It never rains at Autzen Stadium – or so the saying goes. But on a very rainy Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Mother Nature proved that truism false. Bright yellow ponchos were the attire of choice, and fans decked out in flood gear braved the elements to see the Oregon Ducks fumble their way to a 35-28 victory.
The Ducks – who lost four fumbles in the game – struggled holding on to the ball, but players and coaches from Stanford say the elements played little to no factor in the game.
“I don’t think the weather really affected anything,” Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game. “We pretty much played the same game that we would have if it weren’t wet out.”
Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard, who threw for 138 yards and a touchdown, said that it’s just a part of football.
“I felt like I was back in Washington playing in high school,” said the Tacoma, Wash. native. “It’s just something you get used to. Besides, they were playing in it too.”
The weather may have not been a factor for the Cardinal, but Oregon’s quick-strike was. Stanford led the time of possession 39:13 to 20:47, grinding out 325 yards of offense, but they still couldn’t contain the Ducks when it mattered most.
The Ducks accumulated 451 yards of offense on Stanford’s defense, including 74 yards on the last possession of game in which Oregon scored the game-winning touchdown.
“Oregon is good at just about every position,” Harbaugh said. “I tip my hat, they’re a good football team.”
Stanford was without running back Toby Gearhart for a while after he suffered a slight groin pull in the first half. He went into the locker room early in the second quarter, but appeared in the second half, and even ran a few plays.
Gearhart, who also plays for the Stanford baseball team, has averaged 101.2 yards a game this season, good enough for 27th in the nation.
“Toby was able to come back from the injury,” Harbaugh said. “But we didn’t do anything different when he was out. Anthony Kimble has had a very good year and he did very well.”
Kimble finished the day with 106 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
“Guys were stepping up and filling holes,” Pritchard said. “After Toby went down, Anthony did great.”
But great couldn’t get the Cardinal that sought after sixth win that teams covet. Stanford is now 5-5, and the team has only two games left to try and become bowl-eligible. Those two games are against No. 7 USC and No. 21 Cal, and Harbaugh’s team will be hard-pressed to get a win.
Next week Stanford plays the Trojans at home, before traveling to Berkeley to play the Golden Bears on Nov. 22.
“This loss is a big let down,” strong safety Bo McNally said. “But we have to get over it fast and prepare for the next two games. We gotta’ shake this feeling out of our minds and focus on what we have to do to get a win.”