EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon spent the week looking for a response. The Ducks delivered one almost immediately Friday night.
No. 21 Oregon scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter and never slowed down, overwhelming Portland State 84-0 at Autzen Stadium in its final nonconference game before beginning Big Ten play.
The Ducks improved to 2-1 and gave coach Dan Lanning his 50th victory at Oregon, rebounding emphatically from a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State that dropped them from No. 6 to No. 21 in the AP Top 25.
Oregon set a modern-era program scoring record and recorded the largest margin of victory in Autzen Stadium history. The Ducks piled up 726 yards of offense while holding Portland State to 103 and forcing four turnovers.
“No disrespect to Portland State, but that’s the way it should look when you execute the way we’re supposed to execute,” Lanning said.
Quarterback Dante Moore was sharp from the start, completing 19 of 23 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Jordon Davison added 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Oregon established control on the ground after being outrushed in each of its first two games.
Davison’s 3-yard touchdown capped Oregon’s opening possession. Moore then hit Dakorien Moore for a 45-yard score before Davison scored again from 5 yards out. Evan Stewart’s 39-yard touchdown reception gave the Ducks a 28-0 advantage before the first quarter was over.
Oregon carried a 49-0 lead into halftime, allowing Lanning to turn to his depth throughout the second half.
Dylan Raiola completed all 11 of his passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns in relief. Freshmen and reserves also contributed as Kendre Harrison, Andrew Olesh, Brady Bidwell, Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith recorded their first collegiate touchdowns.
The Ducks finished with 273 rushing yards while limiting Portland State to just 2 yards on the ground. The Vikings never reached the end zone and managed only five first downs.
“I did like some of the creativity that I was able to see from scheme, and then the execution,” Lanning said. “What showed up in practice really showed up in the game tonight.”
The level of competition will increase considerably from here. Oregon opens Big Ten play next Saturday on the road against No. 12 USC.
After an uneven opening two weeks, the Ducks head into conference play having produced the type of complete performance they were searching for.