Oregon, just two seasons removed from a National Championship appearance; a season removed from a 9-4 season which was derailed by injuries to Vernon Adams; found itself in unfamiliar territory against Colorado. Heading in opposite directions, these teams would not pass in the night as shadows. Oregon, though, was a shadow of the Duck team which had dominated the Pac-12 Conference between 2009 and 2014.
A defense rebuilding under new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke struggled mightily against backup quarterback Steven Montez and an improved Buffalo offense. With Colorado jumping to an early second quarter lead of 23-7, the Ducks would turn to the back page of their playbook using a fake punt to ignite the stagnant offense. Following Danny Mattingly’s 29-yard carry, the Ducks punched the ball into the end zone with a brilliant catch by Darren Carrington to cut the lead down to 23-14 with 10:18 left in the first half.
Wearing uniforms an ode to the mascot, the Duck football team hoped to resemble their championship teams, to little effect. Identity is that which all teams must find if they are to bond and grow; this team lacks identity on offense and defense.
The Ducks pass defense struggled once again allowing Montez to complete 17 of 20 passes for 217 yards in the first half as the Buffaloes headed to intermission leading 26-17. Plagued by inconsistency on offense and a lack of discipline on defense, a bleak picture waited the brushstrokes leading to a spiral of defeats. Montez would finish with 135 yards rushing and 333 yards passing against Oregon.
"He's a big, strong guy," said Troy Dye of Montez. "He's real tough to bring down."
Flashes and moments were a harbinger of hope for the defense, but would be nothing more than smoke and mirrors as the Buffaloes took the second half kickoff and marched down the field on a 6 play, 75-yard drive to extend the lead 33-17 with just under 13:00 left in the third quarter. Devin Ross’ catch, initially ruled an in completion, was overruled on replay.
"It's very frustrating," Dye said of the Ducks struggles on third down. Allowing Colorado to convert 4 of 6 third downs in the first half, Oregon struggled to get Colorado's offense off the field all afternoon.
Listless on offense, lifeless on defense, there was no lifeboat on which the Oregon players could find relief. Seemingly left hoping just to win the next play, Oregon trudged forward – dazed and confused. Undeterred, the Buffaloes took to the ground looking to drive a dagger into the heart of Autzen. Having last won in Eugene when Autzen opened (1967), Colorado hoped to pronounce with authority that they had returned to respectability at the expense of the nouveau riche Ducks.
Sometimes, though, the best laid plans falter on the shaky arm of a freshman quarterback. Going for that final nail, Brenden Schooler, the sensational freshman who burst into the consciousness of Duck fans over the summer like a heat-seeking missile, intercepted Montez and returned the ball 38 yards to put some wind under the wings of Oregon’s offense.
Kani Benoit capped a 10 play, 74-yard drive on the next possession to edge Oregon closer.
Trailing 33-31 with 1:52 left in the third quarter, Oregon would have to reverse its early season trend of fading defensively in the second half if they wanted to pull off the comeback. Troy Dye, the true freshman linebacker took matters into his own hands – literally – intercepting Montez giving the Ducks the ball back at the 27-yard line. Two plays later, Oregon found itself suddenly leading 38-33 with 54 seconds left in the third quarter and momentum clearly on the side of the home team.
With this momentum, a lead at home, when the fans stood to sing along to ‘Shout’ the one thing that had seemed to disappear during the half decade of dominance – crowed domination – had seemingly returned. Blowout wins had sapped some of the famed Autzen magic; but this team; fighting through adversity with the grit of a West Virginian coal miner; brought out the best in Autzen fandom.
It would take a spectacular catch from Brice Bobo on a third-and-10 from the 31 yard line to resuscitate the Colorado team. Following the touchdown and two point conversion, Colorado took a 41-38 lead with just 8:43 left in the game.
Trailing by three, with just 2:57 left in the game, Oregon took over at their own 42-yard line looking to do what they could not do a week ago – drive down for a game winning score. Dodging a near bullet when Prukop threw an ill-advised pass to the flat, Oregon used its second life with a deep pass interference two plays later to extend a potential season defining drive. A drive which would be destroyed by a short-armed fade pattern. When the Buffaloes intercepted the ball in the end zone, Oregon, left with just two timeouts could not stop Colorado from running out the clock.
Tony Brooks-James led the Duck rushing attack with 120 yards on 16 carries. Prukop had respectable numbers despite the late interception completing 22 of 33 passes for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The air deflating a raucous crowd, dissipating hope, and dashing the faint hopes of greater glory, the drive still looks to define the season for the Duck football team. Will it rebound for a strong finish, like last season’s team after their 3-3 start, or will they continue to falter to better teams over the course of the season? Much will be learned about the 2016 Oregon football team in the next few weeks. With a road trip to Pullman next week to take on the beleaguered Cougars before returning home for a pivotal match-up with Northwest rival Washington, the Ducks face the crossroad of hope and despair. If the Ducks are to have any hope of a 2016 renaissance, they must do some soul searching on both sides of the ball.
