We’re coming to you live from Autzen Stadium, where No. 4 Oregon is taking on the unranked Colorado Buffaloes. It’s the first matchup between the two teams in Oregon since Colorado and Utah helped create the Pac-12 last year.
Numbers to watch.
- 130 – Rushing yards needed by senior running back Kenjon Barner to reach 1,000 yards on the year.
- 194 – All-purpose yards Barner needs to reach 5,000 in his career.
- 3.5 – Sacks senior defensive end Dion Jordan needs to reach 10th on the program’s career list
First quarter. Oregon struck first blood, marching 57 yards in just one minute, 47 seconds, before senior running back Kenjon Barner punched it in from the one-yard line to give the Ducks a touchdown lead. 7-0, Oregon.
On the ensuing kickoff, Colorado fumbled, giving the Ducks the ball in the redzone again. It didn’t take long for sophomore running back De’Anthony Thomas to strike. Thomas’ seventh rushing touchdown of the year came just three plays later. Less than three minutes into the game, before Colorado took an offensive snap, Oregon led 14-0. 14-0, Oregon.
After forcing Colorado to punt, Oregon went the length of the field for its next touchdown. The five-play, 92-yard drive took just 1:28, capped off by freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota‘s five-yard rushing touchdown. Mariota fumbled as he was crossing the goal line, but the touchdown was upheld after review. It was the Ducks’ third touchdown on three drives. 21-0, Oregon.
Oregon would extend the lead before the quarter ended, going 77 yards in six plays to widen the deficit to 28. Mariota’s paired his rushing TD with a passing score to freshman wideout Bralon Addison in the flats. The drive was aided by a late hit on the Buffaloes on a 3rd and 15 for the Ducks. At the end of the first quarter, Oregon remained on pace to score 112 points. 28-0, Oregon.
Second quarter. Facing a different endzone didn’t faze Oregon much. Barner’s second rushing touchdown of the day came from 24 yards out at the end of another long, quick drive. Despite the game being essentially out of reach before the midway point of the second quarter, Autzen was still packed. 35-0, Oregon.
The Ducks defense forced another punt out of Colorado, its fourth of the day, and Thomas finally found the crease he was looking for all game. A little hip wiggle was all it took for the elusive sophomore to find a hole in Colorado’s punt coverage, and Thomas raced down the sidelines 73 yards for the special teams score. Oregon led 42-0 with 11 minutes left in the half. 42-0, Oregon.
Wideout Daryle Hawkins got in on the fun next. His 7-yard touchdown reception from Mariota was just another drop in the bucket. The scoring drive spanned just 39 yards as a Colorado penalty gave the Ducks prime field position. On 36 plays, Oregon put up 49 points and 379 yards of total offense against one of the most generous defenses in the country. Oregon punter Jackson Rice has yet to be called upon. 49-0, Oregon.
With two minutes left in the second quarter, head coach Chip Kelly pulled Mariota in favor of backup Bryan Bennett… and it didn’t take long for him to find the endzone. The sophomore out of Encino, Calif., broke off a long run to flip the field before scampering from five yards in to make the score 56-0 going into halftime. Kelly also has benched Barner and Thomas to give more playing time to true freshman running back Byron Marshall. Colorado has been anemic on offense, mustering just 101 total yards on 28 plays. 56-0, Oregon.
Third quarter. It was the Buffs who opened the scoring in the second half. Freshman running back Christian Powell scored from a half yard out to end the scoring drought and prevent the shutout. Powell topped the 100-yard mark on his 16th carry and consistently found holes in the Ducks’ second- and third-string interior. 56-7, Oregon.
Powell struck against after Oregon running back Ayele Forde coughed the ball up on the wrong side of the 50-yard line. Powell’s second touchdown came from 20 yards out and covered the 46-point spread for the Buffs with eight minutes left in the half. Notes from the scoring drive: three plays, 31 yards, 40 seconds. 56-14, Oregon.
We’ve seen the flash, here’s the smash: a 10-play, 75-yard drive spanning more than four minutes. Bennett froze a linebacker on a zone read and beat him to the corner for the touchdown from five yards out. Oregon could have scored earlier, but wideout B.J. Kelley had to come back to the ball on a Bennett pass, and Colorado caught up to him. 63-14, Oregon.
In relief work for starter Mariota, Bennett’s proven the rain didn’t rust his wheels. His third rushing touchdown of the game comes as Oregon scores it’s tenth touchdown of the game. Forde saw the majority of the carries on the drive and made the most of it. His 13.7 yards per carry average after three quarters is the second-best on the team after Thomas’ 19.4. The Ducks’ 70 points are its most ever in a conference game. 70-14, Oregon.
