The scoreboard doesn't have a section for style points, and they're not tabulated in the standings either. In a game that was unexciting and not flashy unless you're a big devotee of stifling defense, Oregon dispatched perennial nemesis Stanford 21-6 in Palo Alto, marking their first win in the series after three straight losses.

The Ducks managed just 320 yards of offense against a Cardinal squad that allowed over thousand in its last two games. It was enough, however, when the defense erupted for 5 sacks and limited the hosts to 234 yards in the game.

Punter Blake Maimone was perhaps Oregon's best offensive weapon. He pinned the Cardinal deep with 5 punts inside the 20 and no touchbacks, forcing them to sustain long drives they just didn't have the octane to complete.

Here's a review of the keys to the game:

1. Get pressure on K.J. Costello

They have a real opportunity to shut down the Cardinal offense by ramping up the pressure. If they can keep Costello in his funk and not allow him to develop a rhythm or feel a surge of his old confidence, they can completely dictate the flow of this game.

Status: completely achieved

Oregon sacked Costello five times and hurried him throughout. They upset his timing and kept him uncomfortable. The pressure forced an errant pass snatched by Jevon Holland in the third quarter, the game's only turnover.

2. Match up in the secondary

The 6-7, 252-pound Parkinson caught the winning touchdown in overtime last year, and this season he leads The Cards with 17 catches, for 178 yards.

The eyes have to be right, and communication must be consistent.

Status: completely achieved

Parkinson didn't have a single catch in the game. Oregon's defensive backs were swarming and limited yards after the catch. Costello was 16-30 for 120 yards, a long gain of 25 yards to Michael Wilson. There were no breakdowns or big plays, and The Cardinal had little rhythm or momentum, settling for field goals on their only successful drives.

The Ducks matched up extremely well and defended with particular effectiveness against the post-up type of plays Stanford used to gash them with in past seasons. Costello frequently had to put the ball in jeopardy throwing to closely-covered receivers. Wilson in particular had to make several tough catches, downed immediately.

3. Take care of the football

In so many of their losses to The Trees, the Ducks have helped them with some ill-timed fumbles and losses of possession. Justin Herbert has to be smart against an active and well-coached Stanford secondary...

Turnover margin is even more crucial facing Stanford than most teams. They're a conservative operation that relies on short fields and controlling time of possession. The Ducks can't help them by being careless.

Status: mostly achieved, with a little bit of Duck luck

Well, the Ducks were careless. But they were also alert and lucky. They fumbled three times, but two of them settled right back down into the hands of Justin Herbert and Jevon Holland (on a punt return). Herbert had a second fumble when he was sacked. That one was jumped on by Penei Sewell.

As a result the Ducks won the turnover battle, 1 turnover gained, none lost.

4. Finish drives and finish the job

Oregon left points on the field last year and let the Cardinal back in the game. Shaw's teams are tough and resilient. The Ducks have to maintain focus and sustain their intensity through the third and fourth quarters.

Status: the scoreboard says yes, but my worked-over couch pillows say no.

The coaches have gotten so much criticism for clock management, they appeared to focus on it from the second half kickoff.

The Ducks offense was leaden and repetitive in this game, particularly in the second half after taking a 14-3 lead after two quarters. They were careful. C.J. Verdell carried the ball 24 times for 82 yards, hard yards running mostly left. His long gain of the game was 11 yards. Herbert was sacked four times and that stymied drives. Oregon punted four times in the second half and missed a field goal when a high snap threw off the timing of kicker Camden Lewis, who had to stutter step and wait for the placement.

When it counted, however, the Ducks got a big break early in the fourth quarter. Jevon Holland picked off a pass and got them possession at the 50. Herbert found Bryan Addison for 13 yards on a well-executed out route, then connected with Jaylon Redd for 12 and another first down. On first and 10 from the Stanford 24 they ran what's become their old reliable, the pump-and-go fake screen, vertical route to Jake Breeland, who gathered in a soft toss from his senior quarterback for a touchdown and a 21-3 lead.

5. Do what you do best offensively

USC and UCF beat Stanford handily with big pass plays over the top. The Ducks don't have the personnel to follow that blueprint. Other than seam routes to the tight end and pump fakes off the quick screens, they're not a particularly efficient deep passing team.

Marcus Arroyo has to find ways to be creative using what the Ducks do well, quick runs off tackle, quick passes in the RPO game, using Justin Herbert's mobility and accuracy to find some gains on intermediate routes.

Status: largely achieved

Arroyo's offense was effective enough to win the game when coupled with a stifling defense. Herbert was brilliant, 19-24 passing for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was not intercepted; having not thrown a pick all season while throwing a team-record 14 touchdowns in the first four games. He found Jaylon Redd for a 36-yard score, hit Breeland with a beautifully-executed back shoulder fade for a 16-yard touchdown.

The Ducks had just enough offense, but they're probably going to need more to best Washington or Washington State. The hope is the return of Jake Hanson, coupled with the addition of injured wide receivers Mycah Pittman, Brenden Schooler and Juwan Johnson can jump start the sluggish attack.

Oregon's stubborn commitment to their anemic run game needs an adjustment of some kind. Even with Verdell's dogged effort, they netted 61 yards in 30 tries. They're more successful with passes that function as runs, like the quick screens to Redd or the screen they ran to Travis Dye on 3rd and 11 in the first half, good for 26 yards.