Oregon Football Report Card vs. Arizona State
By Brian Spaen
In a game that was dominated more than what the simple 43-21 final score indicates, Oregon looked nearly flawless while really being one-dimensional all night long.
Oct. 18, 2012; Tempe, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) celebrates with wide receiver Keanon Lowe (7) and wide receiver Will Murphy (89) after scoring an 86 yard touchdown during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE
Offense: A-
Oregon records it’s largest amount of rushing yards in a game all season, breaking the 400-yard mark with dominating performances by both Kenjon Barner and Marcus Mariota. Arizona State’s defense folded after losing a key player in Will Sutton for the rest of the game, and the Ducks exposed it in a large way. In contrast, Oregon didn’t succeed very well in the passing game. Mariota and Bryan Bennett combined just for 48 yards on the night. Freshman receiver Bralon Addison did reach the top of the charts with his two catches for 14 yards, highlighted by grabbing the second touchdown of the night for the Ducks. Despite the lack of an air attack, Oregon didn’t need it.
Defense: A-
It doesn’t get much better that performance. Taylor Kelly got battered around all night long while running for his life. Oregon brought the pressure and continued to attack until the 4th quarter, when the Sun Devils were able to pick up a couple of touchdowns. Even when the game was out of reach in the third quarter, the backups were able to turn away Arizona State twice in the red zone with zero points.
Special Teams: A
There was no need for a field goal attempt for the second time this season, and the Ducks converted a wacky two-point conversion from punter to placekicker after the first touchdown. They nailed all five of their extra points, and they never gave up long yardage on coverage when punting or on kickoffs.
Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo. See his banter with other FanSided writers and love for his favorite west coast professional teams by following him on Twitter.
Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.