Speed kills! Malik Benson's miracle play saves Oregon win in Dawg town

Nine minutes to go in the 4th quarter. Washington had just driven 69 yards in 13 plays, scoring on rub route crosser to Denzel Boston on 4th and 8 to close within 19-14. The kickoff went out of bounds, setting the Ducks up at the 35.

Oregon's special teams played a big part in winning this game. Atticus Sappington hit 4-4 field goals, with perfect protection, four more sure snaps by Luke Basso, reliable hands by holder James Ferguson-Reynolds. The Ducks owned field position all day.

With the clock down to 8:45, the Ducks needed a drive to seal the game. It started badly as Dante Moore and Kenyon Sadiq missed connection on hook route, Moore's throw behind, the ball slipping through Sadiq's hands. A second down run by Noah Whittington went for just a yard.

In a tense game, the Ducks found stubborn defense, big pass plays to break it open

All the Mackey Award talk seemed to get in Sadiq's head a bit. He'd pressed all game, targeted eight times with just four catches for 11 yards, two drops. The Huskies had made a big commitment to stacking the box and stalling Oregon's running game. With injuries on the offensive line Alex Harkey, Dave Iuli, Poncho Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon and Isaiah World weren't getting their usual push up front, Oregon's run game limited to 42 carries for 106 yards, 2.5 per carry.

The pass game had been working, though. On 3rd and 9 the Huskies showed five, rushed four with a twist but Laloulu and his brothers got everybody picked up. Moore had time to look to his left, manipulating the coverage with his eyes. He threw a deep in-route to Malik Benson open over the middle between four defenders, a touch high.

Benson stretched and came down with the ball, a good catch in traffic. Surrounded by Huskies he turned on the jets and outraced six to the end zone, picking up a key block from Sadiq at the 35. There's more than one way to contribute to a win.

The sudden change touchdown took the air out of Husky Stadium, the Ducks taking a 26-14 lead at the 7:55 mark. The defense took over with a turnover on downs, followed by an interception on the Huskies last two possessions.

A JUCO star who'd been underutilized at Alabama and Florida State in two previous transfers, Benson blossomed with the Ducks. He'd dropped a pair of passes in the Spring Game, but as the season progressed and the Ducks lost six scholarship receivers to injury, he emerged as a deep threat and big-play guy.

At Iowa his 25-yard catch with :23 seconds to play set up Sappington's winning field goal. Against USC his 85-yard punt return in the second quarter gave the Ducks the lead for good. In a testing season he'd been Oregon's Mr. November.

“I got the call and saw the defender back up,” Benson said. “I trust Nay to put it in the spot—it’s gotta be in that spot. Once I caught it and landed on my feet, I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s my time to turn up.’”

In the pressroom after the game Dan Lanning said, “That play was as impressive as any. Just the composure, man. You saw the ball security there. What an unbelievable teammate he’s been for us this year.”

Teamwork, speed, composure and grace under pressure created a moment Duck fans will talk about for a long time. It was an iconic, game-breaking play at the exact moment Oregon needed one.