In what ended up being a heart breaking loss, the Ducks and their fans rode a wave of emotion that is all too familiar. This loss had all the momentum feels of Stanford 2018. If you have to take a positive away from an otherwise ugly situation, at least this one happened away from home. What won’t bring peace, this is the second year in a row, in a major match up, that the Ducks have blown what should have been a going away win and it falls solely on the coaches and play calling. Without further ado, we look back at the big social media moments of Auburn vs. Oregon.

The day started off with all of the excitement of College Game Day. Oregon was being featured on the main stage once again, after a number of years fighting their way back to relevancy. With so much positivity out of the gate from team and fans alike, the Ducks seemed destine to start the season off on the right foot. Oregon has long been a favorite of Lee Corso, and today was no different, with Corso picking the Ducks to win.

Oregon started this game off making all the right moves. Following an impressive first drive of the game, on which Oregon opened up a 7-0 lead, the defense came out with a quick three an out and the offense was back at it. This is when the first adversity struck and Oregon failed to convert an open catch in the end zone followed by a missed 20-yard field goal. Dropped balls and missed field goals have been the kryptonite of Oregon football for a number of years, and could have signaled a shift in momentum.

After giving up a couple chunk plays on defense, Oregon settled down and forced a field goal, and responded in major fashion. Oregon was out to a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter on a career first TD catch by Spencer Webb on a Brett Favre like scramble and throw from Herbert. Had this day ended differently, this play would long live on in Duck lore.

Sensing the need to fight back, Auburn put together a nice drive that concluded at the start of the second half. As the Oregon defense continued to bend, it did not break as Thomas Graham Jr. made the first of two Duck interceptions in the quarter.

Following an exchange of possessions, Auburn punted to Jevon Holland, who returned it down to the 9 yard line. Oregon was 9 yards away from taking an ironclad grip on the game, but managed to fumble the ensuing mesh exchange. On that play, Bryan Addison made one of the all-time great effort plays in running downfield (even fighting through a block) and made the touchdown saving tackle. Auburn would settle for a FG and it still felt like Oregon was in control.

After starting off the third quarter with another solid defensive effort, the Oregon offense came out and finished another drive in the end zone, despite being down to their 3rd string back. Both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye suffered minor injuries, but Felix came in and showed his athletic ability in beating the Auburn defenders to the edge to give Oregon the 21-6 lead. Unfortunately, in a bit of foreshadowing, the Ducks did become lackadaisical, gaining only 75 more yards in the remaining 25 minutes and 3 seconds of game time.

After going up 21-6, the Ducks were outscored 21-0 in the final 25 minutes of the game. The defense truly tried, but the offense couldn’t even provide substantial breaks in the action and the fatigue set in. In what looked like a likely FG to settle the game, Auburn had one trick left, taking their first lead of the game with 9 second remaining. Another great memory has been built for an opposing team in a major game in the last two years.

No matter how much it might hurt as a fan, the true pain falls on the coaches and players. It can become a game of what ifs and would have, should have, and could have. The only way to get past it is to learn from the mistakes and miscues and move on past it.

Ducks will get their chance to bounce back next week against Nevada, a team that stunned Big Ten member Purdue in their opening game on a 56-yard field goal, something the Ducks would love to have in their arsenal.