Game Recap: Oregon returns to form with 55-10 win over Hawai'i

The final nonconference game of the year is already upon Oregon. With eight Pac-12 teams ranked heading into Week 3, the tests aren’t going to get any easier.

The No. 13 Ducks came into Saturday knowing that there was still a lot to clean up. The opening week demolition of Portland State made it seem that things were going perfectly. A wake-up call in Lubbock last Saturday was surely what Oregon needed ahead of its difficult conference schedule.

Before Colorado comes to Eugene next week, the Ducks had to take care of business to remain undefeated in 2023. Hawaii came to town knowing that a win inside Autzen Stadium was close to impossible.

It sure looked that way on Saturday. Oregon rediscovered the offensive rhythm that fans saw in Week 1 when the Ducks scored a new program high.

It wasn't quite 81 points against Hawaii, but scoring on the first six possessions of the game made for an easy and exciting victory.

While the offense scored relentlessly, the defense became a feared force. The pass-heavy Rainbow Warriors only managed six first downs in the first half and nearly had more rushing yards (40) than passing yards (44).

The second half was more of the same, with the huge halftime lead never diminishing. The Ducks continued scoring, and Hawaii had no answer.

The Rainbow Warriors' only touchdown of the night came with less than 4 minutes left. With freshman Austin Novosad in at quarterback, along with a variety of other underclassmen and backups, the score had nobody worried.

The 55-10 victory puts Oregon at 3-0 heading into conference play. No. 18-ranked Colorado comes to town next week with "Coach Prime" having his team playing at a high level.

First Quarter:

14:02, Oregon: Bo Nix 49-yard pass to Tez Johnson (Camden Lewis PAT), 7-0 Oregon

12:24, Oregon: Camden Lewis 43-yard field goal, 10-0 Oregon

5:52, Oregon: Jordan James 22-yard run (Camden Lewis PAT), 17-0 Oregon

0:06, Oregon: Bo Nix 1-yard pass to Traeshon Holden (Camden Lewis PAT), 24-0 Oregon

Second Quarter:

12:01, Oregon: Jordan James 3-yard run (Camden Lewis PAT), 31-0 Oregon

3:21, Oregon: Camden Lewis 22-yard field goal, 34-0 Oregon

0:00, Hawaii: Matthew Shipley 29-yard field goal, 34-3 Oregon

Third Quarter:

11:30, Oregon: Bo Nix 12-yard pass to Tez Johnson (Camden Lewis PAT), 41-3 Oregon

1:27, Oregon: Noah Whittington 34-yard run (Camden Lewis PAT), 48-3 Oregon

Fourth Quarter:

7:46, Oregon: Ty Thompson 60-yard pass to Traeshon Holden (Camden Lewis PAT), 55-3 Oregon

2:28, Hawaii: Brayden Schager 1-yard pass to Alex Perry (Matthew Shipley PAT), 55-10 Oregon

There wasn’t necessarily a turning point in this game. After stopping Hawaii’s first drive, and scoring on the other end, it never felt like the Ducks had a chance of losing this one. The Rainbow Warriors scored their first points of the game on the last play of the first half. After that, it was more of the same. Hawaii could not sustain drives consistently allowing Oregon make the lead insurmountable.

A few players could be mentioned here, but as expected, it was Bo Nix who continued to prove why he's regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. His day was done by the third quarter with a comfortable lead already set. During his shortened playing time, Nix completed 78% of his passes for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was able to control the game as soon as he stepped onto the field and helped everyone forget about the less-than-ideal victory last week.

Another week, another interception by Khyree Jackson. The Alabama transfer is starting to become a staple in the secondary, and he found his hands on his second interception of the season. This one came in the first quarter on Hawaii’s second offensive drive of the game. Oregon capitalized with a field goal and just kept on scoring.

The Ducks had a few highlight reel plays in their 45-point beatdown of Hawaii. The best, however, had to have come from Noah Whittington. Oregon’s No. 2 running back last season didn’t play in the opener and has been brought back tentatively out of the gate. With only five carries on the day, he made the most out of them, taking one to the house from 34 yards out. His second 30-plus yard rush of the day was electric. A smooth cut opened up the defense and it was a foot race to the end zone.

Oregon won the game because they didn’t beat themselves. Hawaii doesn't have the same level of talent that Texas Tech or some upcoming opponents possess. The only way that the Rainbow Warriors had a chance was for Oregon to inflict self-induced wounds. Though they did have a handful of penalties, it was not even close to enough to have any large effect on the game.

Passing

Bo Nix: 21-27, 247 yards, 3 TD

Ty Thompson: 5-7, 102 yards, 1 TD

Austin Novosad: 1-1, 1 yard

Rushing

Noah Whittington: 5 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD

Jordan James: 7 carries, 61 yards, 2 TDs

Bucky Irving: 12 carries, 59 yards

Bo Nix: 2 carries, 14 yards

Kenyon Sadiq: 1 carry, 12 yards

Jayden Limar: 1 carry, 1 yard

Dante Dowdell: 1 carry, -3 yards

Ty Thompson: 1 carry, -14 yards

Receiving

Troy Franklin: 4 receptions, 83 yards

Tez Johnson: 4 receptions, 77 yards, 2 TDs

Gary Bryant Jr.: 4 receptions, 67 yards

Traeshon Holden: 4 receptions, 63 yards, 2 TDs

Noah Whittington: 3 receptions, 23 yards

Bucky Irving: 2 receptions, 15 yards

Terrance Ferguson: 2 receptions, 10 yards

Casey Kelly: 2 receptions, 6 yards

Patrick Herbert: 1 reception, 5 yards

Jayden Limar: 1 reception, 1 yard