Last Civil War Ends: 41-7, Ducks Too Much for the Battered Beavers

BY KEN WOODY

Oregon may slip again in the national rankings after media experts pick apart the statistics from the Ducks’ 41-7 win over Oregon State before a mostly joyful crowd of 58,571 in Autzen Stadium Saturday. On a surprisingly crisp and powerful drive that muted the boisterous crowd, the Beavers tied the score after quarterback Dante Moore put the Ducks in the lead in the first three minutes of the game with the first of his four touchdown passes.

Afterwards, coach Dan Lanning expressed some frustration with the sometimes-ragged nature of the game and the inability to execute to the level he expects his team to perform to, especially now that the cupcakes of the season are behind them. “We started slow…we need to play cleaner, particularly with penalties and overall operations. We made some errors early that gave them opportunities but made adjustments…it was a decisive victory.”

Oregon State gained 76 yards in the first quarter, catching the Ducks front seven going the wrong way on running plays where a lineman would pull one way while the back ran opposite with a double-team or two to fortify the line of scrimmage. It was an impressive drive for their lone score, converting three-of-four third-down conversions and you did not get the impression that the game was going to be a runaway.

Coach Lanning squirmed a bit as his offense looked clumsy and inefficient, managing only four-of-ten third-down conversions and turned the ball over on downs, for the second straight week. Although there were touchdown drives of 75, 92,80,72, and 74 yards, poor tackling by the Beavers seemed to account more for the Ducks’ success than Oregon’s skill.

Oregon held OSU three-and-out at the beginning of the third quarter, forced a punt and then faced a fourth-and-four situation of their own. Sensing the offense struggling, Lanning called a fake punt, and it worked. Punter J. Ferguson-Reynolds took the snap and ran untouched down the left sideline for 21 yards as the stadium went wild.

Two first downs later, Moore completed a touchdown pass to Jeremiah McClellan to put the game totally out of reach for Oregon State, down 28-7 and stuck with an inept offense that could only gain two first downs in the second half amidst third-down failures, dropped and poorly thrown passes and weak blocking efforts. Although fans may have expected the Orange to quit, they did not—the hearts were willing but there was just too much weakness in this program that it will take a year, maybe two, to make the Beavers more competitive.

From that point on, Maalik, a highly touted and, it is rumored, a highly paid transfer from Duke, couldn’t hit his hat; the running attack offered no airpower relief and the result was only one third-down conversion the rest of the way after getting three in their first drive of the game. The Duck defense will get credit for giving up only 71 yards total offense in the last three quarters; 25 rushing and 46 through the air, but the audience may have left with the feeling that it was not so much about Oregon’s defenders, but the lack of physicality and talent of Oregon State.

Oregon’s previously vaunted defense gave up only 67 yards rushing and 80 yards passing, but could not get a sack, cause a fumble, or force an interception. The Ducks gave up their first sack of the year and were tackled for loss four times while only getting the Beavers twice: it was a weird set of statistics coach Lanning and his staff will go over in the film room.

Quarterback Dante Moore, like the stock market, might see his stock dip as a result of his performance against a totally outmanned Oregon State secondary. Although he had good overall numbers, completing 21-of-31 throws for 305 yards and four scores, but missed a couple of open receivers on both long and short passes, which is not normal. He had ten receivers catch passes and his favorite targets were Kenyon Sadiq, four catches for 60 yards, one score; freshman sensation Dakorien Moore, three catches, 63 yards, one touchdown; Gary Bryant Jr., three catches, one touchdown; and Malik Benson, three receptions. The speed and catching ability of the receiver corps could be a huge advantage in a tightly contested game.

Moore missed several throws that he made in previous games, but completed four back- shoulder throws tight to the sideline that you see pro quarterbacks throw every Sunday.  “Moore throws a beautiful ball: the most catchable passer I’ve seen,” according to Big Ten analyst Yogi Roth, who should know, having played at USC and also coaching some in the big leagues.

Dante was lucky a Beaver defender blinked on a side-arm quick throw towards the sideline, just like one he had nearly intercepted against Northwestern last week. Lanning won’t have to tell Moore there are defenders coming ahead who will be looking for the same mistake.

Jayden Limar was the top rusher for the Ducks, with 70 yards on 12 attempts, followed by Dante Moore who scrambled for 53 yards, a total that might have been yards more, except that Hit Man Kenyon Sadiq, blinked and ran right by a Beaver who forced Moore out of bounds behind him. It is a puzzling game, this game of football: Sadiq has been blocking everyone in sight the first three games and then has a big miss on a Beaver he should have exploded.

So, the Ducks win the final game 41-7 in the 129th “Civil War” rivalry between Oregon and Oregon State, a decisive victory that left a somewhat sour taste to many Duck supporters. It was fitting that it left both Ducks and Beavers thirsting for more, for different reasons; but for the time being, it is all over.

Next week, the Game of the Century: Oregon travels to Happy Valley, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have been itching for a rematch with the Ducks after losing the Big Ten Championship game last December. The score was 45-37 and the game was won by a last- minute interception when the Lions passed on a second-and-one when they were running up and down the field against a gassed Duck defense. It’s hard to lose a game in which you rush for 297 yards, but Penn State did it. Oregon will be an underdog for the first time this season in a 110,000 -seat stadium with the “loudest fans in the Big Ten.” Coach Lanning will need his defense to play better, the highly lauded offensive line to assert their physicality, and field general Dante to play the game of his life.

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 conducts a coaching clinic, free to all, at the 6^th Street Grill WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th AT 5:00 P.M.  Plays from Oregon games are analyzed, there are scouting reports for opponents, and highlights from referees; all to learn and enjoy football and understand why the Ducks win or lose.