The 2016 Oregon Ducks football team may not have had the most successful season, but man, were they fun to watch. The game at California was no exception. It fit that description, as both offenses combined for a video game-like 1,086 yards of total offense along with 13 touchdowns. 

What made Oregon’s offensive performance so impressive was how they started the game. Freshman Justin Herbert was completely unable to get the offense going. The Ducks struggled to find any rhythm in the run or pass game, leading to four punts on their first four offensive possessions. 
As Oregon’s offense failed to put points on the board, let alone move the ball down the field, the floodgates began to open on its defense. Former Cal quarterback Davis Webb — who went on to be a  third round pick in the NFL — took full advantage of an inexperienced Ducks’ defense and scored three touchdowns to put the Golden Bears up 21-0. No Cal scoring drive took more than four and a half minutes to that point, showing how deadly Webb was in that offense. 

Near the end of the first quarter, Herbert settled in and began looking like the prominent thrower we now know him to be. He calmly diced up the Cal defense for throws of 22 and 21 yards to Darren Carrington II and Pharaoh Brown. Just two plays later, Herbert found Brown open again, this time for a 27-yard touchdown to put the Ducks on the board, down 21-7.

The offense began to find its stride towards the end of the half. Herbert led an eight play, 71-yard drive, punctuated by a Tony Brooks-James touchdown. While the offense found a rhythm, the defense would continue to get beat, giving up another 10 points before the half, making the score 14-31 at halftime. 

The second half is where the fireworks started.

In order for the Ducks to get back in this game, they needed an offensive explosion and for the defense to turn into a steel curtain with timely stops. Both sides of the team took the challenge and stepped up. Herbert and the offense shrewdly lit up the Cal defense on their way to scoring five second half touchdowns.

While not the Steel Curtain of the 70s, the defense stepped up too, allowing fewer points in the second half than they did in the first. 

Unfortunately, the Ducks’ effort fell short, as they lost on an overtime field goal, 52-49. Although the Ducks lost in heartbreaking fashion, fans were assured that the future of the program was in good hands with Herbert. He finished with 258 yards, six touchdowns and a pick. 

Fast forward to the 2022 matchup, last Saturday, which produced a similar game script.

The Ducks started out slowly, falling behind 10-3, however their comeback-effort proved successful. Quarterback Bo Nix mimicked Herbert’s output to the tune of his own 6 total touchdowns, while throwing for 412 yards. No. 8 Oregon left Berkeley with a 42-24 win after taking hold of the game in the second quarter.