Pac-12 after dark has its moments of splendor; but it also has its reality. A day that was a picture perfect late summer Willamette Valley afternoon ceded to night with splendor in the sky and what promised to be a night full of effusive accolades bestowed upon the home team.
In a game that would bog down in the fourth quarter, Oregon was better in just about every phase of the game, yet seemed to be slowed by the weight of their own effort. A game which could have been put away much earlier was instead plagued by a mish-mash of great effort followed by inexplicable lapses.
Coming off of a dominant 77-6 showing a week prior, Oregon was looking to build some momentum heading to their first Pac-12 tilt next week. Opening with the ball, Oregon got to work quickly establishing that their offense could not be stopped. Senior quarterback Justin Herbert looked more composed to start this game; that composure led to a quick 8 play, 75-yard scoring drive.
Following a week in which it seemed as if everything went right, expectations were high for coaches, players and fans alike. Sometimes, though, expectations run into the reality of human imperfections and that seemed to be the case for much of the first half at Autzen Stadium.
The biggest question for the Ducks would be whether the defense from a week ago was an epiphany; a coming out party; or an anomaly; an outlier. The start was not promising as Montana quarterback Dalton Sneed escaped a shallow three-man rush on the first third down for a big 26-yard pass completion that saw Montana get near Oregon territory.
The Oregon defense blitzed and stunted during the first quarter, but the Montana offense is more of a quick pass offense leaving Avalos’ defense with fewer opportunities to create pressure and mistakes. It did not hurt that the Grizzlies were led by a fifth-year senior less likely to make some of the mistakes Oregon had seen a week ago.
Oregon brings to every game an offensive line many consider one of the top three in the nation; the Ducks have struggled in the run game at times – especially the power rush attack; but the group has shown time and again that they are one of the best in pass protection and the first quarter was no exception.
Though the Ducks continued to struggle with the run game on their third possession, Herbert’s accuracy and some good play-calling led the Ducks to a second touchdown and an early 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Despite appearing to be in total control, Oregon was unable to pull away early as the offense moved the ball well most of the time, but seemed to stall out frequently. The Ducks displayed a mix of inconsistency in the run game, a lack of discipline at times at the line of scrimmage and a tendency to create some self-inflicted wounds that slowed down drives.
The inconsistency and mistakes led to opportunity for Montana late in the first half following a dropped pass on a fourth down to give the Grizzlies possession. The Duck defense put the clamps down after perfectly executed first down pass put the Grizzlies at the Oregon 32-yard line; from that point, Oregon forced a missed field goal and quickly moved the ball down the field on a 5-play, 67-yard drive to take a 21-0 lead with 10-seconds left in the half.
The scoring play perfectly encapsulated why so many NFL scouts are enamored with Herbert. He began rolling to the left, when pressure got to him, he broke a tackle, rolled back to his right and threw an 18-yard strike to Johnny Johnson.
Herbert – who would complete 30 of 42 for 316 yards and 5 touchdown – was much more composed to start the game than a week ago and his demeanor of calmness was the perfect antidote for a team that appeared to be a little off of their best in the first half.
The defense, after holding Montana to just 95 total yards in the first half – including 13 yards on 12 rushes – took full control to open the second half. After allowing a third down conversion followed by a short fourth down conversion, Mykael Wright, in for Thomas Graham who left the game with an ankle injury late in the first half, gave the Ducks the ball with his first career interception.
After holding Montana scoreless through nearly three quarters, the Grizzlies took advantage of Oregon’s backup defensive backs and moved the ball inside the five yard line before settling for a field goal; those would be the only points Montana would muster on an evening full of mostly offensive frustration; especially on the ground where the Grizzlies limped to 8 yards on 21 carries.
The bigger concern for Oregon heading into week four is going to be how Oregon responds to this lackluster performance and the status of key players who all left with injuries. Thomas Graham, a three-year starter, will be critical for Oregon as will four-year starting center Jake Hanson.
The Ducks head into Pac-12 play against a reeling Stanford team which lost to Central Florida needing a win on the road to set the tone for the rest of the season before an off week. With Justin Herbert looking as good as he has all season, the Ducks will need to continue the development of the receiving corps while improving a run game that has been somewhat lackluster even in two lopsided wins.
With the 35-3 score, the Ducks are left with some questions on offense, but one thing was certain in this game, the Ducks defense is playing well and are very well coached. The tacking is the best it has been in Eugene in several years.
With the win, Oregon moves to 2-1 on the season. With the Pac-12 North seemingly up for grabs, how Oregon opens on the road next week could determine the direction for a conference reeling from early season losses and embarrassments.
