As Bo Nix’s pass traveled toward the right sideline, the crowd in Autzen Stadium collectively winced. The effect was audible, 47, 289 fans sharply inhaling in unison.

Eastern Washington defensive back Tre Weed cut in front of the intended receiver, Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson, as the ball left Nix’s hand. It looked like Weed would intercept the Oregon quarterback, or at least knock his pass to the turf, forcing the Ducks to settle for a field goal.

Instead, the ball caromed off Weed’s facemask. Ferguson snatched it with one hand, then spun out of one tackle and bullied his way past two more defenders on his way into the end zone.

Ferguson’s touchdown, his second of the night, extended Oregon’s lead to 21-0. On the next offensive snap, Christian Gonzalez intercepted Eastern Washington quarterback Gunner Talkington, and the rout was on. Oregon would score three more times in the second quarter en route to a 70-14 win, the first of the Dan Lanning era.

Ferguson’s touchdown and the ensuing interception represented visceral progress from the first game of the Lanning era, a 49-3 beatdown at the hands of defending national champion Georgia. The sequence also showed why Lanning, although happy with his team’s progress, isn’t quite ready to pronounce the issues that plagued the Ducks in Week One cured.

“We tackled better, we played more physical at the point of attack, we were able to complete passes and not put the ball in jeopardy,” Lanning said. “So all those things are certainly a positive. But it’s going to be a challenge as we move forward. It’s going to continue to get harder and we’ve got to continue to play better. So a lot of moments for growth. We have not arrived by any means. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Oregon’s problems against Georgia were many, but Lanning and his staff zeroed in on a few key areas where they wanted to see immediate improvement. Those included getting better play from Nix, who transferred to Oregon from Auburn during the offseason, finishing drives with touchdowns and reversing the negative turnover margin from Week One.