5 takeaways from Oregon’s program-defining win over No. 3 Ohio State
The Oregon Ducks just did what nobody thought they were capable of.
Traveling across the country, playing at an odd time, and being asked to upset one of the best teams in the nation without two of your best players healthy, you aren’t supposed to win a football game.
More than that, you aren’t supposed to look like the dominant, more powerful team, especially when playing a college football blue-blood like No. 3 Ohio State.
Regardless of the odds, Mario Cristobal and his squad marched into Columbus and grabbed a statement win that is in contention for the biggest in Oregon’s non-conference history. On a national stage, in front of a skeptical audience, Oregon got the job done. Here are our biggest takeaways from the game:
Oregon wins big with house money
Oregon wasn't supposed to win this game. When they were announced as 14-point underdogs early in the week, it became clear that not many people expected them to keep the score close, let alone leave with a victory. After both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe were ruled out for the game ahead of kickoff, it became even more improbable. The fact of the matter was that the Ducks were playing with house money in this one, and they could afford to let it slip with a handful of legitimate excuses readily available to them. Instead, they took that house money and turned it into a small fortune. The defense was incredible, stifling Ohio State's All-Amerian offense throughout the day and the running game in check. The offense was even better, getting a huge performance from the front five that allowed QB Anthony Brown ample time to throw, and gave RB CJ Verdell holes big enough to drive a truck through. The Ducks went into Columbus and beat Ohio State when nobody expected them to. It would have been an easy game to lose, but didn't take the easy route and instead put the nation on notice.
CJ Verdell earned his respect
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
When you look at lists of the premier running backs in the nation, CJ Verdell is not usually mentioned. A couple of injuries derailed his career, but in his final season with the Ducks, he is finally healthy and ready to let the world know. After his 195 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, they surely know now. It was clear before the game that Oregon was going to have to rely on their rushing attack to stay competitive in this matchup, and early on Verdell showed what was possible. A pair of 14-yard touchdowns in the second quarter let us know that Verdell was going to have a good game, and his 77-yard scamper to the house early in the third quarter put us on career watch. Verdell finished with 161 yards on the ground, and 34 more through the air. He ran away with our Ducks Wire Player of the Game award, and likely entered his name in the Doak Walker Award watchlist. Oregon's upset victory couldn't have been made possible without No. 7, and it's time that people start recognizing the value he has to this team.
Ducks defense in full 'Ewing Theory' mode
Anyone who knows who Bill Simmons is should probably be familiar with what the 'Ewing Theory' is. A term made to describe how a team steps up and plays better once one of their star players is out, the Ewing Theory is a time-tested idea that pops up often in sports. The Ducks were a classic case of the Ewing Theory on Saturday. Without Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe, Oregon's defense stepped up and played way above expectations, holding Ohio State's explosive offense in check, only allowing 28 points. Noah Sewell had an awesome game with 7 tackles, Bennett Williams added 8, and Mykael Wright led the team with 10. While linebacker depth was sparse, true freshman Keith Brown stepped in and had a massively impactful day in the running game. He finished with only two tackles, but was flying around the field with no end in sight. Going forward, we don't know what to expect from Oregon's defensive stars. The Ducks get a nice break with Stonybrook coming to Eugene next week, offering a chance for injured players to rest and get healthy. After that, though, we will see. Kayvon should be ready to return from a sprained ankle sooner rather than later, and we will have to see the severity of Flowe's foot, which was in a boot all day on Saturday. If we saw anything, though, it's that the Ducks' defense is good enough and deep enough to hang tight and dominate even when they aren't at full strength.
Anthony Brown gained Oregon's adoration
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Anthony Brown took a lot of flack from the Oregon faithful after the Week 1 game against Fresno State. He didn't play terribly, but he subverted expectations for sure. Fans were left crying bust, and wishing for true freshman Ty Thompson to come into the game and take over. I'd be interested to see what those same fans are saying right now. https://twitter.com/zacharycneel/status/1436790640629723141 Finishing with 236 yards and two touchdowns on 17-for-35 passing, Brown led the Oregon offense on Saturday and allowed them to put points on the board. It certainly helped that the Ducks' rushing attack was as good as we've seen in years, but Brown added to that, offering 65 yards one the ground as well. He may not be the Marcus Mariota or Justin Herbert type, but Brown is a great fit for this team. He has some incredible weapons around him, and he can distribute and make plays when needed. As Cristobal said, he is just scratching the surface, and it's time that Oregon fans truly appreciate that they have a guy who can lead one of the best teams in the nation.
Joe Moorhead put on a coaching clinic
(Photo by Zachary Neel)
You aren't going to find any stats that show you just how good of a performance Oregon OC Joe Moorhead had against Ohio State on Saturday. After facing criticism of bland and vanilla playcalling vs. Fresno State, Moorhead pulled out all of the stops, running a series of RPO's and sweeps that kept the Buckeyes guessing and the chains moving. At one point in the second quarter, the Ducks were backed up onto their own 1-yard line, and in a matter of 10 plays, they were putting 7 points on the board and taking the lead. We've always known that Moorhead was an incredible offensive mind that will likely only use Oregon as a jumping-off point to get back into the head coaching realm, but we saw on Saturday that his time with the Ducks can be truly something special to watch.
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