An offensive shootout is always likely when two teams who rely primarily on scoring face off.
But that belies what Oregon did Saturday in its 45-30 win against previously-unbeaten UCLA.
While neither defense had been spectacular by any means to this point, the Bruins hadn't allowed more than 32 points in any game during its 6-0 start.
The Ducks almost got there in the first half after a 28-point second quarter led to a 31-13 halftime lead.
One would think that would result in a more conservative approach on offense the rest of the way out. Not for Dan Lanning and Co.
Two fourth-down conversions helped the Ducks get back into the red zone and tight end Cam McCormick capitalized. He bullied his way in for the score and made it four on the day for Nix.
Now up by 22, and with a little over a quarter of football remaining, the game felt out of reach. The defense held up and Chip Kelly still remains winless in Autzen Stadium as a Bruin. Lanning, on the other hand, remains undefeated at home, and it surprisingly hasn’t been due to his defensive expertise.
The great Oregon offenses that Kelly once coached would be proud of the efficient scoring seen week in and week out.
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Nix was a touchdown shy (5) from equaling the number of incompletions (6) he threw on Saturday (and the last of those incompletions was intentional, to kill the final seconds on the clock). It’s no secret that great offenses need a great quarterback under center. Week 1 was worrisome, but in the six high-scoring wins since Nix and the offense have put everyone at ease.
“I don’t think anybody can sit here and watch football right now and watch our quarterback play and tell me he’s not an elite quarterback,” Lanning said Saturday. “This guy is playing at an extremely high level. He makes great decisions for our team. I think everybody on our team is excited about his success.”
