QUICKIE RECAP
Coming into Saturday’s non-conference game with Boise State, Oregon had lost three straight dating back to the LeGarrett Blount ‘punch’ game in 2009.
In fact, the Ducks have never beaten the Bronco’s.
Until Saturday.
With zero’s on the clock Oregon placekicker Atticus Sappington drilled a 24 field goal to give Oregon the win. By all measures, the Ducks should have lost this game but they showed their mettle and won the game on a final 11 play – 61-yard drive that went down to the final play of the game.
Boise State held a 34-27 lead with 10:15 to play, but the Oregon defense stiffened and held the Bronco’s scoreless the rest of the way.
HOW IT HAPPENED
From the very beginning this was a wild one that will live in the annuls of this Oregon – Boise State rivalry.
BSU scored first early in the first quarter kicking a 42-yard field goal to take the 3-0 lead.
Five minutes later Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel navigated a 72-yard drive in 3 plays and scored on a 2-yard run up the middle to give the Ducks their first lead at 7-3 with 4:36 left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter Boise State scored on a 3-yard run by RB Ashton Jeanty, one of his three TD’s on the night, to give the Broncos a 10-7 lead at the 14:20 mark.
Minutes later at the 9:29 mark, and after a Boise State punt, returner Tez Johnson returned the punt to the Bronco 34-yard line giving the Ducks excellent field position. On the very first play from scrimmage, Gabriel found Evan Stewart on a crossing pattern for a 34-yard score putting the Ducks back in front 14-10.
The Duck lead didn’t last long, however. Four and a half minutes later and after a short punt by the Ducks, Broncos QB Maddux Madsen drove BSU 30 yards in 3 plays that culminated with a 17-yard scoring strike from Madsen to WR Cameron Camper to give the Broncos a 17-14 lead with just under 5 minutes to play in the first half.
The Broncos would go on to put another 3 on the scoreboard with a 20-yard field goal with :02 left in the half.
Boise State took a 20-14 lead into the break.
After the Oregon defense held the Broncos on their opening drive of the second half, Gabriel went to work and drove the Ducks downfield on an 88-yard drive that ended with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Traeshon Holden. It was Gabriel’s second scoring strike of the game and Holden’s first touchdown reception of the season.
The score was tied at 20 after the Duck PAT missed.
Again, the Duck defense did their job of bending but not breaking and was able to get the ball back to the offense.
With 3:57 left in the third fireworks erupted when Boise State punted after the Ducks held the Broncos on a 3rd and 9. Tez Johnson grabbed the punt and raced 85 yards to the endzone allowing the Ducks to retake the lead at 27-20. It was Johnson’s first punt return for a touchdown this season and his third touchdown overall.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Ducks had a chance to go up by 14, but TE Patrick Herbert fumbled after his 5 yard catch and gave the ball back to BSU at midfield.
And the Broncos took advantage of the turnover.
On the very next play, Ashton Jeanty found an open hole in the Oregon defense and raced 70 yards for the score tying the game at 27 with 13:09 to play.
On the very next Oregon possession the curse of the turnover reared its ugly head again when Dillon Gabriel fumbled after taking an early snap he wasn’t expecting. Not only was this the second consecutive fumble for the Ducks but it also left Boise State with excellent field position at the Oregon 22.
It took the Broncos just 4 plays to find the endzone when Jeanty once again found paydirt on an 8-yard run off tackle. The Broncos moved out to a 34-27 lead with 10:15 left to play.
While the Broncos seemed to have all the momentum at this point, the Ducks took the air out of their balloon when kickoff returner Noah Whittington took the kick and raced 99 yards to the endzone, but dropped the ball short of the line. Luckily for Whittington, Oregon RB Jayden Limar was trailing and smartly picked up the football in the endzone for the Oregon score.
That single play could have been a disaster for the Ducks, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
The game was tied at 34 with 9:59 to play.
Six minutes later and after each team couldn’t score, the Ducks got one final chance to put the game away at the 3:36 mark of the final stanza.
The Ducks began their final drive of the game after a Bronco punt that put the ball at the Oregon 33-yard line. Gabriel and the Oregon offense went to work and drove 66 yards in 11 plays and set themselves up for a game-winning field goal from the Boise State 7-yard line.
As the clock wound down, and the Broncos left with no timeouts, Oregon found themselves with an opportunity to win the game with :02 seconds to play.
After missing an extra point earlier in the game, placekicker Atticus Sappington walked out and drilled the game-winner from 24 yards out.
FINAL SCORE; Oregon 37, Boise State 34
Next Up; Saturday, September 14 – Oregon State in Corvallis
POST GAME; Dan Lanning Discusses the Last Second Win Over Boise State.