Northwestern slows but can't stop high-flying Ducks

EVANSTON-Northwestern’s defense was able to slow Oregon’s turbo-charged offense down for a while, but eventually the high-flying, No. 4 Ducks overwhelmed them in a 34-14 loss on Saturday at Martin Stadium that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated thanks to a couple late Wildcat touchdowns.

The Wildcats (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) trailed by just 10-0 late in the second quarter when Oregon delivered the backbreaker: a 25-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Dante Moore to tight end Kenyon Sadiq with just 31 seconds left in the half to increase the deficit to three scores.

With an offense that produced just 52 total yards in the first half, that score slammed the door on any hopes for an upset by the 28.5-point underdogs — though they did cover the spread by scoring twice in the last 5:07, with the game well in Oregon’s hands.

Oregon (3-0, 1-0) came into the contest averaging 568.5 yards and 65.0 points per game but was held in check by the Wildcats’ bend-but-don’t break defense for most of the day. Moore finished 16-of-20 for just 178 yards, with just one touchdown and one interception on a leaping grab by linebacker Mac Uihlein in the fourth quarter. He was pulled on the next drive with the game in hand.

But Northwestern just couldn’t generate any semblance of an offense to make it competitive until garbage time. They got a one-yard run by Caleb Komolafe to break the shutout, and then Dashun Reeder got his first touchdown as a Wildcat with a 79-yard run with 1:48 left.

Quarterback Preston Stone had another subpar outing, going 11-for-21 passing for 135 yards, with two interceptions. He had a couple long completions, including a 40-yarder to Drew Wagner to set up Komolafe’s TD, but he also threw some errant passes and just flat-out dropped the ball for a fumble, something he’s done three times in three games.

The Wildcats got off to a strong start on this day that started with storms for the Fox Big Noon Kickoff show in Evanston but eventually turned into a sunny by kickoff. The defense forced an Oregon punt after a couple first downs on the Ducks’ first possession.

The offense then flexed a little bit on the Ducks. After digging themselves out of a hole with a couple first downs, Komolafe ran five yards for what was called another first down on the field. But a review overturned it, giving the Wildcats a fourth-and-1 at their own 44.

The usually cautious and conservative head coach David Braun then put his chips in and went for it. A direct snap to tight end Lawson Albright picked up three yards and a first down right up the middle. There was a little bit of a buzz rippling through the stands.

But just when the Wildcats had a little momentum going, Stone threw a high pass that was intended for Griffin Wilde over the middle, and it got tipped into the air on a play that could have been flagged for pass interference on the Ducks.

Linebacker Bryce Boettcher picked it off and returned it 29 yards to the NU 23. Four plays later, Jayden Limar practically walked in form a yard out and, just like that, the Ducks had a 7-0 lead.

Oregon added a 42-yard field goal with 9:28 left in the second quarter, but it came after the Northwestern defense stopped them inside the NU 25. The Ducks covered 56 yards on the drive, but it took them 12 plays to do it as the Cats wouldn’t allow them any big plays.  

The Ducks blew the game wide open when running back Dierre Hill Jr. ran around right end and down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown run on Oregon’s first offensive snap of the third quarter to make it 24-0.

That came after Northwestern mounted a drive that reached the Oregon 26 on the first possession of the second half. There, Stone was sacked for an eight-yard loss on third-and-1, and his throw on fourth down was behind Ricky Ahumaraeze and NU had to give the ball up.

Stone then hit Wilde for a 32-yard connection, and the Wildcats again drove into Oregon territory. But he threw an errant pass over the middle that was intercepted by Jerry Mixon and returned all the way to the NU 35. Jordon Davison scored on a two-yard run to push the advantage to 31-0.

The Wildcats, running out of clock and hope, went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 13 and Komolafe was dropped for a one-yard loss. Oregon added another Atticus Sappington field goal for their final points.

Northwestern has a bye week before taking on UCLA in Evanston on Sept. 27.