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Oregon

Oregon Survives Sleepy Start, Routs Northwestern 34-14

by: Ted Leroux2 hours ago
Bryce Boettcher
Oregon Ducks linebacker Bryce Boettcher celebrates a touchdown against Northwestern. (Photo by: © David Banks-Imagn Images)

Now in their second season in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks got another taste of Big Ten football on Saturday — the infamous sleepy starts in Evanston. Duck fans, accustomed to explosive first quarters against teams like Montana State and Oklahoma State, were met with a surprising change of pace — a modest 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, far from their usual high-octane openings.

After a punt — yes, a punt — on the opening drive, the Ducks’ defense stepped up with a Bryce Boettcher interception, ending a 12-play, 43-yard Northwestern drive that had found some success on the ground. The turnover set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Jayden Limar and hinted at a developing theme in Saturday’s contest along the banks of Lake Michigan.

After two more scoring drives in the first half gave the Ducks a 17-0 lead, Northwestern opened the second half looking much like they had early in the game — moving the ball efficiently on the ground. But once again, a critical mistake bailed the Ducks’ defense out. A dropped pass on 4th down ended the Wildcats’ drive, and Oregon made them pay on the very next play. Dierre Hill broke free for a 66-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 24-0.

Northwestern showed signs of life on the following possession, marching 43 yards in six plays, but their momentum was cut short by Jerry Mixon’s interception — his second in as many weeks. That turnover set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordon Davison.

While the offensive line didn’t have its best game and clearly has some things to clean up in the coming weeks, it still gave Dante Moore enough time to deliver some key strikes downfield. Moore turned in another confident and efficient performance, completing 16 of 20 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown — though he also threw his first interception of the season.

Games like this are expected over the course of a Big Ten season, but Saturday’s outing did raise some concerns about Oregon’s defensive line and run defense. The Ducks were consistently pushed off the line of scrimmage by a Northwestern offensive front that averages 6’5”, 311 pounds. The Wildcats’ top two backs combined for 112 yards on 28 carries, and an average of 4.1 yards per carry — a stat line that will give Oregon’s coaching staff something to think about.

Not every day is Christmas, and not every game is a 60-point blowout. This was a win — a 34-14 win — but also a reminder for Dan Lanning’s Ducks that there’s still plenty of work to do.

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