EUGENE, OR – For only the second time in program history, the Oregon Ducks finished the regular season undefeated after they beat the Washington Huskies 49-20 in what head coach Dan Lanning described as their “most complete game of the season”.
Only hours before kickoff the Huskies announced a quarterback change, electing to start true freshman Demond Williams Jr. over fifth-year senior Will Rogers. Williams Jr. finished his debut 17/20 with 201 yards and 1 touchdown, but was unable give the Huskies the spark they had hoped for due to the physical dominance of Oregon’s defensive front who recorded 10 sacks on the night.
Momentum briefly swung in Washington’s favor early in the first half when they recovered a fumble on Oregon’s 21 yard-line while trailing by only 4 points. Washington was unable to capitalize on the field position and settled for their second field-goal of the night bring the score to 7-6.
The Ducks quickly flipped the energy in Autzen, responding with a 4-play scoring drive that was capped with a 1-yard touchdown run from Jordan James. Washington running back Jonah Coleman fumbled on their next play from scrimmage, giving the Ducks the ball back in the red zone where James would punch in another 1-yard touchdown extending their lead to 15 at 21-6 after only 25 seconds of game time.
Oregon’s offense was efficient and well-rounded Saturday in large part due to the return of star wide receiver Tez Johnson. Tez suffered what was feared to be a season ending injury in week 6 against Ohio State but appeared to be back at full strength, logging 3 receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown.
When speaking about the importance Johnson’s return, quarterback Dillon Gabriel stated “More than playing I think it just helps with overall morale… We love Tez, we need him. He’s a big part of what we do”.
In their first season as part of the Big Ten conference the Ducks have earned a spot in the conference championship game where they will face the Penn State Nittany Lions in Indianapolis on December 7th.
With a victory next week the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks will secure a bye week in the College Football Playoff, where they look to win their first National Championship. The only other time the Ducks had an undefeated season was in 2010, where they ultimately lost 22-19 in the BCS National Championship Game against Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers.
