Minnesota handled by Oregon, loses 42-13 in Eugene

Dante Moore put together another effective drive for the Ducks, completing three consecutive passes to get inside of the redzone. Fourth-string runner Jay Harris took a carry up the middle before bouncing it outside for the 12-yard touchdown.

Harris becomes the third running back of the night to score for Oregon, along with Jordon Davison and Noah Whittington.

An intentional grounding and subsequent sack forced the Gophers into a third-and-forever. Conceding the possession, Lindsey threw a short screen pass to Le’Meke Brockington. Oregon gets the ball back with a chance to claim their largest lead of the contest.

Dante Moore was surgical on a drive yet again, firing a pass over the middle to Kenyon Sadiq for a third-down conversion and delivering a perfect back shoulder pass to freshman receiver Jeremiah McClellan in the endzone.

McClellan’s foot was resting on the chalk out of bounds, but the officials determined that he had the possession of the ball with his toe in bounds. Moore’s second touchdown pass of the night pushed the lead back to 22.

Oregon receiver Malik Benson came up with a ridiculous third-down reception in between three Minnesota defenders to keep the drive alive. Dante Moore rolled out to his right and layered it beautifully to Benson. The Ducks are on the move yet again.

Lindsey fired a pass over the middle to receiver Le’Meke Brockington for a gain of 19 yards to start the inaugural drive of the second half. There was a clear emphasis to get the ball to Darius Taylor coming out of halftime, as he got six touches – including a 23-yard rush on a third-down.

Facing a third-and-five at the Oregon 10-yard line, receiver Javon Tracy got separation from the Oregon defensive back on the crosser. Lindsey threw it behind him, but an impressive one-handed effort allowed Tracy to pull down the pass and run into the endzone.

Dante Moore connected with tight ends Jamari Johnson and Kenyon Sadiq for a few chunk plays to bring the Oregon offense into the redzone. Sadiq had one-on-one with Gophers linebacker Maverick Baranowski, and beat him to the corner of the endzone for the touchdown.

Ducks go up by 22 as the first half nears an end.

Minnesota put together their best drive of the half, but failed to find the endzone. A third-down pass interference penalty on Oregon sprung the drive. The Gophers designed a couple touches for safety Koi Perich on reverses, which were their most successful rushing plays of the half. Lindsey connected with running back Darius Taylor and receiver Jalen Smith for a pair of their down conversions. The passing offense faltered with goal-to-go, coming up with just two short completions and a third-down incompletion.

Denaburg put through a 26-yard field goal to chip into the Oregon lead.

Oregon’s offense got moving again, lead by their stable of running backs. Davison and Hill got back to back touches, before Noah Whittington would get a carry on a fresh set of downs.

Whittington burst up the middle, slamming and pushing through a group of Minnesota defenders. He would not go down, and broke through the pile into the open field. Whittington almost lost the ball at the goal line, but converted on the 40-yard touchdown run.

The Gophers failed to move the ball after the takeaway, coming up with just one first down. On third down, Lindsey threw a pass down the seam for tight end Jameson Geers. Geers almost came up with an impressive catch in tight coverage, but could not maintain control as he hit the turf.

Kicker Brady Denaburg drilled a 46-yard field goal to give Minnesota their first points of the night.

Defensive lineman Anthony Smith came up with his ninth sack of the season to force Oregon into a second-and-long just after they had crossed into Minnesota territory. An illegal formation penalty on the ensuing snap from left tackle Isaiah World brought back a successful play from the Ducks. With 25 yards to a first down, Moore handed it off for a medial gain to send the game into the second quarter.

On third-and-forever, Oregon threw a tight end screen and attempted to pitch it back to the running back. An errant toss fell to the turf, and Karter Menz jumped on it near midfield for the Gophers.

Drake Lindsey floated a ball up the sideline for freshman receiver Jalen Smith. There was tight coverage from Oregon, but a perfect ball from Lindsey allowed Smith to come down with the ball over his shoulder. The pass play went for a gain of 24 yards to open the drive.

Darius Taylor took a sweep left for a gain of 12 yards, but a holding penalty placed the Gophers well behind the sticks on second-down. The drive stalled, and Minnesota punted it back to the humming Ducks offense.

Following the Minnesota punt, Oregon stringed together a few successful plays to get into Minnesota territory. At the 39-yard line, running back Jordan Davison exploded through a wide-open lane on the left-side run and took it to the endzone. Davison was virtually untouched on the carry.

The Gophers offense went three-and-out on their opening drive. A false start set them well behind the chains on first down. A short completion and incompletion forced a third-and-long for the Minnesota offense.

Quarterback Drake Lindsey dropped back to pass, but Oregon edge Matayo Uiagalelei got off the line quickly and had an unimpeded path to the backfield. Lindsey tried to step up in the pocket, but fell down for the sack.

The Oregon offense got off to a fast start. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq made a diving catch to set up the Ducks at the one-yard line. After a couple of stops at the goal line, freshman rusher Jordon Davison powered through the Minnesota defense for the score.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore hooked up with wide receiver Malik Benson for a big gain to bring the Ducks well into Gopher territory. Benson got free downfield, and managed to get one foot in bounds to convert on the deep pass.

Oregon’s opening drive will begin at their own 25-yard line.

Darius Taylor returns for the Gophers. Also returning to the Gophers’ linebacker on Friday night is wide receiver Logan Loya, cornerback Za’Quan Bryan and Mike Gerald.

Out for the Gophers on Friday is wide receiver Kenric Lanier II, safety Garrison Monore, safety Simon Seidl, offensive lineman Aluma Nkele and defensive tackle Theorin Randle. Linebacker Joey Gerlach has been moved to the out for the season category after suffering an injury against Michigan State. Defensive tackle Rushawn Lawrence is questionable.

Notable players out for Oregon include wide receiver Dakorien Moore, wide reciever Gary Brant Jr, and running back Jayden Limar. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq is questionable.

According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Minnesota star running back Darius Taylor is expected to play this evening against the Oregon Ducks.

Game Details
Where: Eugene, Oregon
Stadium: Autzen Stadium
Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Odds: Minnesota is a 25.5-point underdog to Oregon with the total set at 44.5 points.

How to watch, stream Minnesota Football vs Oregon
Friday’s game will be televised on Fox with Jason Benetti on the play-by-play, former Heisman winner Robert Griffin III as the analyst, and Alex Landestoy as the sideline reporter. Fans can also listen to the game on KFAN 100.3 with Mike Grimm, Darrell Thompson, and Justin Gaard on the call.