Play to your standard
The Ducks have a chance to win the league, and to do that they have to fully embrace the challenge to improve every week and play to their potential. The offense has to get untracked. The defense has to stay relentless. The field goal unit has to string together some makes.
Status: Achieved.
The Ducks opened up a 24-3 halftime lead with alert defense and big pass plays to Jake Breeland and Mycah Pittman. A heads-up interception by Verone McKinley kept the Buffs out of the end zone. Cameron Lewis connected on his second field goal of the season, a squeaker inside the left upright, good from 32 yards.
They opened the second half with an athletic interception downfield by Bryson Young, capitalizing quickly with two clutch catches by Jaylon Redd, the second for a touchdown to go ahead 31-3, adjusting nicely to the ball under tight coverage.
On the Buffs next possession safety Verone McKinley stepped in front of a route up the seam and returned it inside the five, the offense scoring in one play as Cyrus Habbibi-Likio bulled in for his second score behind a crunching block by Calvin Throckmorton, who drove his man four yards deep in the end zone.
On Colorado's next series the visitors went for it on 4th and 8. Nick Pickett collected a carom off Laviska Shenault in the end for Oregon's fourth pick of the night.
Don't get caught up in the PAC-12's Friday Night weirdness
Friday night has been a black hole for conference contenders over the years.
Playing midweek upsets your routine. It's unfamiliar and shortens preparation. It's a fertile breeding ground for the shenanigans of the PAC-12 refs.
The Ducks have to eliminate all that.
Status: Achieved
Oregon opened with a crisp scoring drive, capped by a touchdown pass to Breeland. They were focused, and got good work by reserves Haki Woods and Sampson Niu after injuries to Jevon Holland and Troy Dye. Woods made a crunching tackle to stuff a running play.
Justin Herbert shook off some drops by his receivers to throw for 225 yards in the first half, connecting on a 39-yard seam route to Mycah Pittman, who is rapidly becoming the team's most reliable receiver after Breeland.
Contain Tony Brown and pressure Steven Montez
The Montez to Brown connection is the heart of Colorado's attack. Montez has been sacked just once a game, and that's allowed him to hit on devastating big plays to Brown and the rest of his receivers. He's accurate with a big arm. If he's comfortable, he'll pick apart most secondaries. To date he's the biggest test a stellar Oregon pass defense has had.
Brown is a pass-catching machine. Through five games he latches on to 85% of the balls thrown his way, an astounding success rate. The Ducks need to lock him up.
Status: The Ducks got good pressure on Montez, sacking him once in the first half, hurrying his throws and forcing several throwaways. They limited him to 75 yards in the first half, with just one catch for 4 yards for Brown.
Through three quarters Ducks picked Montez four times, two by McKinley, one by Young, one by Pickett. The pride of the defense was evident in how fiercely they battled to keep Colorado out of the end zone during a drive late in the period, Haki Woods coming up with a big stop on fourth down to halt the advance.
Exploit what Colorado does worst
The Buffs pass defense is atrocious and wounded. Every opponent has scored at least 30 points. It's a tremendous opportunity for Justin Herbert and company to establish rhythm they can carry forward into the second half of the season.
The Ducks must forget about DNA and identity for a week and adjust and adapt to the opponent's weakness. Throw the football.
Status: Achieved
Ducks had great balance in getting out ahead of the Buffs. C.J. Verdell made a nifty cut to break free for a 19-yard run on his way to 77 first-half yards on just 8 carries. Cyrus Habbibi-Likio continues to run hard, pounding it in for a third and goal touchdown and moving the pile to gain 29 yards on 7 carries in the first two periods, most on tough runs inside.
Herbert's 225 yards in the opening half included three grabs by Pittman and Breeland, two each by Johnny Johnson III, Jaylon Redd and Juwan Johnson. There was good distribution. When the Ducks faced a third and goal Marcus Arroyo dialed up a Jet Sweep to Redd behind blocks by Penei Sewell and Shane Lemieux.
Oregon rolled to 334 yards and 24 points by halftime, their best productivity of the season offensively against a Power 5 opponent, a complete and satisfying performance as they've had, but the injuries to three stars are worrisome with a road game versus Washington on the schedule in seven days.
Verdell reached 171 yards rushing with a terrific run late in the third, keeping his balance at the second level and breaking free for 70 yards behind another block by Sewell. Habbibi-Likio powered over for his third touchdown to cap the drive and increase the bulge to 45-3.
