It wasn’t the start Mario Cristobal envisioned, however the No. 11 Ducks were able to overcome three first half turnovers and return to Eugene with a 43-29 win over a very pesky Washington State squad to push their record to 2-0.
In this weeks ‘Three, Two, One‘ wrap-up, we dive into three key observations that had an impact on the game. We also lock in on two of the games most valuable players, and we offer our ‘one final thought’ looking into week No. 3.
OVERCOMING TURNOVERS
Turning the ball over in college football is most certainly a recipe for disaster and a good way to give yourself a big fat ‘L’ in the loss column. Certainly uncharacteristic of a Mario Cristobal led team, the Ducks offense dropped the ball on the carpet twice, and gave the ball away with an interception in the first half of Saturday’s visit to Pullman against Washington State.
The three turnovers yielded just 13 points for the Cougars, ( two field goals and 1 touchdown ), but if not for the Oregon defense holding firm, the early 19-7 deficit could have been much worse.
While most teams might struggle to regain their footing after three early miscues, the Ducks kept their composure and pulled within 5 points at 19-14 just before the break on a C.J Verdell 3 yard touchdown run giving them some much needed momentum going into the final two quarters.
In those final 30 minutes the Ducks scored four touchdowns and never looked back. The rebound after halftime shows the talent and character this Oregon squad has. Down by 12 points late in the second quarter, most teams may have folded their tents and gone home.
Not this Oregon team. The culture Cristobal and staff have instilled in this group is impressive. The Ducks have shown with their talent, coaching chops and fortitude they’ll never be out of any game.
QB PRESSURE IS EVERYTHING
Early in the game the Oregon defense struggled to lay a heavy hand, or any hand, on Cougar ( Frosh ) quarterback Jayden De’Laura. De’Laura completed 13 of 21 passes for 168 yards and 2 TD’s in the first two quarters leaving the Ducks defense a little bewildered on how to slow down WSU’s vaunted run and shoot offense.
With the right corrections and adjustments at halftime, that changed as the Ducks defense allowed De’Laura to complete just 1 of 5 passes ( 14 yards ) in the third quarter alone which changed the complexion of the game and De’Laura’s decision making under pressure. De’Laura often found himself on the run and over throwing his receivers because of the Ducks ramped up pressure.
The Ducks had no tackles for loss in the first half, however had four in the final two quarters. They also had one sack by Noah Sewell and four QB hurries.
RUNNING GAME ON FIRE
Again, the Oregon rushing attack was difficult to stop. Led by C.J Verdell ( 18 carries for 118 yards ) the Ducks run game accumulated a total of 269 yards on 36 carries averaging 7.5 yards per rush. It was Verdell’s second consecutive game where he rushed for over 100 yards. He also had one touchdown.
Behind Verdell was QB Tyler Shough who once again found open holes when the pocket collapsed, and even more real estate on designed quarterback runs. In both categories, Shough seized on those opportunities. Shough rushed for 81 yards while carrying the ball 9 times. This young Oregon offensive line is quickly becoming a force and is showing why Cristobal and his offensive line coach Alex Mirabal are so high on their depth and ability to move the line of scrimmage.
TYLER SHOUGH CONTINUES HOT STREAK
For the second straight week, Shough rushed for more than 80 yards and threw for an additional 200. Shough completed 21 of 30 passes for 312 yards and found the end zone four times against the Cougars.
Shough is the only Oregon QB since 2000 to throw for over 300 yards in a single game, while also rushing for 80. ( Marcus Mariota ) At times Shough can still be a little reckless with the football throwing into tight windows across the middle giving opposing defenses opportunities to grab interceptions. Shough threw his second of the season against WSU and easily could have thrown two additional picks if it weren’t for dropped passes.
That said, Shough continues to show great touch and accuracy with the long ball connecting with his speedy receivers putting the Ducks in ideal scoring position.
TRAVIS DYE PLAYING BIG IN KEY MOMENTS
While his numbers weren’t significant Saturday afternoon, ( 5 carries for 54 yards ) Travis Dye continues to lift the Ducks at the most opportune times. On a wheel route out of the backfield and matched up with a Cougar linebacker, Dye caught and scored on a 71 yard pass midway through the fourth quarter to extend the Ducks lead to 36-22. It’s been through the air that Dye has shown himself to be a dangerous weapon for the Joe Moorhead offense. Dye caught just 2 balls against WSU, however both were touchdowns.
BREAKING THE STREAK IN PULLMAN
Coming into Saturday’s game on the Palouse in Pullman, Washington State had won four consecutive home games including an embarrassing 34-20 loss two seasons ago in 2018. Oregon arrived into Pullman that weekend ranked No. 12 in the country while the Cougars were ranked No. 25. The game was big enough for ESPN’s ‘Game Day’ to be on hand to showcase the matchup where the winner would certainly take control of the Pac-12 North. After the Cougars took down the Ducks, WSU fans stormed the field and celebrated into the night leaving the Ducks with a foul taste in their mouths.
“I remember every little detail back in 2018,” said Oregon RB Travis Dye after Saturday’s win. “From the hotel rooms to the locker room to the hallway out onto the field to the crowds giving us bad names and middle fingers. It stuck in my mind ever since we left that field.”
This time the Ducks arrived into Pullman ranked at No. 11 and exacted the revenge they had waited two years for. The Ducks have now won two straight games against the Cougars going back to last seasons 37-35 win in Autzen Stadium.