Oregon Ducks suffer blowout loss to Georgia Bulldogs in season-opener
Oregon had high hopes of opening the Dan Lanning era in winning fashion and proving that it could compete with one of the nation’s elite programs.
Instead, the Ducks suffered their most lopsided loss since 2016 and were run off the field in front of a national audience.
The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs topped No. 11 Oregon, 49-3, at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Georgia scored on its first seven possessions of the day and converted its first eight third downs. The Bulldogs pulled starting quarterback Stetson Bennett — who went 25-for-31 passing with 368 yards, and two touchdowns — after two-and-a-half quarters, and still continued to torch the Ducks with backup signal-caller Carson Beck leading the offense.
The Bulldogs outgained the Ducks 571 yards to 313. They forced Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to throw two interceptions. They spent the first half steamrolling a Ducks’ defense that is believed by many to boast some of the best individual talents in recent program history.
Georgia jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the second quarter and looked sharp on both sides of the ball in the process. Oregon had a chance to climb back into the game soon after when it marched into Bulldog’s territory midway through the second.
But Nix threw his second interception of the day, this time on a bad decision that was punished by Georgia safety Christopher Smith. The Bulldogs then proceeded to march down the field and increase their lead to 21-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kenny McIntosh.
Oregon was never in contention after that.
Lanning and a handful of Oregon players are scheduled to speak with reporters after the game. The ScoopDuck staff will have continuous coverage throughout the evening.
