After a week of uncertainty about his status, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was not only able to play Saturday but play well enough to lead the Ducks to pivotal 20-17 win over then-No. 10 Utah.
After the game, though, Ducks coach Dan Lanning still wouldn’t budge when asked about lingering injury concerns for Nix with one game left in the regular season.
“I’ll let Kris Hutson answer that,” Lanning said jokingly, referencing Hutson's comments earlier in the week that seemed to indicate Nix wasn't going to be available for the game.
Nix played the entire game, other than one failed drive in the second half that started and finished with a messed-up handoff from Ty Thompson. He finished 25-of-37 passing for 287 yards and a touchdown but was limited on the ground. He only recorded 2 carries after averaging 7.8 per game in the previous 10 contests.
“I can’t say enough about our quarterback,” Lanning said. “To play in this game after being banged up — really having limited practice reps — that was certainly newsworthy to everybody else. For him to go out there and have a gutsy performance was really important and special for this team.”
A clearly limited Nix, combined with a talented Utah defense, made for a tough day for an Oregon offense that had become accustomed to smooth sailing.
“To be honest, earlier in the week, I didn’t know that he would be able to go,” Lanning said. “He was aggressive. He continued to work at it. He continued to push. Our medical group did a phenomenal job assessing where he was at. Later in the week, we felt like this could be a possibility.”
The Utah game was circled on the schedule for a lot of returning players. Two of Oregon’s four losses in 2021 came against the Utes, both in lopsided fashion.
To turn the table this time, a lot of things had to go right. The key offensive guys had to continue the level of production to ensure a different outcome.
Though the game needed the stars to shine, it was the unsung heroes for Oregon that made the difference in the win.
For starters, the leading receiver in the game was Dont’e Thornton, who put up a crazy stat line of 4 catches for 151 yards — over half of the team’s total (287).
“Me and Nix were out there talking and I said, ‘Bo if you throw the ball I’m going to catch it.’ That’s all that really was,” Thornton said. “No matter where you put it at. How far it was. Just told him ‘Throw it, and I’ll go get it.'”
As someone who remembers those embarrassing Utah losses vividly, Thornton knew he had to make a statement, but that wasn't his only motivation.
“That game really meant a lot to me personally because last year that was my first start – against Utah – and they beat us bad, and they beat us again in the Pac-12 Championship,” Thornton said. “From a personal standpoint, I played that game for my grandfather. My grandfather passed two days ago, so I had a lot on my heart going into the game.”
Thornton’s catches on Saturday had a lot of similarities. The 6-foot-5 speedster would use his elite wingspan while open downfield to torch the Utes’ rather solid secondary. Though an early fumble started his day off on the wrong foot, he proved to be essential for the offense.
“He’s a guy that has dominant traits,” Lanning said. “He’s a phenomenal kid and to see him have some big moments especially after he had the fumble there early on. To see him come back and make a big impact for our team was huge.”
On the defensive side, no player took more ridicule last week than Bennett Williams. The safety was in the area for a couple of huge Washington touchdown passes in the loss to the Huskies.
The former transfer played in his final game at Autzen Stadium and while every player wore a No. 4 undershirt for Spencer Webb on senior day, Williams shined in that same number that he switched to right before the season.
“This is definitely the most satisfying win for the defense for sure,” Williams said. “We really stepped up to the plate. Offense didn’t have the normal explosive day that they usually do and they usually put us on their backs. Especially after last week, we knew that we couldn’t do that again. I know a lot of people counted us out today, with not a super healthy Bo Nix. I’m so happy for our guys stepping up.”
His two interceptions changed the game completely. The first was a great example of the tip drill. Jordan Riley got a piece of a ball at the line of scrimmage and Williams made the alert grab. His second of the day was easily the more impactful. Cameron Rising’s fourth-quarter comeback drive ended with his second completed pass to Williams. His third interception of the day overall nearly doubled his season total (4 to 7) and helped keep Oregon’s goals alive.
Fans have been used to seeing Nix and the elite offense march through opponents with little trouble. Utah certainly sent a wake-up call. The offense now knows that it can be stopped, but the defense also showed that it can be much better than perceived. Both units will need to click again next week as the team travels up I-5 to play a game in Reser Stadium.
Oregon State will host the Ducks in the final regular season game. The third straight ranked opponent for Oregon can easily cause the most trouble, and Lanning knows it won’t be easy.
“You worry about the things that you can control. What we can control is the way we go perform against a really good Oregon State team,” Lanning said.
