Oregon Football: First Win For Mario Cristobal Answers Some Questions

The Oregon Ducks played well on Saturday and answered some questions about what this team will look like in 2018.

For Oregon Football the win over Bowling Green on Saturday will be seen as a stepping stone. A win is a win, but in the grand scheme of the season, there is a lot more to do and more questions to answer.

Head Coach Mario Cristobal said in his postgame press conference on Saturday that the team was not satisfied with just the win, but there was a hunger there to do more. From the start on Saturday, the Oregon Offense started with a sputter before reeling off 37 unanswered points to take the lead in the game. They fell behind early and came back with some fervor to maintain the lead.

The way they did it was unique to this program. It was the first time I have seen six Running Backs touch the ball in a single game. Not simply that they played, but HOW. Each Running Back played their own respective series on Offense. While Tony Brooks James was the Starter, big plays were had by Taj Griffin and we even saw the first carry by CJ Verdell. Quarterback Justin Herbert showed why he is one of the best in the country.

Herbert threw five touchdowns and two interceptions in the game. It was clear early that Jaylon Redd will be a focal point. He pulled in a touchdown pass between two defenders that was thrown on a rope to a spot that only he could catch it. The Bowling Green Defenders were left trying to swat at air as Redd celebrated in the endzone with his teammates.

The Oregon Defense made a statement. Jalen Jelks led the way with nine tackles and half a sack. Troy Dye nearly had an interception early, but redeemed himself late with his first pick of the season. He also finished the game with eight tackles and a pass breakup. Ugo Amadi playing at Safety was the standout of the night. The Senior had five tackles, a sack, an interception, and a tackle for loss.

The Oregon Ducks held Bowling Green to just 7 points in the second half en route to a 58-24 win. The Falcons were 5 for 19 on third down and just 1 for 4 on fourth down.

One area of the game that Oregon had to focus on was penalties. Last season they were the top penalized team in the country. On Saturday, the team committed just 3 penalties, two which I would call bone-headed mistakes. I realize it is just one week, but now they are on the other side of the stat sheet.

It was a great win, and a first in the Mario Cristobal era of Oregon Football. The real test is still several weeks away, but the Ducks need to ride this momentum until Pac-12 play arrives with Stanford.

Oregon Football returns to Autzen Stadium on Saturday to face Portland State. Kickoff is set for 11 am Pacific Time on Pac-12 Network.