EUGENE, OR –Rebounding from last week’s heartbreaking loss, the Oregon Ducks defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 77-6, tying a record for most points ever scored in Autzen Stadium. Oregon also extended their streak of consecutive wins over non conference opponents at home to 24.
Senior quarterback Justin Herbert brought his name back into Heisman conversations Saturday, after he threw for 310 yards, 5 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Oregon dominated in every aspect of the game, scoring 11 touchdowns by 11 different players. Herbert stated,“After a tough loss last week we came together and got after it”.
When the game got out of hand, Oregon was also able to show off their depth, most notably at the quarterback position with Tyler Shough. Shough was 8/9, throwing for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, ending with a quarterback rating 11.4 points higher than Herbert at 248.1.
Speaking about Shough’s valuable minutes, head coach Mario Cristobal stated “He’s a really good football player.He’s proved it in spring, he proved it during fall camp, and we wanted him in there during meaningful time… and we wanted to make sure he got reps with our ones. He did a great job tonight”.
While the scoreboard may only tell the story of Oregon’s success offensively, their defense was equally responsible for their success. As Cristobal put it after the game, “they were the determining factor in the swing in momentum”. Nevada looked ready to take an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, after a fumbled punt return handed the ball back to Nevada deep inside Oregon’s territory. The mistake eventually led to Nevada sitting at 1st and goal on Oregon’s 4-yard line, but the defense stood strong, holding the Wolf Pack only to a field goal.
After another impressive outing, defensive coordinator Andy Avalos is quickly proving that his defense is amongst the best in the country. The Ducks had another unbelievable showing on that side of the ball, keeping Nevada to only 6 total points, and 192 yards of total offense.
On the night, Avalos’s defense recorded 13 tackles for losses, 5 sacks, and forced 4 turnovers,one of which resulted in a touchdown from safety Brady Breeze on a scoop and score fumble recovery in the third quarter.
Oregon will look to string together another complete game when they host the Montana Grizzlies in Eugene next Saturday, September 14th.
