It was brutally efficient.
Six touchdowns in the first seven possessions. Ed Dickson had 103 yards and a touchdown by halftime. The Cougars had 51 total yards at the half. There are numerous other examples of how the Ducks were better than the Cougars on Saturday night, but it doesn’t matter.
It was the varsity versus the junior varsity.
Oregon should have won this game. There’s no doubt about that. But it was the manner in which they won that sent a big message to the rest of the Pacific-10 Conference: this team doesn’t mess around.
The Ducks could have come out and toyed with the Cougars and let them hang around much like the Trojans did last week. But they didn’t.
WSU offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy said Oregon was faster on both sides of the ball than USC is. True or not, the Ducks proved that they’re ready to make a statement.
For every touchdown they scored, for every first down they made, Oregon moved one step closer to the big match-up at the end of the month against the Trojans on Halloween. But before they get there, the Ducks have two road tests that are just as big.
This weekend they play in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl. That’s followed by a week off, then a trip to Seattle to play Washington — where, coincidentally, the Trojans lost a few weeks back.
It’s a crucial stretch of games that could determine the postseason for the Ducks. It’s about beating the teams that you’re supposed to, and so far the Ducks have done that. Yes, they were tripped up against Boise State, but the last two weeks have shown that Oregon is a completely different team. That’s why the team can’t get tripped up by UCLA and Washington. All the hard work of scratching its way back into the top 15 would be erased if they lose to either team. The Bruins and Huskies are definitely a step up from the Cougars, but by no means are they the top of the heap.
The two games will also bring up another aspect of Oregon’s game that we haven’t seen in the last month: its road game. It’s been a long time since the Ducks have had to travel. They’ve had the benefit of playing four straight weeks at home and it was exactly what this team needed after their initial test on the road.
But now it’s time to — excuse the bad word play — test their wings away from Eugene. We all know that Autzen Stadium is a cozy place to play as the home team, but true progress is made by how your team plays on the road. Against the Broncos on Sept. 3, the Ducks laid an egg and didn’t even get a first down until the second half.
They’ll have to show that they can win on the road if they have any hopes of winning the Pac-10 title. That is still a long way down the line, I know, but a win at the Rose Bowl Saturday is worth two wins at Autzen.
The young offensive line and receiving corps need to feel the intensity of a crowd that is 100 percent against them. Teams grow much more on the road than they do at home. At home, they can rely on (to a certain extent) the security blanket of the home crowd and familiar surroundings. But when they’re the visiting team, they have to battle everything from flights, to sleeping in a hotel room, to louder noise when the offense is on the field.
The Ducks are in the right mind set going into this mini-three week season. They’re 4-0 at home and clicking as a unit on offense. The defense has played phenomenally even with some big names out of the lineup. The outlook is good. But for me, the jury is still out about where this team is.
They need to show me something against UCLA and Washington. I was there at Boise for the no-show against the Broncos. The better team at that point in the season won, but I truly believe that if Oregon would have played like they have since then, the team would have probably pulled it out.
If Oregon continues to put up big numbers and more importantly win, then I’ll buy into the hype that this team is for real and can compete for the Pac-10 title. And to borrow a saying from the book of Chip Kelly’s favorite things to say to the media: Right now, the only thing the Ducks have done is earn themselves the opportunity to finish the season 4-8.
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Oregon needs to show it can contend
Daily Emerald
October 4, 2009
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