After Further Review: Oregon Ducks football soars over Oregon State in rivalry game win
Oregon's mighty defense shut the door on upset-minded Oregon State in the 127th rivalry game witnessed by the fourth largest crowd in Autzen Stadium history with 59,987 on hand to watch the 31-7 thrashing the Ducks administered in a rite of revenge for last year's dismal loss to the Beavers in Corvallis.
Now, one of the oldest college football rivalries in the country is relegated to the trash heap with Oregon not scheduled to play Oregon State next season as the Ducks search for more loot and academic prestige with the bastions of academia in the Big Ten.
It was a disappointing loss for the Beaver faithful, made worse over the weekend when it was announced their excellent head coach Jonathan Smith is leaving to assume the head coach job at Michigan State. Too bad, as Smith did a remarkable job building the Beavers into a legitimate contender. His successor will have their work cut out for them as the Beavers navigate with Washington State what can be done for the Pac-12 after the 10 other teams decided to abandon the conference after this season.
Oregon avenges last year's loss to Oregon State and cleans up mistakes
Oregon coach Dan Lanning had his team prepared, having the fourth quarter of last year's collapse against the Beavers running on the video boards in the locker room all week, reminding the Ducks of losing a 31-10 lead in the second half, due to poor tackling and offensive execution, horrendous mistakes in the kicking game and poor coaching decisions.
All this was corrected by Lanning and his staff who had the Ducks razor sharp for this one. The defense held Oregon State to a meager 53 yards rushing and the second-leading rusher in the league, Damien Martinez, to only 38, with a longest run of six yards, and 2.2 yards per carry.
Traditionally, the team that wins the game is the one who runs best and defends the run best. The Ducks did just that, piling up 113 yards, which is under their average, but with the addition of 367 yards passing, controlled the trenches. Oregon's third-down conversion was anemic and has been the past three games; they converted only 5-of-11 but made up two of those with fourth-down conversions that kept drives going.
Bo Nix, the trending Heisman candidate, led the offense to scores on five of their first six drives in the game, and it would have been six for six if Camden Lewis didn't miss an easy field goal on drive number three. The Beavers promptly marched for their lone touchdown on an 80-yard drive, and with only 48 seconds left in the half and Oregon State getting the ball first drive of the second half, Duck fans squirmed a little, still shaken by memories of last year.
Things are different this season: Nix rushed for 11 yards, and then hit 3-of-4 passes, the last a cross field throw to Troy Franklin for a 41-yard touchdown, with eight seconds still to play in the first half.
Imagine the difference those 40 seconds meant to each team in the locker room at halftime: the Beavers had closed the gap decisively, but in those last 40 seconds their confidence and enthusiasm was crushed as they found themselves another touchdown behind the most balanced offense in the league in the loudest, most inhospitable stadium in the Willamette Valley.
Nix finished with 33 completions out of 40 attempts, 367 yards, and two touchdowns. He was mostly cool in his decision making thanks to airtight protection afforded by the offensive line which did not allow a sack. Lanning would also give a shout out to running backs Bucky Irving and Jordan James for the excellent blocking protection they added to help in blitz situations when Oregon State brought more than four rushers. Nix got a bit careless with his footwork toward the end of the contest and threw a couple of helicopter balls that were not like his usual smooth delivery. He throws so few poor passes that those that are stand out more dramatically. When that happens, it is often his footwork that puts him in a bad position - not always his fault, as enemy pass rushers can sometimes put a quarterback in an awkward position.
Ducks' defense key part of Oregon's continued success
The defense tackled and pursued like demons; important elements fans can now count on as routine for Lanning's squad. Oregon State only converted three third-down tries (all in their touchdown drive), out of 11 attempts and turned the ball over five times: an interception and four fourth-down failures - the Beavers were obviously frustrated. Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and his fellow defensive coaches have done a splendid job of putting their talented players in positions where they can be successful, even against the best the Pac-12 can render. Oregon set a record this season, holding six of their opponents to one touchdown or less, an excellent reason the Ducks are currently ranked fifth in the country. There have been other times Oregon has been highly ranked, but the Ducks' defense has improved to where that ranking has been sustainable this season.
Lanning made much of the need to play an entirely different game against Oregon State from that in the dismal effort in Corvallis last year. Losing to your rival at the end of the season leaves a bitter, acidic taste in your mouth that mouthwash can't overcome: it sticks with you until you can defeat that rival and wash it down with some sweet champagne. And that's just what the Ducks did, moving the ball at will and after allowing a touchdown, putting the clamps down on a pretty good offensive team.
The direction of the game was clearly established in Oregon's opening drive, the offense controlling the ball almost nine minutes for their first score. At the half, the Ducks had owned the ball for 19-of-30 minutes playing time. The Beavers would never recover. This situation is new for Oregon fans - they are not used to being the bully or the team that can throw their weight around without being slapped silly, like in some of the "olden days."
Oregon gets another shot to beat Washington in Pac-12 championship game
Lanning and his staff have done a fantastic job of coaching this team, and the weekly improvements on all phases have come largely since the disappointing loss to Washington. The Ducks have won six straight, all in convincing fashion. Lanning never makes excuses, nor do his players; all is directed to the next play, the next practice, the next game. This mantra has helped the Ducks to a position they can now look forward to Friday in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 championship game against the Washington Huskies.
The players know that earlier in the season, the best team did not win in Seattle. They have been gifted another chance at victory. Lanning knows a couple of his decisions did the Ducks in then, but the aftertaste of defeat has provided motivation to improve, win games and earn their second chance.
This was a great win over a storied rival, but many Oregon fans will find it sad to see Oregon State fading in the distance as the Ducks make their way east with games against unknowns in Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, and Northwestern. They'll get a chance to see Smith coach Michigan State when the Spartans visit Autzen Stadium next October, but it won't be as much fun as seeing him with the Beavers. Football, no matter what your team is, should be fun. It seems there will be less of it without the Beavers around to motivate a vigorous rivalry that brought good people together 127 times, always reminding us that we're lucky to have each other. Without that, we will miss some good games and good friends.
After playing at Oregon, Ken Woody coached college football for 18 years as an assistant at Oregon, Washington, Utah State and Washington State and as a head coach at Whitman College and Washington University-St. Louis. He has been a commentator on Oregon football on Fox, Prime Sports Northwest and KCPQ. He conducts a free, weekly coaching clinic at the 6th Street Grill every Wednesday at 6 p.m. during the season. Plays from Oregon games are analyzed, there are scouting reports for opponents, and highlights from referees; all to learn about football and understand why the Ducks win or lose.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: After Further Review: Oregon Ducks football stomps Oregon State
