cougars and followed up that performance with a personal best in rushing yards with 141 against the Cardinal, which included an electric 54 yard scamper.

While Nix has been performing very well since his two interception performance in week one against the Georgia Bulldogs, he has rebounded in a tremendous way. However, Oregon’s red zone offense needs to execute better.

Oregon’s red zone offense is ranked 24th in the country, but should be much higher. In 30 red zone trips this season, the Ducks’ have scored 28 times, so they’ve been efficient. Eleven of those 28 came on rushing touchdowns, while 10 of those scores were through the air. On seven of those trips, Oregon had to settle for field goals, which is where they need to improve.

Versus Washington State, Oregon’s first four red zone visits resulted in three field goals and a pick six for the Cougars. On their first red zone trip, they had a false start on offense on first and goal,

which stalled that drive. The succeeding drive saw some questionable play calling, which included a quarterback sneak — a common goal line play — from the 2 yard line. Had Oregon capitalized on those four trips, they would have been up 28-17 at halftime, opposed to being down 17-9 in a hostile Pullman environment.

Against Stanford, Oregon had three false start penalties in the red zone, two were on the same drive, which handicapped the Ducks’ to 3 points. This is an improvement, but against an Arizona team that averages 32 points per game and 473.6 total yards, Oregon will have to capitalize on every scoring opportunity that they receive.

Arizona’s offense is led by some high profile transfers in Washington State transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura and The University of Texas at El Paso wide receiver transfer Jacob Cowing. De Laura has passed for 14 touchdowns, six interceptions and 1633 yards, which is ranked as the fifth most in the country. Cowing has been

nothing short of a disappointment, as he’s posted a statline of 40 receptions, seven touchdowns and 566 yards, which is also fifth best in the nation. Arizona’s second leading receiver Dorian Singer has 450 yards receiving, listed as the second most in the PAC-12.

The Wildcats rank fifth in the conference in total offense, while the Ducks are third. In total defense, Oregon and Arizona rank in the bottom half of the conference. The Ducks are listed as seventh best, while the Wildcats are 10th, so this matchup may be a shootout, especially given that the Caesars Sportsbook listed the Over/Under at 70.5 combined points.

Tune into Pac 12 Network this Saturday at 6 p.m. to watch the No. 12 Ducks (4-1, 2-0) storm into Tucson, Arizona, to battle the unranked Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) and achieve their first win there since 2011.

Wildcats wide reciever Cedric Peterson (18) gets wrapped up by a Duck. Oregon Ducks Football takes on the University of Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 16, 2019. (DL Young/Emerald)

Sierra

DUCKS’ DURABLE DEFENSE DEFINES DOMINANT 45-27 WIN OVER STANFORD

On the back of a strong looking Dan Lanning defense, Oregon collected penalties, rushing yards and a crucial conference victory.

BY BRADY RUTH • TWITTER @BRADYRUTH10

The 8-year-old assigned to fetch the tee after Oregon kickoffs had a busier night than the Stanford run game that accumulated just 127 yards all night.

The 135 penalty yards the Ducks collected almost seemed to not matter as Dan Lanning’s defense was on full display. The final score of 45-27 simply doesn’t do justice to how in-control of this game Oregon was. The Ducks walked over the Cardinal through the first three quarters, the fourth becoming more of a glorified scrimmage.

“There’s a lot of positives we can take away from this game,” Lanning said. “But also a lot of moments of growth. We’re trying to be the best version of us and we’re not quite there yet.”

Neither is Stanford.

A fourth quarter punt — while down 28 — seemed to represent a white flag from a battle that never happened.

In fact, the most “fight” the Cardinal — losers now of nine straight Pac-12 conference contests — showed in Saturday’s smackdown was the sideline squabble late in the first half that saw Seven McGee thrown out of the game.

The calm Eugene night got louder with each stop the Oregon defense made. The Cardinal offense

had seven drives in the first half, seven chances to strike a Ducks’ defense missing linebacker Justin Flowe. Instead, Oregon forced four three-andouts and a fumble setting up a touchdown while allowing just a field goal and 102 yards.

“The coaches did a good job of preparing us,” Oregon linebacker Barndon Dorlus said. “With everything we had practiced for today, it was like taking an open book test.”

Through 30 minutes of play, the Duck had more push-ups (85) than Stanford had yards passing (57) or rushing (45).

The beloved Oregon mascot was unavailable for question after his tiring night.

Even when the offense stalled, the defense held strong. Quarterback Bo Nix, who was just 16-of-29 for 161 yards, was relieved by backup Ty Thompson early in the fourth quarter.

A sudden burst of desperation and a handful of late garbage time scoring drives that Stanford was able to string together, after both starting quarterbacks had exited the game, still failed to bring the Cardinal within two scores of the Ducks at any point in the second half. It made the game feel closer than it ever was, but it should have never even been that competitive. The Ducks’

mistakes seemed a more daunting opponent than anything Stanford had to show. Oregon had 45 points, and it easily could have scored 60.

Oregon wide receiver Chase Cota explained that the team describes Sunday and Monday’s practices like going to the doctor. “Yeah we won,” Cota said. “But it’s not going to be that fun on Monday. There were so many mistakes.”

As has become an unimpressive tradition at Autzen Stadium, the student section cleared out after “Shout.” The Cardinal offense, it seemed, had never even arrived.

Riding the rushing game, Oregon cruised to victory. The 351 ground yards the Ducks accumulated, almost 10 per carry, even outweigh the 332 total yards Stanford had to show and just 237 through the first three quarters.

Entering Saturday’s contest, 364 days had passed since Stanford’s last conference victory: a win over No. 3 Oregon. Almost a full year later, the Ducks struck back in a big way, handing the Cardinal their third blowout loss in a row.

The pregame “Come to Oregon” chants from students to recruits should resound louder and grow more tempting with each win Lanning’s new squad collects.

Ducks sophomore Sean Dollars (5) rushes the ball towards the endzone as Cardinal defense attempts to stop this movement. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

LOOKING BACK AT

BACK AT THE WIN AGAINST STANFORD

WIN

Chase Cota (23) and other members of the Ducks football team take a moment to themselves before the game begins. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Cardinal players watch the field during the second quarter. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/ Emerald)

Ducks sophomore wide receiver Kris Hutson (1) scores a touchdown for the Ducks with Cardinal defense on his heels. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Ducks defense run forward towards Stanford offense on a kick off. The University of Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 1, 2022 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

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