Oregon Ducks defense leads the way in victory over rival Washington Huskies

SEATTLE — At the end of the first quarter on a rainy night at Husky Stadium, Oregon's offense was disorganized.

Anthony Brown only completed 3-for-10 passes for 17 yards and an interception as the Ducks were down 9-3.

However, it was Oregon's defense that kept it in the game the entire night.

The Ducks allowed a season-low 166 total yards and seven first downs as Oregon defeated rival Washington 26-16. While the crowd was hostile early, one second-quarter play completely turned the game around for Oregon and its defense.

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On fourth-and-1 on Oregon's 24-yard-line, Washington running back Sean McGrew took a wildcat shotgun snap, but Oregon's defense stopped him before he reached the first down marker, which forced a turnover on downs.

That play finally gave the Oregon offense the momentum it had been seeking. On a seven-play, 76-yard drive, the Ducks then got their first touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Anthony Brown to Devon Williams. Before that point, Oregon failed to score on five of its first six drives.

"They run their wildcat package pretty consistently, and our defense just knocked back the line of scrimmage," Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. "Just completely knocked them completely backwards and through them for a loss.

"It was a huge momentum swing right there as we took the ball down, and we scored. Great play reading the boot, changing the entire momentum of the game, and we never looked back after that.

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"The whole game was a battle as they have a really good football team and they have really good players. Without a doubt, that was a game-changer and a momentum swing."

After that touchdown, the Ducks held Washington to just 102 yards and three first downs at halftime. Oregon's defense also allowed 64 yards and one touchdown after the break.

Entering Saturday's game, Oregon's defense was ranked 71st in the country as the Ducks were giving up an average of 392.8 yards per game. The team was also 108th in pass defense as Ducks opponents were generating 261.1 yards per game through the air.

After Washington scored a touchdown after Brown's interception on the first drive of the game, Oregon's defense was locked in. The Huskies had five drives that started near or across midfield throughout the night, but Washington failed to score on any of them. Washington finally found the end zone once again early in the fourth quarter on a long drive that started on their own 25-yard-line.

Game statistics: The box score from Saturday's game

Oregon held Washington to seven three-and-outs on the night. But after punting the ball in Washington territory late in the game, Oregon's defense needed one last stop to win.

The Ducks forced a three-and-out late in the fourth quarter. Then the team got a safety as the snap went over punter Race Porter's head and out of the end zone to ice the game.

Washington redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris completed 15-for-27 passes for 111 yards and one interception. The Ducks' defense also generated a lot of pressure on Morris as it forced him to throw the ball before he wanted.

The Ducks have dealt with a number of injuries on both sides of the ball this year, and against the Huskies, it wasn't any different. One of the Ducks' safeties, Steve Stephens IV, did not make the trip after suffering a leg injury in last week's win against Colorado.

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Jordan Happle, who sustained an injury a week prior in the victory over UCLA, played for Stephens and made a crucial play in the game. He recorded five tackles and an interception as it appeared Washington was headed for points.

Happle said despite all of the adversities the team has faced this year, the Ducks have continued to keep a next-man-up mentality.

"From Steve getting hurt to Bennett (Williams), there are countless injuries that we've had," Happle said. "You never know when it's going to happen.

"So it is important that the guys that are behind them make the most of their opportunities and just prepare like you're a starter."

Contact Antwan Staley at astaley@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @antwanstaley

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks defense leads way victory over rival Washington Huskies