5 Plays Win a Football Game: Oregon vs. Missouri State

My five big plays all happened early this game. The Bears came out fired up and ready to play but were quickly extinguished by the Ducks.

1. Opening (9 play 84 yards) drive by the Bears capped off by a Chris Douglas 3 yard TD run. The Bears started the game up 7-0 after their opening 4 minute plus drive. Two psychological factors were at play here. Oregon was over confident and Missouri State believed that they could travel to Autzen and beat the Ducks.  Excellent job by the Bears offensive line in the red zone, executing a great zone read handoff. The Bears (O-line working left) put a great double team (center, left guard) on the Ducks RDT. LT kicks out the end while the Duck linebackers get caught in the middle.  They run right into the Bears’ RG and RT who leave the Ducks end to pick either the Bears’ QB or tailback (goes to QB). Junior Linebacker #47 Kiko Alonso (did not play against LSU or Nevada) has to make this play but Alonso makes a poor read to the inside, allowing Missouri State’s tailback Chris Douglas to get the edge and cross the goal line.

1. 3 and 6 at the Missouri State 8 yard line; Darron Thomas completes a 7 yard pass to De’Anthony Thomas. This play leads to a LaMichael James 1 yard rushing TD. Had the Ducks not converted this 3^rd down play they would have either kicked a field goal or attempted a 4^th down play. The Ducks very well could have given the ball back to the Bears down 3-7 or worse 0-7.

1. Play 3 will be for the entire Duck defensive unit. Missouri State drove by the Ducks in their first series, but Oregon forced the Bears to punt after only four offensive plays in the next series.  One gain of 10 yards on a first down passing play (Trevor Wooden to Julian Burton), followed by three straight runs that equaled only seven yards.

1. De’Anthony Thomas makes a great, stupid decision, to field a punt off of the turf early mid-way through the first quarter. Picking up a bouncing football is always an uncertain event. The ball is shaped in such a way that the bounce off of turf is unpredictable. Normally this is done when the return man doesn’t have any defenders around him (remember if the offense touches a punt then that football is now a live ball). De’Anthony had a gunner next to him but the Oregon special teams made some great blocks that allowed Thomas to get to the edge and up field for 48 yards. This play set up a great nine yard touchdown pass from Darron Thomas to Lavasier Tuinei. There was a great play-action fake in the backfield that froze the LB core of the Bears, leading to a wide open Tuinei in the back of the end zone (Thomas had his pick of open targets Colt Lyerla and Tuinei were both uncovered). Later in the game on the same exact play Thomas decides to hit Lyerla this time over an uncovered Tuinei for a touchdown.

1. I have to give it to LaMichael James and his 90 yard TD run from scrimmage (second longest run in school history). Perfect execution leads to big results like this play. Oregon is on their 10 yard line and the offense decides to run a simple zone read run. However, Darron Thomas deserves respect in the running game so you have to commit at least one guy on defense to Darron. The other 10 guys on offense ran and blocked to perfection! I love the way the Oregon receivers are blocking on run plays. These guys are doing a great job of turning a head up defender inside so that James can get to the edge, and the hogs (offensive lineman) up front stepped secure their gaps first fat man to line backer. 4

Great Job Ducks doing what you had to do at home. Win, and win big against an unranked opponent. Oregon gets four out of the five plays that win or lose a football game, and the score reflects it. Now bring on the Pac-12 with Arizona under the lights in Tucson next weekend!