Instant Reactions: Ducks outplay Liberty in Fiesta Bowl as Nix, Irving shine
It was Liberty 6, Oregon 0 before Bo Nix touched the ball.
Forty-five straight points later, the Ducks had pasted Liberty 45-6 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Nix broke all sorts of school records, including the single-season pass completion percentage record.
He threw for four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone and receiver Tez Johnson made Duck fans forget about Troy Franklin for a moment. Johnson finished the game with 11 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown.
While the offense was moving up and down the field with relative ease, the Oregon defense had one bad possession, the opening possession, but after that, the Flames never had much of a chance. The Ducks took the spread-option out of the game for the most part and limited quarterback Kaidon Salter’s play-making abilities.
Final Score: Oregon 45, Liberty 6
Keys to the Game
The Oregon defense had a slow start as they let Liberty drive down the field and take a quick 6-0 lead. After that, the Flames didn’t sniff the end zone as the Ducks were just too much for them.
Bo Nix was as efficient as ever as he methodically led the Ducks to six touchdown drives, including four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone.
Tez Johnson continued his tremendous second half of the season with 11 catches and a touchdown. Oregon fans can only hope he returns to Eugene for one more season.
Liberty came into the Fiesta Bowl averaging over 300 yards rushing a game, but against the Ducks, the Flames gained just 168 yards on the ground.
Players of the Game
Bo Nix: 28-of-35 for 363 yards and 5 touchdowns
Bucky Irving: 14 carries, 117 yards, 1 touchdown
Tez Johnson: 11 catches, 172 yards, 1 touchdown
Traeshon Holden: 5 catches, 69 yards, 1 touchdown
Jeffrey Bassa: 8 tackles
Steve Stephens IV: 1 interception
Key Stats to Know
Total Yards: Oregon 584, Liberty 294
Time-of-Possession: Oregon 35:15, Liberty 24:45
Penalties: Oregon 2-20, Liberty 6-49
Bo Nix (2023): 364-of-470, 77.44 percent, breaks the single-season NCAA record
What's Next?
The offseason.
Oregon will start to prepare for the offseason, Spring football and the 2024 regular season with Dillon Gabriel under center.
