Two late touchdowns create bizarre shift in perception in Ducks 3-TD road win

Oregon never lost control of the game in tiny Martin Stadium. They won by three touchdowns on the road in a conference road game, 34-14.

Yet the game and the fan reaction were oddly muted. It wasn't the awe-inspiring wire-to-wire beatdown Duck fans grew to expect after shellacking Montana State and Oklahoma State.

It was workmanlike rather than dominating. The Ducks punted the first time they had the ball. Northwestern had a good plan and slowed the game down, limiting Oregon to eight meaningful possessions.

Changeable weather and the threat of a delay, the early start time, and frequent TV timeouts suppressed the energy of the contest. An interception near the goal line took some of the shine off the score, and two late touchdown drives against the third team defense made it look closer than it really was.

Dan Lanning told the media after, “I think we started out the second half with three series and three scores… The same thing defensively. We started the second half with three stops.”

“To go 7-of-11 on third down is impressive… What we’d love to do is avoid third down altogether. That means we have to be more efficient on first and second.”

Lanning remains committed to a "strength in numbers" philosophy, one that will pay enormous dividends over a long season and in developing a talented roster. Northwestern's 91-yard touchdown drive came against the third team defense. The scoring pass victimized a true freshman cornerback.

The first team defense intercepted two passes and had a pair of sacks. Of the Wildcats' 313 yards, 166 of them came on the last two possessions of the game. Luke Moga and Brock Thomas finished the game at quarterback.

The Ducks never lost control and were never in danger of losing the momentum in Martin Stadium. They punted twice, but James Ferguson-Reynolds punts pinned the Wildcats at the 10 and the 9. Even Dante Moore's first interception of the year was downed at the 4.

True freshman running back emerged as a dangerous weapon in the deep Oregon running room with five carries for 94 yards. Fans had to smile watching him strike the break-the-tape pose at the end of his 64-yard touchdown run-- his acceleration and breakaway ability remind some of the guy who invented it., DeAnthony Thomas.

Scott Reed of Duck Sports Central noted that the Ducks had nine plays of 20 yards or more in the game. That gives them 21 such plays over their first three games. good for No. 8 in the country.

A pair of passes to Malik Benson illustrate how efficient and explosive the Oregon offense can be, both pro-level throws by Moore.

Sometimes you get the feeling the Ducks could throw the ball to Kenyon Sadiq for a big play whenever they wanted. The sleek tight end starts the year with five catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns while being a potent weapon as a lead blocker in the running game.

With the Ducks, it isn't just the stars. Jay Harris picked his way through the middle for a 16-yard run. No. 2 tight end Jamari Johnson rumbled over the middle for a 17-yard pass play.

On defense, the Ducks enjoyed another stellar outing from young cornerbacks Ify Obidegwu and Brandon Finney, and how long has it been since the Oregon linebackers had two interceptions in one game. Jerry Mixon and Bryce Boettcher attack the passing lanes and read the quarterback's eyes, leading to a pair of short-field touchdowns.

The turnovers set up 14 points, while two turnovers on downs led to a TD and a field goal. The Oregon defense wasn't perfect but it was productive. Explosive plays and opportunistic defense made the biggest difference in a game with subdued energy.

Defensive tackle Bear Alexander posted five tackles on the defensive line, giving him 12 on the year, and sophomore safety Peyton Woodyard has 13. The Ducks look tougher than the numbers, particularly if they needed to tighten the rotation for a big game.

Moore's pick sticks out on a day he connected on 16-20 passes and converted on some crucial third downs-- Oregon was 7-11 in that category. The interception was a misread of the coverage and a ball that died in a stiff wind, something that happened at that end of the field on kicks and passes throughout the day on the shores of Lake Michigan.

His finest moment was the 11-play, 89-yard drive just before halftime, one that took 4:22 and ran the clock down to 31 seconds, giving the home squad only time to take a knee. On that one he found Dakorien Moore for 20 yards on third and 10, Benson with a precise throw for 12 yards on an out route, then Benson for 20 yards over the middle down to the NU 35.

He capped it with the 24-yard TD to Sadiq on the seam route. Moore said after the game, “I go back to practice and the way we operate on two-minute drills, four-minute… Coach Lanning loves to see how I face adversity. And I loved the adversity today.”

“First away game… thunder and lightning, windy, a lot of things going on,” he said. “It’s just us versus us like always.”

Before the season the big question about Oregon and its chances to compete for the playoffs centered around Moore and his experience and decision-making. It's not really a question anymore.

The other concerns were cohesion on the rebuilt offensive line and in a young secondary. The o-line hasn't given up a sack over the first three games, something aided mightily by Moore's pocket awareness and ability to manipulate the pocket. The secondary ranks 12th in the nation against the pass, measured by opponent passer rating.

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