It wasn't nearly as pretty as some around the Oregon Ducks football program would have liked, but a win is a win and the Ducks are 1-0 with a 34-27 win over Boise State .
Give the Broncos a ton of credit as they came into Autzen Stadium and gave the No. 2 team in the country all it cold handle and then some. They held a 17-7 lead in the second quarter and were up 17-14 at halftime. But the Oregon offense finally got into a groove and scored on five straight possessions.
Although the Ducks were lighting up the scoreboard as best they could, the Broncos were hanging in there. The biggest key of the second half was the Oregon defense was pressuring quarterback Maddux Madsen . Those easy throws he was making in the first half were just tough to come by in the fourth quarter.
Boise State had the ball down a touchdown with just 2:30 left, a position it gladly would have taken before the game began for sure. But the Duck defense buckled down and held the Broncos short of one first down on that final possession and Oregon was able to run out the rest of the clock.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was a steady as always as he went 28-of-37 for 378 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target on this day was receiver Jeremiah McClellan , who had his best day as a Duck with six catches for 150 yards and touchdown.
The decisive blow came in the fourth quarter with the came tied 27-27 on Dakorien Moore 's 62-yard reception where he faked out two defenders to go the distance.
Oregon will now celebrate this victory for a day, watch film, practice and be prepared to go to Oklahoma State next week (9 am PST, ESPN).
| Quarter |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
— |
Final Score |
| Boise State |
7 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
— |
27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon |
0 |
14 |
10 |
10 |
— |
34 |
The Ducks hold on to a close victory as the defense came up big in the end. After not pressuring Madsen for much of the first half, they were able to get to him in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. Oregon is 1-0.
For the first time in six possessions, the Boise State defense holds the Ducks off the scoreboard. Now it's crunch time and it's all up to the Duck defense to get one more stop.
The Ducks didn't need much time at all as Dakorien Moore showed why he could be one of the best receivers in the country. He caught the ball and then stopped on a dime to let two defenders fly by to go 62 yards for the touchdown.
Canaan Moore hits a 35-yard field goal to tie the game up once again. Boise State was able to move down the field rather easily and really manhandled the Duck defensive line on that drive. Needless to say, Oregon needs to answer right here.
Hurych nails a 44-yard field goal to give the Ducks the lead once again. Oregon just missed a touchdown when Stewart threw to McClellan in the end zone, but he slipped on the turf and couldn't haul it in.
The game is knotted up at 24-24 as we head to the fourth quarter. It's a lot closer than the Ducks thought it would be at this time, but they are driving to score. Now it's time to Shout!
Madsen finds tight end Matt Wagner on a fourth down for a 7-yard touchdown to tie the game 24-24. It completed an eight-play, 75-yard drive. This is going down to the wire.
The Ducks grab their first lead of the day and the season on an 8-yard reception from Moore to McClellan. They had to review it, but McClellan was in the end zone before going out of bounds. Oregon has scored 17 unanswered points, but more importantly, they look like the Ducks.
The Duck defense did what it needed to do right there, and that was to hold the Broncos off the board and keep the momentum going for the offense. Oregon has closed off some of those running lanes that were open earlier and the secondary is being stingy. Now Oregon will go for its first lead of the day.
Gage Hurych nails a 26-yard field goal to tie the game on Oregon's first drive of the third quarter. The drive was promising until the Ducks got to the 11, and then it stalled right there. Boise State did pick Moore off, but the defender was called for pass interference, which was a huge break for Oregon.
The Broncos took a knee to end the half, a half that was easily the worst half in the Dan Lanning Era. Oregon should thank its lucky stars it's just a three-point deficit. Everything just looks a little off-kilter on both ends of the football. But those last two possessions looked more like Duck football and hopefully they can carry the momentum into the third quarter.
Moore is 18-of-23 passing for 163 yards and a touchdown. McClellan has four catches for 91 yards. Bear Alexander and Teitum Tuioti lead the defense with six tackles each.
Oregon followed up its best defensive possession with its best offensive possession as Moore found Jamari Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown. Hopefully this is the spark the Ducks needed going into halftime. Oregon receives the ball to start the third quarter.
Canaan Moore hits a 29-yard field goal to extend the Broncos' lead, but they shouldn't have been in that position, as that drive was helped out by a defensive offside on fourth down and then later an unsportsmanlike penalty. This half just needs to end.
The Oregon offense is still out of sync as the Ducks drive to midfield, but is stalled on a failed fourth-and-1 play where Dierre Hill's knee was ruled down before getting the first down. The awful half continues.
After a muffed punt from Evan Stewart , the Broncos only need one play to score on a 38-yard touchdown to Sire Gaines on a screen play. This sloppiness has to end or Oregon will be in a world of hurt.
This is the Duck offense we have grown to love. Moore found McClellan two times on this drive and Jordon Davison punches it in from the one as we're all tied up in Eugene.
Oregon's defense comes up big and holds the Boise offense to a three-and-out as the quarter ends. The Broncos will punt from their own six and the Ducks should get the ball around midfield.
Dante Moore throws a nice long pass to Jeremiah McClellan to get the offense past the 50, but the Bronco defense stops what has been a sloppy effort for the Duck offense. A great punt sets the Broncos on their own 1-yard line.
Oregon's defense shows up in the second drive and sacks Maddux Madson on third down to stall the Broncos. But Evan Stewart somehow fields a punt on the 2-yard line and that's where the Ducks will start.
The Ducks drive to midfield, but are stopped on a 4th-and-three play that was short. This is almost the worst possible start for Oregon.
The Broncos stun the Duck defense by going 75 yards in 11 plays with Boise State scoring on a 13-yard pass to Cam Bates. Not exactly the start Oregon was looking for that's for sure.
Oregon — OUT: LB Brayden Platt (undisclosed injury), DL Tony Cumberland (undisclosed injuries), WR Dillon Gresham (neck); QUESTIONABLE: WR Jalen Lott (undisclosed injury); PROBABLE: OL Dave Iuli (torn tricep), LB Nasir Wyatt (hand), RB Jordon Davison (stinger)
Odds via FanDuel .
Oregon 52, Boise State 17.There's no reason to think the Ducks' offense won't hit the ground running, as most of the unit returns from last season and now it includes a healthy Evan Stewart at receiver. Oregon's defense should dominate for most of the game, but Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen has the talent to make some plays throughout the contest. Overall, this should be a relatively easy win for the Ducks.
Spread:Oregon (-24.5)
Total O/U:51.5
Moneyline:Oregon (-4000); Boise State (+1500)
Saturday's low will be 50 degrees between 6 am and 7 am, and the high will be 70 degrees between 3 pm and 4 pm. The temperature range will feel like 50 degrees to 71 degrees. It will feel warmer than the actual temperature. Officially, there is a 0 percent chance of rain, but of course, it never rains at Autzen Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon vs Boise State live updates: Ducks win season opener 34-27
