The Box: Breaking Down The Oregon Ducks Win Over California By The Numbers

It was a less than perfect evening for football at Autzen Stadium on Saturday Night:

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The video clip above(click to view) doesn’t even tell the whole story. The wind was as bad as the rain and when your typing on a sheet of water that is on the keyboard it’ s not usually a good thing. After a drenching first quarter in which the Oregon Ducks pretty much put the game out of reach, there was less wind, but a moderate rain through the end. What did that mean for Box Score? Let’s take a look.

Sep 28, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Thomas Tyner (24) runs the ball in the first half against the California Golden Bears at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

The game was supposed to be about passing prowess between two Pac 12 quarterbacks, but what happened was pretty far from it. The biggest surprise of the night was the performance of Cal Freshman Quarterback Jared Goff whose record setting passing effort the first three weeks led the nation on average with 473 yards per game. On Saturday he was 3/11 for 13 yards, and then was pulled midway through the second quarter. There was one point in the game where Cal had more fumbles than yards on the ground.

The California Golden Bears, not really known for their rushing attack had several players in negative numbers for rushing yards and no one made it to the 100 yard mark for the game. The other Freshman Quarterback Zach Kline fared a little better for close to three quarters of the game throwing for 165 yards and an interception.

On the other side of the ball, it was over about six minutes into the game when Oregon Wide Receiver Daryle Hawkins caught a pass from Quarterback Marcus Mariota to make it 20-0 Oregon. I don’t think any offense is built to deal with the conditions of Saturday, but when your opponent has five turnovers for the game and you capitialize on four of them there isn’t much else to say. Not to mention Wide Receiver Bralon Addison and his two 70 plus yard kickoff returns for scores.

For the game Oregon’s total Offensive Output: 381 yards(264 on the ground, 117 passing.) For the Bears: 325 yards(149 on the ground, 176 passing.) Oregon averaged a half a yard better through the air (4.5 to 4.0) and nearly twice as much on the ground(5.5 to 2.9) Even if the weather was perfect I think it would have been clear who the better team on the field was. Anytime you have one turnover it can change the outcome of a game in adverse, or any conditions. However, when you have five as the Bears did and lose the possession to Oregon on four of them that can crush you, and that is exactly what the Oregon Ducks did to the Bears.

Final Score, Oregon Ducks  55 – Cal Bears 16.

Up next for Oregon, a trip to Boulder on Saturday to take on Colorado(3:30PT, Pac 12 Networks)

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