Oregon Ducks and Mariota Escape Pullman with a Victory

Pullman, Washington – a place where strange things happen, espcecially when you are the visiting Oregon Ducks. The momentum at the start of the game was clear, and it did not go to the Oregon Ducks. Washington State started out of the gate hot. In what seemed strange in a pretty much straight passing offense, the first two plays of the game were running plays, followed by a pass and a punt. It however did not take long for Cougars Quarterback Connor Halliday to throw a touchdown pass to Dom Williams giving the Cougs a 7-0 lead.

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Oregon would strike back with a Marcus Mariota touchdown pass to Devon Allen, giving Mariota a touchdown in each game he has played for the Oregon Ducks. Washington State would hold the mometum going for it on fourth and two inside the Oregon eight yard line and hitting another touchdown, again to Dom Williams over Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Oregon would again come back with a score by Keanon Lowe. The Oregon Ducks would get a big third and one stop on the Washington State Offense and take the lead on a touchdown pass to Allen again, his second of the game.

Washington State would get the ball back and Halliday would throw the ball for the fortieth time on the night giving the Cougars a first and goal from the Oregon Ducks eight yard line. Two plays later the Cougars would score tying the game at 21.

In the first half the Oregon Ducks Offensive line took some time to get comfortable, and Marcus Mariota did a good job of improvising several times, but he was sacked five times in the first half. Washington State had close to three hundred yards of offense. Two-hundred sixty one through the air and just thirty seven on the ground. Before tonight, he has never been sacked more than three times in a game. The Oregon Ducks would get the ball to start the second half in what was becoming clear may be a game Oregon needed to survive.

Oregon started the second half with a steady mix of run and pass which gave  the Offensive Line a bit of a breather as they were out of protect Mariota mode and in guard your man mode and at a faster pace than in the first half. After another Mariota sack, Matt Wogan came in to attempt at twenty three yard field goal that went wide right. Gotta love games in Pullman. 

Washington State would not go far on the next drive as DeForest Buckner forced a fumble giving the ball back to Mariota. The Oregon Offense was held for three downs and on fourth down, Mariota took off for twenty eight yards making it first and goal. Two plays later a pass to Pharoah Brown gave the Ducks a 28-21 lead. The teams would exchange ‘good’ field goals giving Oregon a seven point lead with eleven minutes left in the game.

Washington State was not going away. Connor Halliday used a very rarely talked about running game on their next drive before a touchdown pass to Cracraft to tie the game at 31. Oregon’s Defense was starting to show fatigue. Mariota would again put the Oregon Ducks on his back with a long drive down the field and a touchdown to Keanon Lowe, his second of the game.

The Heisman Candidate kept a cool head and started the second half completing thirteen of fourteen passe. Oregon’s Defense was again back on the field.  Washington State would have just over five minutes to come back in the game and it was not to be as Oregon escaped Pullman with a hard earned victory.

MarcusMariota and the Ducks have now won eight straight games against the Washington State Cougars. Oregon now have a bye week next week before facing Arizona on Thursday, October 2nd. (7:30pm PT, ESPN)